Overlaps and Underlaps for Full-Backs

01 · See it

Watch the run, then choose

Blue plays a 4-3-3 and Red defends in a 4-4-2 mid-block. Blue’s No.8 plays it out to the right winger. Watch two things. Red’s back four and midfield slide across as one unit,³ and Blue’s other players rearrange while the right-back goes forward. Then freeze at the moment the winger has to decide, and ask your players what they would do.

Blue’s No.8 has the ball in the middle. The right winger is wide on the touchline and the right-back is ten yards behind him. Red sits in a 4-4-2 mid-block.

Freeze. What should No.7 do?

Ask your players before you show them. Tap an option to play it out.

Pass
Our run
Their shift
Cue word
The 2v1
Us (Blue) · Them (Red)

Open it on your board (Pro): Hold, then slide it ahead Pass to No.2 now Dribble inside

Read the sequence as text

Setup

Blue’s No.8 has the ball in the middle. The right winger is wide on the touchline and the right-back is ten yards behind him. Red sits in a 4-4-2 mid-block.

The build-up

Blue’s No.8 plays it along the ground to the right winger on the touchline. Red slides across as one unit.³
No.7 takes a touch toward Red 3’s inside shoulder, head up. No.2 starts from deep and calls “Around!” Red 3 steps out to meet No.7.^5,6
No.2 curves round the outside, so it is two Blues against Red 3. While he goes, No.4 slides wide into his slot, No.6 shuffles across, No.8 drops behind the ball and No.3 tucks in.⁴

The freeze

Freeze. No.7 has the ball, Red 3 has not yet chosen, and No.2 is already going around. What should No.7 do?

A. Hold, then slide it ahead

Best answer: hold, then slide it ahead. Red 3 has to pick: block No.7 and leave No.2 free outside, or turn to follow No.2 and leave No.7 the inside.² The player on the ball has to stay composed and not release too early,² and a pass into the space ahead of the run lets the runner collect without breaking stride.⁵ The outside lane is open because Red 11 is tucked inside.¹ The cut-back is the finish worth having: 32% of open-play goals at EURO 2024 came from crosses or cut-backs (that figure is from that tournament only).⁷ If Red 3 had turned to follow No.2, No.7 would keep the ball and go inside.^2,5 At 10 and under, the finish stays on the ground: no lofted cross to a header.⁸

No.7 takes one more touch at Red 3 and waits. Red 3 has to pick: block him, or turn to follow No.2.
Red 3 stayed in front of No.7, so No.2 is free outside. No.7 slides it along the ground into the space ahead of him, and No.2 takes it without breaking stride.
No.2 is past Red 3 and runs at the box. No.9, No.10 and No.11 arrive, and Red’s defenders turn and drop toward their goal.
No.2 cuts the ball back low along the ground to the penalty spot, where No.9 arrives with time to shoot. Five of Blue’s players are still behind the ball.

B. Pass to No.2 now

Risky: too early. Played now, No.2 is still behind the ball and Red 3 is still goal-side of both. The 2v1 turns into a 1v1, with Red 11 arriving. This is the early release the sources warn about.² It works only if Red 3 has already turned to follow No.2, or if the ball goes into the space ahead of the run instead of to his feet.⁵

No.7 passes to No.2 straight away, to his feet. Red 3 has not had to choose, so he is still goal-side of both, and Red 11 starts to close.
Now No.2 faces Red 3 with Red 11 arriving and nobody in front of him. The 2v1 has become a 1v1.
With nowhere to go, No.2 plays it back to No.4, who was already covering. Blue starts again, and the cover gave him a safe pass.

C. Dribble inside

Avoid: you throw away a free runner. The middle is crowded¹ and Red has shifted as one unit.³ Two Reds close, the ball is lost, and the 2v1 never happened.⁹ One coaching article warns that “if you get caught high up the field too, you will leave your team exposed in the back.”¹ Cutting inside is not banned. The EURO 2024 technical report notes that Spain’s winger sometimes “will come inside and leave the wing” to the left-back.⁷ It is wrong here because No.2 is already free.

