The role of player numbers and space

Using games in training offers players everything that makes football unique. Games are competitive, engaging and enjoyable. They include team-mates and opponents, attacking and defending, transitions, direction and goals. Most importantly, they expose players to the same types of problems they will encounter in matches.

For this reason, games should not simply be viewed as a way to make training more enjoyable or as something reserved for the end of a session. They are one of the most powerful learning environments available to coaches and should sit at the heart of the development process.

If football is learned through football, it is reasonable to ask why we do not simply play 11v11 all the time. The answer lies in the relationship between realism and exposure.

While the full game contains all the challenges players must eventually master, many of these situations occur relatively infrequently for individual players. During the FIFA World Cup 2022™, centre-forwards averaged just 1.79 attempts on goal per match, wingers completed 1.55 take-ons and centre-backs made 1.23 step-ins. While these actions can be decisive, they occur surprisingly rarely over the course of a match.

The issue is therefore not the absence of learning opportunities, but the limited exposure to specific situations. Players experience football, but they may not encounter particular actions, decisions or tactical problems often enough to accelerate development.

Modified games allow coaches to address this challenge without losing the essence of football. By changing certain aspects of a game, coaches can:

• amplify specific tactical problems;
• increase the frequency of key actions and situations;
• simplify complexity for developing players;
• create additional challenges for more advanced players; and
• encourage particular behaviours and solutions.

Importantly, the objective is not to create a perfect replica of a match. Instead, coaches intentionally exaggerate certain aspects of football so that players experience them more frequently and learn from them more effectively.

At the same time, the best modified games still look and feel like football. Players attack, defend and transition, but the situations that matter most to the learning objective occur more frequently, more clearly and more consistently.

Although games can be modified in countless ways, most changes fall into four key categories:

• Players
• Space
• Targets
• Rules

Each lever influences player behaviour in a different way. Together, they shape the problems players encounter and the solutions they discover. In this first part, we explore how players and space shape the learning environment. In Part 2, we examine how targets and rules can be used to guide player behaviour and emphasise specific learning outcomes.

By manipulating player numbers, numerical relationships and player roles, coaches influence how often players are involved, the level of pressure they face, and whether learning is directed towards position-specific behaviours or more general, transferable competencies.

1.1 More players v. fewer players
One of the most direct and powerful ways to shape a game is by adjusting the number of players involved. Whether coaches choose to play 2v2, 4v4, 8v8 or 11v11 fundamentally changes the experience.

Fewer players generally increase individual involvement, creating more opportunities to touch the ball, make decisions and participate in attacking and defending actions. More players increase tactical complexity and realism, but typically reduce the number of direct involvements per player.

While this trade-off between individual involvement and tactical complexity may seem obvious, its impact – particularly in youth development – is often underestimated, especially over time.

1.2 Equal numbers v. numerical advantages
Numerical relationships are often used to shape the nature of competition. Equal-number games typically create balanced and realistic interactions, while numerical imbalances are commonly used to stabilise possession and increase the challenge for defenders.

While this is effective, what is often overlooked is that numerical relationships also fundamentally shape tactical behaviour.

In overload situations, attacking teams are encouraged to create structure and use the free player to progress play. Solutions are predominantly collective and found through passing. Defenders facing an underload must also behave collectively, using the ball as their primary reference point, shifting together and coordinating their movements to manage the disadvantage.

In games where teams are even, pressure tends to be more direct and constant. Out of possession, defenders can engage more aggressively, leading to more player-oriented marking and pressing. In possession, players must escape this pressure through movement, ball manipulation and individual problem-solving, resulting in more direct competition and individual actions.

Numerical relationships therefore do not only shape difficulty – they shape the behaviours and solutions that emerge.

1.3 Position-specific v. general roles
Another way to shape learning is through the roles players perform within the game. Coaches can design more position-specific games, using realistic pitch geography, positional references and situational roles, or more general games centred around broader principles of play.

Position-specific games increase tactical realism and help players develop the knowledge, relationships and behaviours associated with particular positions. This can be valuable when developing positional understanding, connections between players and specific tactical objectives.

While position-specific games replicate the demands of match play more closely, general games often provide players with a broader range of experiences while developing many of the same underlying principles.

Space determines how much time players have, how quickly pressure is applied and which solutions become available. By adjusting the size and shape of the playing area, coaches influence both the tempo of the game and the types of actions that emerge.

2.1 Smaller spaces v. larger spaces
When discussing space, the key consideration is not simply the size of the pitch but the amount of space available relative to the number of players.

Reducing the relative space increases interaction density. Opponents are closer, pressure arrives more quickly and players have less time to perceive and act. These environments are fast-paced and cognitively demanding, requiring constant processing and quick decision-making.

Increasing the relative space has the opposite effect. Players have more time to perceive information and more opportunities to exploit space through movement, passing and ball carrying. At the same time, physical demands increase, as players cover greater distances, make longer runs and defend larger areas.

Importantly, more pressure does not necessarily lead to more 1v1 situations. While smaller spaces produce more duels, larger spaces often provide the room needed to isolate and outplay opponents.

Different pitch shapes
The shape of the playing area can be just as influential as its overall size. By altering the proportions of the pitch, coaches can encourage different tactical behaviours.

Long and narrow pitches tend to promote vertical progression. With limited space to the sides, players are encouraged to play through the opposition by combining centrally, penetrating forward and attacking space towards goal. In contrast, short and wide pitches distribute space laterally, creating more opportunities to play around opponents through width, circulation and switches of play.

However, it is important to recognise that pitch shape can restrict behaviour. A long, narrow field may produce a more vertical game, but this does not necessarily mean players are learning when and why to play forward – they may simply be responding to the constraint.

Pitch shape is therefore best viewed as a tool for developing specific competencies (e.g. combining forward), rather than for developing game understanding (when to play through and when to play around the opponent).

Next article coming soon.