Kick-offs (first or half-time)

[7PNJ4]

Just wondered what people think about kick-offs nowadays? Most teams (including the famous) stick a wee guy on the kick, pass it back to the CB who then pings it to one side or the other for the larger people to fight over. So as a team that likes to play out from the back a lot, why is our intention not to keep the ball and get some easy passes off nice and early? I'm not against it I'm just interested as to why this is the tactical play now and if it always was this way? 

[Jambo 4 Ever]

Should boot it right to  just before the opposite corner flag so that the other  team instantly have to take a throw in deep in their area 

[The Gorgie]

Taking kick off, passing it back to a defender for them to aimlessly punt it up the park and give possession away, is one of the most infuriating things in football.

[frankblack]

7 minutes ago, Jambo 4 Ever said:

Should boot it right to  just before the opposite corner flag so that the other  team instantly have to take a throw in deep in their area 

 

Most teams practice how to beat the press so that is just handing possession away.

[Fort Vallance]

12 hours ago, Jambo 4 Ever said:

Should boot it right to  just before the opposite corner flag so that the other  team instantly have to take a throw in deep in their area 

A bit rugby.

[meister]

12 hours ago, Jambo 4 Ever said:

Should boot it right to  just before the opposite corner flag so that the other  team instantly have to take a throw in deep in their area 

 

We tried this in the second half of the cup final against Celtic and at the time I thought it was a great idea, but to be fair to Celtic they dealt with it easily enough. It might work against lesser teams though, teams that can't handle the press and have no composure, teams that are known to shite the bed perhaps, teams that have a reputation for comically causing their own downfall maybe ??

 

Hibs. It might work against Hibs basically.

[Boyces beard]

Its actually more tactical than just a big punt up field from kick off. Teams will put there big striker out wide (Simms for us) and Boyce/McKay be slightly deeper than Simms on the same side of the park. This results in the defender winning the header and the attacking team getting a throw in deep in the opposition half or Simms wins the header and McKay/Boyce pick up the 2nd ball and we attack from there. Either way it mostly results in the team kicking off gaining possession in a dangerous area and if even once during the season it results in a goal inside the 1st minute then its job done.

[Waterboy]

- Getting the ball up and in to their final third straight from kickoff gains territory and has a psychological advantage.

- Many teams out with the elite are better at pressing and forcing errors to create chances rather than creating themselves - equally, many teams out with the elite don't have the nerve or the ability to play out from their own corner flag with 3 opponents bearing down on them, and will inevitably lump it back to your centre halves, with the rest of your team now comfortably embedded in their half.

- Many teams out with the elite struggle to keep possession from kick off if they attempt it.  I read a piece of analysis of the EPL a few years ago, only 6 of the 20 teams were attempting to keep possession from centre, and of those 6, only 2 managed more than 10 passes before losing it.