No.7 ignores No.2 and dribbles inside. Red 3 and Red 11 close from two sides, and the middle is crowded.
Red 11 takes it off him.
Red 11 wins it and breaks forward. No.2 is high and cannot get back in time, so No.8, No.6 and No.4 have to defend with space behind them.

Overlap or underlap? How the full-back chooses

The outside is open (their winger is tucked inside, like Red 11 here): overlap.¹
The winger is wide and the outside is blocked: underlap. “Underlapping runs should be made off the shoulder of the full-back so that the closest centre-back does not follow.”⁵ FIFA’s Tokyo 2020 review: “When wingers are in possession wide, we can see a lot of underlaps happening.”¹⁰
The winger is inside: the full-back goes wide for “the traditional overlap.”¹⁰ England Football’s own “playing out to attack” session lets wide players “come inside to create an overload when they receive the ball.”¹¹ FIFA’s game analysis describes the swap both ways: “when the wide player moves inside and creates space for the full-back to push forward” or “when the full-back runs inside, drawing the opposition in with them.”¹²
Neither is on, or the team isn’t balanced: stay home. The other full-back narrows, or a midfielder drops in.⁷

Either run, in McClaren’s words, will “disrupt the thinking and positioning of the defensive full-back.”¹⁰ This is a teaching model built from those sources, not a federation rule.

02 · Say it

Three words they’ll actually hear

Players hear a word, not a speech. Around, Hold and Cover are my words for ideas that the sources explain in longer language, and none of them is an official cue. Teach them at training, then stick to those three from the touchline. Hover or tap a card to see when to say it.

CUE 01

“Around!”

when to say it

SHOUT IT WHEN

The runner starts his run outside the player on the ball, so the winger knows which side he is on. An overlap is a run “around and past the player with the ball.”¹ In our 2v1 that is No.2, starting as No.7 takes his touch. Use it only once the winger has the ball under control. Youth advice on calling for the ball is to make sure you are actually open before you call.¹³

CUE 02

“Hold!”

when to say it

SHOUT IT WHEN

The player on the ball is about to pass or dribble before the runner has come level. He has to stay composed and not release the ball too early.² The runner can shout it too. In the pattern it is No.7 after his touch, with Red 3 still deciding.

CUE 03

“Cover!”

when to say it

SHOUT IT WHEN

You see a full-back go. The teammate who steps into the space he left calls it back, so everyone knows it is taken. On defence, “Cover!” is a youth call that means “I’m behind you,”¹⁴ and another coaching site suggests “I will go to the ball, you cover.”¹⁵ Using it in attack, for the space a runner leaves, is my own adaptation. In the pattern it is No.4, sliding wide into the right-back’s slot.

03 · Play it

The constraint ladder

Don’t talk the group through overlaps. Set up a game where running past a teammate is the easiest way to score, and add one rule at a time. Move up when the group copes with a rung on its own. If they need a reminder every time, stay where you are. Be honest about your age group: at 4v4 and 7v7 there are no full-backs, so the early rungs teach the run, not the position. The lane widths, point values and “ready when” signs are my own coaching judgment. Read your league’s rules before you start.

