Two “Shallow Clear Through” Man-Up Plays
Here are two easy plays we see from high school and college teams using this simple technique to generate good shooting opportunities when they have the extra man!
(Cover Photo courtesy of Di Miller Photography)
"Shallow Clear Throughs" are an easy way to get two players to change places to get open, and create space for the man with the ball. This is an easier offensive skill to teach younger players than the more complex 3-man or 6-man triangle rotations that make up the traditional 2-3-1 Motion Offense.
Use this simple technique in your Man-Up plays to create open shooters in between Defenders. This will confuse the standard "Box-and-One [in the Middle]" Man-Down Defense and force them to "Rotate!" to cover the open man next to the ball. Most teams we see do not know how to rotate quickly enough to stop these plays!
Break down 6-on-5 to 2-on-1! "Shallow Clear Throughs" are easy enough for even beginning players to understand. Use these two simple plays with your team, no matter what level you coach!
PLAY #1: SHALLOW CLEAR THROUGH UP TOP
Start your Man-Up Offense in a 3-1-2 or "3-3" Formation: Three Midfielders across the top of the Box in an "Umbrella" shape, one Attackman on the Crease, and two Attackmen on either side of the goal at GLE so they can score, or behind GLE to back up shots.
Figure 1.) You can start this play any time the ball gets to Blue 1 at the top right corner. We usually run this play on the right side of the field (when looking out from the Goal or Goalie) since most of our players are right-handed, and most of the pass and shot opportunities are also right-handed.
