Marking styles theory

[Abhinavsharma]

Hi everyone,
I have studied football closely in game as well as in ground and I have reached to some results and failures of both marking styles.
First I will discuss man-on-man marking which is not much used nowdays but it is great at some situations.

MAN-ON-MAN MARKING
This type of marking is very irritating to attacking players.The attackers may not enjoy freedom of passing easily.
EXAMPLE-Common example of man-on-man marking is seen while corner kick is taken and each player try to cover different player.

RIGHT USE
This is mostly used when the opponent is either having weak attackers or less attackers.This is used even when opponent have same no of player in your pitch as compare to your defenders.Every player will mark his mirror player but main part of defense is seen here.
You can understand that easily by this method;
Suppose you have total 4 defenders and opponent have 4 attackers in your pitch.
EXAMPLE- Total no of defender you have-2 DC/1 DL AND DR. Total player-4
Total no of attackers they have-1 ST/1 AMR AND AML/I AMC. Total player-4
Total no of defenders>=Total no attackers.

RESULTS;
1: The opponent can feel problem in passing ball in your pitch and long passes may be intercept easily.
2: If opponent have no good dribbler or playmaker then your defense will dominate.
3: Your defense will be flexible and they can follow a player even out of their zone.
4: Your team will dominate number of intercepts.
5: Weak teams often lose badly due to man-on-man marking.
6: For creating chances opponent player have to go alone to make goals mostly.
7: Counter attack may not work against this marking mostly.

FAILURES;
1: The man to man defense also allows defenders to be drawn out of position,opening gaps for other attackers in vulnerable areas..
2: If player is good dribbler then he may cheat your defense badly.
3: Your players may get much yellow cards then before.
4: If the opponent striker is better than your defenders never use a man -on - man marking.

MAIN KEY
The man to man defense may use a 'sweeper', who is a central defender and has a free role, i.e. has not been assigned a player to mark.
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ZONAL MARKING
In this case every defender and midfielder is given a particular zone on the pitch to cover when the opposition has the ball.The opponent player have to come towards the zone of your defender only then he may come to action.

RIGHT USE
This is mostly used when your team want to attack and score more goals.The purpose of this marking is to spend less player on defense.
This can be used anytime in any tactics but it is mostly used for attacking.
EXAMPLE-The example is taken from daily life.Suppose there are 5 coffee shops,you go to one coffee shop and drink coffee there you will pay bill to that coffee shop only.You will not pay bill to other coffee shops.i.e defenders only deal with those player which come to his zone.

RESULTS;
1: The opponent have to take much player for attacks to deal with this marking.
2: It is best when you use offside trap as player are assign in one line.
3: Long ball through may not threat zonal marking.
4: The opponent have to play long range shots mostly.
5: The opponent player may feel to play short passes.
6: There will be less chances of open area for attacking.

FAILURES;
1: If your defender fail to come in position then opponent may try counter attack.
2: The opponent may spread his attackers to those position which are covered by weak defenders.
3: If any zone is left in defense.i.e if you don't take DR/DL then opponent may use that space.
4: Counter attack may work when your defense is not in right position and some space is left in defense.
5: Zonal marking may lead to freedom of passing easily and your player may allow them also.

MAIN KEY
The STOPER(defensive wall) ability may prove usefull and the defender may go for attack also if they are assigned to do that(red arrow).

This topic is written after many observations and thinking.If you want to know more you may ask in reply.

[Arion]

DCs mark STs the best, but DMCs mark the AMCs the best. Fullbacks are better than wingbacks when marking the wingers. Fullback is already quite attacking, and a wingback does all but to defend well.

[nikolgiorgos]

Man to man and zonal marking are old defending systems that aren't using any more.
After those systems, there was a combination of those two.
zonal + man to man to key player of oppo (Diego Maradona ).
In our days, the system is defense with triangles. When the key player (s) of opponent have the ball, they are surrounded by three defenders/players.
The purpose of training is to avoid that, to get out of this triangle.
Anyway, this is a simple fb game based on football so the most important is to find what is the reaction of the game when using man to man or zonal.
As I cannot see any big advantage at using man to man and it has more condition loss, i prefer to use zonal unless I must reverse or keep a game result I have.

[Abhinavsharma]

I am a mid-feilder and my coach usually ask me to defend zonal only.When player come to my zone I follow him and try to take ball possesion.If player go out of my zone then I try to go back slowly and wait for my defenders to snatch ball from them pass me.Sometime if opppnent come to our pitch with more attakers(mostly when they are losing) then I preffer to go back and suppprt defense and strikers also join us if I call them as I am captain lol

[Abhinavsharma]

I prefer man on man marking if opponent is having inexperienced players and my defenders are strong then them.