Rules to check first

Formats. In the US the maximum formats are 4v4 for 8 and under, 7v7 for ages 9–10, 9v9 for 11–12 and 11v11 from 13.¹⁶ From 2026–27 England plays 5v5 at U8–U9, 7v7 at U10–U11, 9v9 at U12–U13 and 11v11 from U14, roughly a year older than the US bands.¹⁷
Do you have full-backs? Not at every age. US 4v4 is a 1-2-1 with no keeper.¹⁸ US 7v7 is a 1-3-2-1,¹⁹ and the sources name no wide role there; the nearest thing is the outside player of the three defenders and the midfielder on his side. The word starts to fit at 9v9 (US 1-3-2-3)²⁰ and at 11v11 (US 1-4-3-3).²¹ So the younger ladders teach the idea, a 2v1 on the side, not the position. US Soccer first names “2v1 overload scenarios in attack and defense” at U11–U12,²⁰ and its U7–U8 games run from 1v1 up to 4v4, including 4v3.¹⁸
Offside in the US. US Soccer’s small-sided standards say “there will be no offside infraction before the U-9 age group” and “teams cannot be called for offside between the midfield and build-out line.”²² My reading: at 7v7 offside can only be called in the last 14 yards before the goal line, and at 4v4 never. So at U8 the runner can go early, and by U12 he has to time it. Check your league.
The build-out line is a 7v7 rule. It is a line from sideline to sideline, 14 yards in front of each goal. Opponents must stay behind it while the keeper holds the ball or takes a goal kick.^16,22 It changes nothing for wide play except offside, above. Some leagues draw the line differently, so measure yours.
Offside in England. The FA’s 2025/26 mini-soccer handbook lists offside as “No” for U7–U10 (5v5 and 7v7) and says “There is no offside in Development Football.”²³ England Football’s 9v9 page (from 2026–27) lists “Offside introduced.”²⁴ I haven’t confirmed whether your county’s 2026–27 7v7 follows the 2025/26 table. Check your league.
Heading. US Soccer recommends no heading in practices or games for U11 programs and younger, and for U12–U13 a limit of 30 minutes of heading practice a week with no more than 15–20 headers per player.^8,20 Its U9–U10 guide says “No heading in practice or games.”¹⁹ The FA’s handbook lists deliberate heading as not allowed for U7–U10.²³ So for 10 and under, an overlap ends in a ground pass or a low cut-back, never a lofted cross to a header. US Soccer’s U9–U10 guide asks coaches to “Introduce passing, crossing and shooting from mid-range distances (maximum of 20 yards),”¹⁹ and its U11–U12 game model says to “use 1v1s, passing to a free player and crosses along the ground.”²⁵ Check your league.

7v7 · with keepers and the build-out line (rules above). The pair is the outside player of the back three and the midfielder on his side. No heading.¹⁹ Offside can only be called in the last 14 yards (my reading), so check your league.

RUNG 1
Two in the Lane
Setup. 7v7 with an eight-yard lane down each side. The idea follows Soccer Coach Weekly’s overlap game, which uses two side channels and asks a new player to overlap the wide player into the channel.²⁶
Rule · No shot until the ball has been played into a lane with two of your players in it. One defender may be in the lane.
Ready when the pair forms without a call and the player on the ball waits for the run (HOLD).
RUNG 2
Run Past = 3
Setup. 7v7 with the same lanes. The scoring is adapted from a Newcastle U15 session.⁵
Rule · A goal scored after a teammate ran past the player on the ball in the lane counts three. Any other goal counts one.
Ready when the team picks the run over a lone dribble most times, without every player running past at once.
RUNG 3
Fill the Gap
Setup. 7v7 with the same lanes. At this age the finish stays on the ground.⁸
Rule · A goal only counts if two of your outfield players are behind the ball when you shoot, and the finish must be on the ground, with no lofted crosses.
Ready when someone steps into the space the runner left, calling COVER, before the cut-back arrives.

U10 session in Tactico Pro: Print touchline cards Download session PDF Open in the planner

04 · Spot it

On match day

Four things to watch from the touchline, and the three mistakes that show up first.

Watch for

Does the player on the ball wait? He should engage the defender and then release “based on his movement.”² One site lists “committing the defender” first among a 2v1 attacker’s points.²⁸ Look for the touch at the full-back’s inside shoulder.⁵
Where does the runner start, and can the winger see him? Deep and late, in the winger’s side vision, and at pace: “a slow overlap is easy to defend.”⁶ Before that he stays wide: “The full-backs should stay wide in order to stretch the field of play and give the centre-backs more space to work in.”²⁹ Where offside is called, “Timing of the run is essential to avoid offside.”³⁰
What does the defender do? He follows the runner or he holds.² England’s wide defender, left “to deal with two players,” forces the ball inside, which “prevents the England player from being exposed two against one down the outside.”³¹ If the defender’s head turns to the runner, that is the cue to keep the ball and go inside. If he holds, the ball goes ahead of the runner.⁵ (The head-turn cue is my own coaching note.)
Who is behind the ball when the full-back goes? At EURO 2024 the most common structure was “2+3”: “two defenders close to the halfway line monitoring the opposition forwards and three more covering the width of the penalty box.”⁷ Klopp’s Liverpool used central midfielders in “covering roles ahead of the two centre-backs” while the full-backs advanced.⁴ A Bundesliga study of 2,951 rest-defence situations found that “the central defenders, wide defenders... and central midfielders are most often involved in rest defense.”³² Count the heads behind the ball. That is professional evidence, not a youth rule.

