A forward pass over the top is harder than a diagonal out to the wing and it’s a matter of taste whether that’s a chance the team want to take. Rice doesn’t do anything wrong in this sequence. But even the tiniest little nuances in how a player receives the ball can make a big difference in what happens next.Ĭompare that play to this one from Arsenal midfielder Rice, who’s also receiving a short sideways pass across his body in the example below, but with subtle differences… There’s no secret to what Rodri is doing here.

Watch how he receives a short sideways pass across his body against Newcastle United to find Kyle Walker in space… You won’t find a better pivot in football than Manchester City’s Rodri, who keeps his whole team ticking with flawless fundamentals in midfield. Receiving across the body on the preferred foot Specifically, we’re going to take a look at some differences in how Rodri and Declan Rice receive the ball. If this is all sounding sort of jargony and abstract, don’t worry, we’ll look at some examples to make it make sense. By receiving across the body while facing play, a pivot creates options to play through or around the second line. This rule is especially important when a team is circulating possession in midfield, swinging the ball from side to side to try to break down the defence. Because the defence shifts to follow the ball, a player receiving from one side of the pitch is more likely to find a team-mate in space on the opposite side by taking a wide turn. At the same time, it opens up the receiver’s body to maximise the angle of play. On a basic mechanical level, it lets the player cushion the pass with their instep for a more controlled first touch, bringing it to rest in front of them so they can take the next touch on either foot. Receiving across the body makes technical and tactical sense. If it looks like a small thing on TV, barely even a choice, that’s because a lot of the important work happens before they even touch the ball.ĭifferent situations call for different turns, but a general rule drilled into players from a young age is to try to receive ‘across their body’, meaning they should orient themselves almost perpendicular to the direction of the pass and let the ball roll to the foot that’s farther away from the passer (this is also known as receiving “ on the back foot” where “back” is relative to the origin of the pass, not the other team’s goal). The direction of their turn as a pass arrives at their feet has a whole cascade of knock-on effects for both teams. The turning isn’t just a metaphor because a pivot plays in the middle of the pitch, they spend a lot of time receiving the ball in tight spaces and deciding which way to send the possession next. The pivot is the hub of the wheel, the fulcrum of the lever, the central point around which the whole system turns (or ought to, anyway, when the ball isn’t sailing over their head in fine English fashion).

Tactical board soccer