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Home/Training Drills/Crossing Drills/Underlap and Cut Back
CrossingIntermediate

Underlap and Cut Back

Break a defence with an underlap and cut-back. Fix the defender with the ball, release the inside run into the half-space, drive to the edge, and cut it back for a runner to finish.

Create your own drill
Live animationCRO
Duration
12 min
Total drill time
Players
4
Recommended
Pitch
44 × 36 m
Setup space
Level
Intermediate
Skill required
Intensity
High
Physical demand
Age band
U9-U10
Any format

Setup & instructions

A winger and a full-back combine, but the full-back underlaps inside into the half-space instead of overlapping outside. The winger fixes the defender and releases the inside run, the full-back drives to the edge of the box and cuts it back to a striker at the spot. Rotate roles, and mix overlaps and underlaps so the defence cannot read it.

Setup time: 2 min

Tactical breakdown

Inside or outside is decided by the defender, not by the full-back's preference, and teaching both runs without teaching the choice produces players who overlap into a defender who was inviting exactly that.

The cue is which way the winger is being shown. A full-back defending an inverted winger will usually stand him up and force him wide, keeping his own body between the winger and goal. That posture leaves the half-space, the channel between him and the centre-back, unguarded, and the underlap runs straight into it. Overlapping in that situation runs into the area the defender is already protecting.

The underlap is also harder to see. A defender tracking the ball and the winger has the outside space in his peripheral vision, because it is on the same side he is facing. A runner going inside disappears behind him, which is why underlaps so often arrive completely unmarked and why the receiving pass has to be timed rather than telegraphed.

What it produces is a different chance from an overlap. Arriving in the half-space, the runner is central enough to cut back from a cleaner angle, and the pass across the box travels towards attackers rather than across their path.

The risk is worth naming. An underlap takes the full-back into a congested area, so a misplaced pass is turned over centrally, which is a far more dangerous place to lose it than the touchline. Against a compact block the overlap is often the safer choice.

How to run this drill

  1. Read which way the winger is being shown. Forced outside means the half-space is open and the underlap is on. Shown inside means the outside run is available instead. The defender decides.
  2. Winger fixes the defender with the ball. Carry at him so his eyes and weight go to the ball. That is what makes the runner behind his shoulder invisible for the second that matters.
  3. Run inside into the half-space. The channel between full-back and centre-back, not around the outside. A runner going inside disappears from the defender's peripheral vision entirely.
  4. Time the release rather than telegraph it. The pass goes as the runner enters the channel. Played early it invites the centre-back across, played late the gap has already closed.
  5. Drive to the edge and cut it back. The half-space arrival gives a cleaner cutback angle than the byline, with the ball travelling towards attackers rather than across their path.
  6. Weigh the risk of losing it centrally. An underlap takes the full-back into a congested area, and a turnover there is far more dangerous than one on the touchline. Against a compact block, overlap instead.

Coaching focus

FROM SESSION PLAN

Coaching points

  • Winger fixes the defender before releasing the run
  • Full-back runs inside into the half-space, not outside
  • Drive to the edge of the box for a clean cut-back angle
  • Cut it back to the spot, away from the keeper
  • Striker times the run to arrive on the cut-back

Common mistakes

  • Releasing the run before fixing the defender
  • The underlap drifting wide instead of into the half-space
  • Cutting it back too close to the keeper
  • The striker arriving early and standing still

Progressions & regressions

VARIATIONS

Progressions

  • Add defenders to track the underlap and the runner
  • Mix overlap and underlap so the winger and defence must read it
  • Add near and far runners on the cut-back

Regressions

  • Unopposed to groove the underlap and the cut-back
  • Walk the timing of the inside run first
  • Serve the cut-back by hand to rehearse the finish
Equipment
Cones×1
Full Goals×1
Markers×1
Tactical principles
underlapunderlapping runhalf space runinside runcutbackwing play drillcrossing drillcombination in wide areasbreaking the defensive lineu10 crossing drill
Audience
U9-U10

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All Crossing drillsAll drill collectionsCrossing for U9-U10

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