Mistakes and the fix

Everyone overlaps all the time“Young players often overuse the overlap. Coaches must teach the cues that show when it’s effective.”⁶ Fix: the Choose Your Side rung, and overlap only when the outside is open.¹

Early release, early runThe winger passes before the defender has chosen, or the runner arrives before the ball is ready.^2,6 Fix: HOLD, and the Pass Ahead rung. The runner starts deep and late, and the pass goes ahead of the run, not to feet.^5,6

Nobody covers, or both full-backs goIf both full-backs are caught high, you “will leave your team exposed in the back.”¹ Fix: COVER, the behind-the-ball rule in each ladder, and the far-side full-back tucks in.⁷ One blog’s description of Manchester City (it is unsigned, so treat it lightly) has a midfielder make the underlap run while the full-back stays home as cover.³³

Touchline rule. A run that isn’t used isn’t wasted: overlaps and underlaps “can serve as decoys that cause a defender to make mistakes.”⁹ Clap for the run even when the pass doesn’t come.

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Questions

Coaches ask

What is an overlap in soccer?

“An overlapping run is when a teammate runs around and past the player with the ball.”¹ It is usually a full-back running outside a winger.² FIFA’s Tokyo 2020 review put it this way: “There has always been the attacking element of their play - overlapping the winger - but adaptability seems to be the key word for this position now.” (Steve McClaren)¹⁰

What’s the difference between an overlap and an underlap?

The overlap goes outside the player on the ball. The underlap goes inside: “a player runs inside the ball,”¹ “often between a centre-back and a fullback,”⁶ or “a player runs inside their teammate on the ball.”³⁴ McClaren: “When wingers are in possession inside, full-backs provide them with two choices of position: wide and the traditional overlap,” and “When wingers are in possession wide, we can see a lot of underlaps happening.”¹⁰ Spain’s coach Luis de la Fuente described the winger’s side of it: “...as well as when full-backs overlap and the wingers move out of their space, enabling the full-backs to occupy it.”⁷

How do you teach overlapping runs to youth players, and at what age?

Start small: “Use 2v1 and 3v2 patterns in wide channels.”⁶ Søren Schamberg says his first drill for pairs “can be done even with younger age groups.”² US Soccer first lists “2v1 overload scenarios in attack and defense” at U11–U12,²⁰ while its U7–U8 games run from 1v1 to 4v4, including 4v3.¹⁸ That is why the ladders above start at “run around a friend.”

Who covers when the full-back goes forward?

I couldn’t find a youth federation answer. The professional pattern agrees on the principle: the other full-back narrows, a midfielder drops into the line, or a centre-back shifts across.^3,4,7,32 For a volunteer coach, name who steps in before the run, and shout COVER when it happens. Then make it a rule: a goal only counts if enough players are behind the ball (see the ladders).

My team plays 4v4 or 7v7. Do we have full-backs?

Not as a position. US 4v4 is a 1-2-1 with no keeper.¹⁸ The idea still applies as a 2v1 on the side, the wide player and the player behind him, and that is how the early rungs are written. From 2026–27 England plays 5v5 at U8–U9, 7v7 at U10–U11, 9v9 at U12–U13 and 11v11 from U14,¹⁷ a year or so older than the US bands. The 2025/26 handbook shows 5v5 at U7–U8 and 7v7 at U9–U10,²³ so check which season your league follows. I couldn’t confirm the offside rule for your county’s 7v7 this season, so check that too.

When should the full-back stay home?

When neither run is on, or the team isn’t balanced. Staying home is usually the other full-back’s job.⁷ Young players often overuse the overlap,⁶ and if both full-backs are caught high, you “will leave your team exposed in the back.”¹ Teach the signs that a run is on: space outside, a wide winger, and a teammate ready to cover.

