in possession
GK Distribution
Balanced
- No specific instruction.
Allow the goalkeeper to make their own decision on who to distribute to, based on the team's playing style and their own intuition.
Positive Feedback
- Less predictable.
- Goalkeeper has more freedom to make their own choice.
Negative Feedback
- Loses the benefits of specialising in a specific strategy.
Center-Backs
- Play ball to centre-backs.
Asks the goalkeeper to distribute the ball to one of your team's centre-backs whenever possible.
Positive Feedback
- Safest passing option.
- Start from a central position.
Negative Feedback
- Requires technically gifted centre-backs.
- Turnovers are more dangerous.
Full-Backs
- Play ball to full-backs.
Asks the goalkeeper to distribute the ball to one of your team's full-backs whenever possible.
Positive Feedback
- Plays around a narrow press.
- Turnovers are less dangerous.
Negative Feedback
- Difficult pass for the goalkeeper.
- Full-back can be trapped against the sideline.
Flanks
- Play ball to flanks.
Asks the goalkeeper to distribute the ball towards a teammate in a wide area whenever possible.
Positive Feedback
- Plays around a narrow press.
- Take advantage of smaller opposition full-backs.
Negative Feedback
- Wide areas are less threatening.
- Overhit passes run out of play.
Playmaker
- Play ball to playmaker.
Asks the goalkeeper to distribute the ball towards your team's playmaker whenever possible.
Positive Feedback
- Allows playmaker to dictate play.
- Baits the opposition press.
Negative Feedback
- Playmaker is usually closely marked.
- Turnovers are more dangerous.
Target Forward
- Play ball to target forward.
Asks the goalkeeper to distribute the ball towards your team's target forward whenever possible.
Positive Feedback
- Gets the ball forward quickly.
- Turnovers are far less dangerous.
Negative Feedback
- Less chance of retaining the ball.
- Less effective against aerially dominant centre-backs.
Over Opposition Defense
- Play ball behind opposition defence.
Asks the goalkeeper to distribute the ball over the opposition defence whenever possible for their attacking teammates to run on to.
Positive Feedback
- Exploit opposition's high defensive line.
- Turnovers are far less dangerous.
Negative Feedback
- Less chance of retaining the ball.
- Overhit passes likely to run on to opposition goalkeeper.