ZONAL MARKING AND HIGH BALLS IN THE PENALTY AREA

Against Ivory Coast, The Flames of Malawi conceded the first goal a minute into the game. The goal was scored through a header from a cross. I am not sure if the keeper failed to tame the cross because he was still sick (he was sick almost all week before the game) or because The Flames use zonal marking. If he was still sick I wonder why he wasn’t on the bench or in civilian. The Flames had two other goalkeepers. I thought teams have substitute goalkeepers “in case shit happens”. Why bother having two other goalkeepers on the roster if you don’t use them when the first choice goalkeeper is sick or not in-form? I do understand. According to Murphy’s Law, “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” This can be another post.

May be The Flames use zonal marking. Zonal marking is a defensive strategy used in football (soccer), where defenders cover an area of the pitch rather than marking a specific opponent. If an opponent moves into the area a defender is covering, the defender marks the opponent. If the opponent leaves this area, then marking the opponent becomes the responsibility of another defender. The alternative to zonal marking is man marking.

Advantages of playing a zone defense

-The opposing team has a player or players too quick for a man-to-man defense to be effective (What if the striker is as tall as Peter Crouch?)

-Many zones pack defenders in the lane (parking the bus?), but allow the offensive team to take long-range shots. If the opponents are poor long-range shooters, a zone can be very effective (very effective when playing against Arsenal)

-Unless trapping is involved, zone defenses typically do not involve aggressive pressure on the player in possession of the ball and allow the offensive team to pass the ball in their own half, leading to more time being used by the offensive team before a shot is attempted. Therefore, teams wanting to slow down the tempo of a game will often choose to play zone.

-A poor defensive player can often be “hidden” in a zone because teammates can more easily help if he is beaten.

-If a defender is in danger of second yellow card, using a zonal marking helps to take the pressure off him.

-Playing a zone is usually less tiring than playing man-to-man, so fatigued teams are more inclined to use zones.

-The biggest advantage of zonal marking is its flexibility. When the team regains possession of the ball, players are still in their positions and can start an attack more quickly. Communication is very important when zonal marking is used, to ensure that no gaps are left in the defensive coverage.

Disadvantages of playing a zone defense

-Zones tend to be weak around the 18 yard box, so they are not very effective against teams with good outside shooters (see goal by Villareal on April 7, 2009)

-Zones have gaps (areas that are not well-covered by defenders) that can be exploited by teams that pass well or have strikers capable of penetrating the zone (see goal by Drogba on April 8, 2009)

-If a team is behind in the game, playing a zone is a poor strategy because zones usually allow the offense to take more time off the clock on each possession, which limits the time remaining for the losing team to reduce the lead.

-Zonal marking is more difficult when defending set pieces such as free kicks and corners (Liverpool need to look into this)

-When a shot hits the post, it is often harder for defenders in a zone to find counterparts to box out for the rebound, which sometimes results in an offensive player getting an easy offensive rebound (see goal by Lampard, Chelsea vs. New Castle, April 4, 2009)

-When the ball is played in-between the CB’S (similar to the problem in doubles tennis when the ball is played between the players) both players are often unsure who should take the ball (see Chelsea’s first goal on April 8, 2009)

I am old school. I still believe that the “the penalty area” belongs to the goalkeeper. Any high balls in the area need to be taken care of by the goalkeeper. It seems Peter Cech is the last man standing. He seems to be the only goalkeeper who takes care of “business”. Is it because he is taller than most goalkeepers? In “the penalty area” goalkeepers have a better chance of getting to high balls than defenders or strikers do. The goalkeeper has a better view of “the penalty area”. Defenders have a “blind spot”. Had The Flames’ goalkeeper tamed that a-minute-into-the-game cross the result would have been different. Shoulda Woulda Coulda

What do you or don’t you like about zonal marking? Do you want your club or National Team to switch from zonal marking to man marking or vice versa?