Keep going

What next

More playcodes

Free tactics boardDraw it with your own playersSet up the 2v1 on the board, draw the run around the outside, and test it before training.

Formation guides

About

How this page was made

Sherif Madkor wrote this page for Tactico, using the federation, academy and coaching sources listed below. The age-group rules are taken from US Soccer’s and England Football’s public pages, and the animated scenes are drawn on the Tactico board. The 2v1 pattern, the cover moves, the three options, the three cue words and the practice ladders are my own design. They build on the principles in those sources, but no federation publishes them as one pattern. I found no youth federation page that says who covers when a full-back goes forward. That part comes from professional evidence and FIFA youth-team sessions. Several of the “how to” sources are coaching blogs. I found no figures for how often youth overlaps succeed, so none are claimed, and the 32% cut-back figure is from EURO 2024 only. Anything I couldn’t confirm is flagged on the page. Last reviewed 30 October 2026.

Sources

Blayze, Mike Semenza, “Overlapping and underlapping passes” (26 February 2024). https://blayze.io/blog/soccer/overlapping-and-underlapping-passes
World Class Coaching, Søren Schamberg, “Small sided games for overlaps” (October 2022). https://worldclasscoaching.com/small-sided-games-for-overlaps/
FIFA Training Centre, Marco Lehmann, Borussia Dortmund U17, “Final third attacks v defensive principles / rest defence in an 11v7” (15 April 2025), with the session PDF. https://www.fifatrainingcentre.com/en/practice/elite-sessions/clubs-and-academies/german-academies/training-methods-for-the-playing-style-of-the-bvb-u17-ii.php https://fifatrainingcentre.com/media/native/practice/Dortmund-2.pdf
Coaches’ Voice, “What is rest defence? Football tactics explained” (8 March 2024). https://learning.coachesvoice.com/?p=71763
FIFA Training Centre, Graeme Coulson, “Newcastle U-15s: Developing wide attacking patterns” (13 January 2026). https://www.fifatrainingcentre.com/en/practice/elite-sessions/clubs-and-academies/english-academies/newcastle-u-15-developing-wide-attacking-patterns.php
We Make Footballers, “Understanding overlapping in football” (WMF Coaching Team, 11 September 2025). https://wemakefootballers.com/uk/news/understanding-overlapping-in-football
UEFA, EURO 2024 Technical Report (de la Fuente interview pp. 14–15; 2+3 rest defence pp. 60–61; cut-back statistic p. 52). The official home is uefatechnicalreports.com; the copy read was this PDF mirror. https://indd.adobe.com/view/publication/0e247454-9a52-47ea-bc78-8607a34a7923/68h3/publication-web-resources/pdf/EURO2024_Technical-Report_DIGITAL_With_Videos_([email protected]).pdf
U.S. Soccer, “Recognize to Recover” guidelines, section V (Heading), December 2015, hosted by NC Soccer. https://www.ncsoccer.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/167/2023/06/file.aspx-8.pdf
FIFA Training Centre, Matt Clement, “Creating and exploiting overloads” (19 April 2022). https://www.fifatrainingcentre.com/en/practice/elite-sessions/in-possession/creating-and-exploiting-overloads.php
FIFA, “Pressing and full-backs in focus at Tokyo 2020” (2 August 2021; Steve McClaren, FIFA Technical Study Group). https://inside.fifa.com/news/tactical-trends-at-the-mens-olympic-tournament
England Football Learning, “Attacking session: playing out to attack” (Peter Augustine, February 2025). https://learn.englandfootball.com/sessions/resources/2025/Attacking-session-playing-out-to-attack
FIFA Training Centre, Game Insights ep. 3, “Using wide areas” (8 November 2021). https://fifatrainingcentre.com/en/game/game-insights/using-wide-areas.php
TheMastermindSite, Rhys Desmond, “Communication in youth soccer” (1 December 2019). https://themastermindsite.com/2019/12/01/communication-in-youth-soccer/
FootballGPT Team, “Defending basics for youth coaches” (team-written, no individual author). https://footballgpt.co/guides/defending-basics-youth-coaches
