The Game-Changing False 9 Formation in Soccer Explained

Are you tired of your team’s predictable and stagnant offense? Do you struggle to break through tough defenses and score goals? The “false 9” formation in soccer might be the solution you’ve been searching for. Soccer is a game that tests the individual brilliance of players along with coaching excellence.

While a player performs at his dedicated location on the field, a huge part of the team’s success comes from how the coach instructs the team to play in their specific formation. Different teams try different formations, and one of the unique formations in soccer is false 9.

What is a false 9 soccer formation?

The false 9 formation is where the center-forward player repeatedly moves towards the ball in deeper positions. As he moves from the higher starting positions and often drops to receive the ball centrally, the opposition can be easily deceived, and the ball can be won away from the opposing center-backs.

Meanwhile, other players of your team get the chance to make passing and running positions which completely disrupts opponents’ defensive strategy.

Where did it originate from?

This strategy originates from the 1890s when GO Smith (the center-forward) supplied through balls to the wingers, creating chances for other players on the field. There are several examples of this strategy in the 1920s, 1950s, and so on.

However, the term false 9 is used in modern football, where the striker with a 9 number position moves to false positions on the field. As those positions are unusual for that player, the opponent’s defense can be easily deceived.

Who is the greatest false 9 soccer player?

There have been some great players who played at the false 9 position. Some of the greatest names include:

• Lionel Messi
• Cesc Fabregas
• Karim Benzema

What are the basics of a false 9 soccer formation?

The basics of false 9 start with the basic formation. This strategy can be used with a 4-3-3 formation where no proper position 9 player is playing on the field.

That player is set in the field to change positions continuously. Apart from that one player, the whole team can focus on their regular game basics while focusing on the false 9 player to create scoring chances.

How does a false 9 soccer formation work?

When your team is playing with this formation, there is a lacking dedicated strikers. So, that one player will rely more on the midfielders from deeper positions to create scoring chances.

That’s why that player must stay in straight vertical lines from one of the players to create clear scoring chances. The attacking runs work as the player drops back from the defense line.

It creates chances of receiving the ball deeper back and finding areas to play it toward the front when playing with this formation, dropping as back as the halfway line is normal as it may create scoring and passing opportunities toward the front.

What this does is that when the player drops back, the opponent center-backs are lured to step forward into the empty spaces to maintain a high line.

While this happens, one good through ball to the wings does the damage of creating the attacking runs, and the rest is up to the players in the front.

The best part about the working of this formation is that it is not easier to mark the player because of regular and random to and fro movements on the field.

Responsibilities of the false 9 when in possession

When in possession, one of the most important responsibilities is to perfectly time the movement away from the center back of the opponent team to create passing lines.

It is necessary both while retaining possession of the ball and while creating counter-attacking chances. Awareness of the whole game scene is essential, so the false 9 player must scan the whole field regularly.

This way, they always know where to move after taking their first touch. It helps in efficient space management on the field with fellow players.

Some other responsibilities include:

• Being versatile on the field
• Having ball-containing skills like dribbling and quick turning
• Higher accuracy with through balls
• Bearing pressure from different angles on the field

Responsibilities of the false 9 when out of possession

When your team is not in possession, the false p player will still have some responsibilities. In this situation, performing like a regular striker is essential, with counter-pressing and creating an area for central midfielders to play the ball wide.

When your team is in a defending situation, the false 9 player will take the highest central position on the field to take passes from pivots and aggressively press against the defense to score.

Advantages of playing with false 9 formation

The following are some of the best advantages of playing with soccer false 9 formations:

• As the center-froward drops back, he may create gaps in the defense line of the opponent team
• The attacking midfielders or wide forwards can easily penetrate through their defensive line as the false 9 player deceives them.
• Even if their defenders press against you, a perfect through ball can create a scoring chance.
• It is extremely hard to mark or anticipate the movement of a false 9 player, and slight mistakes from the opponent’s defensive players can cost them an attacking run.

Disadvantages of playing with false 9 formation

With these advantages, there are some disadvantages to false 9 soccer formation, including the following:

• The player at the false 9 position must be great with the ball and pressure handling. This position is useless if a team does not have such a player. Messi is one of the best examples of false 9 players.
• No immediate central striker is available to go through the defense line and put pressure on the team. So, the pressure on the opponent’s defense line is minimal, due to which they hardly drop.
• It causes threats of getting crosses from the middle, which can demolish your defense line.
• The center backs of the opponent team can manage the central spaces efficiently, with one defender following your midfield, putting more pressure on you.

With these advantages and disadvantages, it is better to plan when using this formation strategically.

Conclusion

While there are certain advantages and disadvantages of going with the false 9 formations, there is no doubt that this formation has helped teams win certain games. It is, in fact, one of the best formations in non-traditional soccer formations. There might be several examples of this formation helping teams, but the one with Messi and Guardiola in 2013 was a world-class example of this formation’s utilization.