Soccer Coach Weekly, Carl Wild, “What is covering?” https://www.soccercoachweekly.net/coaching-advice/what-is-covering
US Soccer, Player Development Initiatives presentation (2015), mirror copy (formats, field sizes, build-out line). https://media.hometeamsonline.com/photos/soccer/SSFUNITED/2015_Player_Development_Initiatives.pdf
England Football Learning, “What is a format in football” (updated for 2026–27). https://learn.englandfootball.com/articles-and-resources/coaching/resources/2022/What-is-a-format-in-football
U.S. Soccer, age-group guide U7–U8. https://www.ussoccer.com/us-way/player-development/environment/age-group-guide/u7-u8
U.S. Soccer, age-group guide U9–U10. https://www.ussoccer.com/us-way/player-development/environment/age-group-guide/u9-u10
U.S. Soccer, age-group guide U11–U12. https://www.ussoccer.com/us-way/player-development/environment/age-group-guide/u11-u12
U.S. Soccer, age-group guide U13–U14. https://www.ussoccer.com/us-way/player-development/environment/age-group-guide/u13-u14
U.S. Soccer, “Five things to know: how small-sided standards will change youth soccer” (2017). https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2017/08/five-things-to-know-how-smallsided-standards-will-change-youth-soccer
The FA (West Riding FA copy), Mini-Soccer and Youth Futsal Handbook 2025/26. https://www.thefa.com/-/media/cfa/westridingfa/files/clubs/mini-soccer-handbook-2025.ashx
England Football Learning, “How to play and manage 9v9 games” (2025). https://learn.englandfootball.com/articles-and-resources/coaching/resources/2025/How-to-play-and-manage-9v9-games
U.S. Soccer, game model U11–U12. https://www.ussoccer.com/us-way/player-development/game/game-models/u11-u12
Soccer Coach Weekly, “Overlap game” (set-up with wide channels). https://www.soccercoachweekly.net/drills-and-games/small-sided-games/overlap-game
FIFA Training Centre, Claudio García and Manfred Schumann, “Attacking games with reduced numbers” (17 September 2024). https://www.fifatrainingcentre.com/en/practice/talent-coach-programme/sessions/attacking-games-with-reduced-numbers.php
Soccer Coach Weekly, “Make the most of a 2v1”. https://soccercoachweekly.net/practice-plans/smart-sessions-core-skills/make-the-most-of-a-2v1
FIFA Training Centre, Adrian Boothroyd, “Wing play” (17 May 2022). https://fifatrainingcentre.com/en/practice/elite-sessions/in-possession/wing-play.php
Amplified Soccer / Coaches Insider, Ritchie Semple, “Overlapping full backs: creating crossing opportunities” (11 July 2019). https://coachesinsider.com/soccer/overlapping-full-backs-creating-crossing-opportunities
England Football Learning, “How to defend like England: overloads” (26 March 2021). https://learn.englandfootball.com/articles/resources/2022/How-to-defend-like-England-overloads
Forcher, Forcher, Altmann, Jekauc and Kempe, “The Success Factors of Rest Defense in Soccer”, Journal of Sports Science & Medicine 22(4):707–725 (2023). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10690503/
TheCaptn Substack, “The original way Guardiola uses full-backs and central midfielders at Manchester City” (11 December 2018; unsigned or pseudonymous). https://thecaptn.substack.com/p/the-original-way-guardiola-uses-full-backs-and-central-midfielders-at-manchester-city
Football Paradise glossary, “Underlap” (no author named). https://www.footballparadise.com/en/glossary/underlap

Overlaps and Underlaps for Full-Backs

Watch the run, then choose

Freeze. What should No.7 do?

Setup

The build-up

The freeze

A. Hold, then slide it ahead

B. Pass to No.2 now

C. Dribble inside

Overlap or underlap? How the full-back chooses

Three words they’ll actually hear

The constraint ladder

Rules to check first

Run Past Your Friend

Pass Ahead

Someone Stays Home

Two in the Lane

Run Past = 3

Fill the Gap

Overlap First

Choose Your Side

Counter Double

Pinned Winger

Read the Winger

Five and Five

On match day

Watch for

Mistakes and the fix

Take it to training

Coaches ask

What next

How this page was made

Sources