Soccer Set Play – What is it?

You’ve probably come across the term set play in soccer and wondered what it meant. Here, we explain exactly what a soccer set play is and how to make the most of one. 

 

What is a set play in soccer?

A soccer set play is when a team is awarded a restart in the form of a free kick, corner kick, throw-in, or goal kick. The team develops a strategy to use the set play to their advantage, which gives them the best possible chance of scoring. We explain everything you need to know about soccer set plays below.

 

The different types of set play in soccer

There are several ways in which a soccer game can be restarted, including free kicks, corner kicks, throw-ins, and goal kicks. The referee awards one of the above restarts depending on why the game was stopped in the first place. 

 

Good teams work on each of these restarts and develop set plays to make the most of them. Set plays come in many forms and are dependent on the tactics of the team in question. However, they usually offer the attacking team a good chance of scoring a goal. 

We explain how set pieces are commonly used from the various restarts below. 

 

Free kicks

Arguably the best restart to utilize for set plays is a free kick. This is because it’s possible to develop a broad range of strategies from free kicks and many teams have a number of options, depending on where the free-kick is on the field. 

 

For instance, if the ball lies on the edge of the opposition penalty box, the set play is likely to be a shot on target, taken by the dead ball specialist on the team. 

 

However, if the referee awards a free-kick towards the edge of the field, you’re much more likely to see a soccer set play that is worked into the box for the attackers to try and score. 

 

Among the best set plays are free kicks that surprise the opposition, so working on with your teammates on unique drills out on the training pitch will certainly pay dividends on match day. 

 

Corner kicks

Another type of restart that players conduct set plays from is a corner kick. The referee awards a corner kick when your opponent touches the ball last, and it goes behind their goal line. 

 

Most corner kicks are crossed directly into the box for your team to try and score from, but they’re not always successful. In fact, statistics show that in the past decade in the top five European leagues, just 3% of corners result in goals. 

 

As such, it makes perfect sense to work on corner kick routines to try and maximize your chances of scoring a goal. 

 

If you merely step up to the ball and whip it into the box, you don’t stand a great chance of scoring. But if you and your teammates work on a set play, then you can surprise your opponents and hopefully score goals from corners more than 3% of the time. 

 

Throw-ins

Although not commonly regarded as an opportunity to launch a set play, it’s definitely possible to get creative with thrown-ins. This is particularly the case if you have a long throw specialist in your team. 

 

Famously, Stoke City employed long throw-in set-pieces as one of their most dangerous weapons when they were a high-performing Premier League team in the early 2010s. Delap alone had five assists from throw-ins, and his team netted an incredible 24 goals from the set plays! 

 

Stoke City benefited from throw-ins for their set-pieces thanks to Delap’s incredible skill with the ball in his hands, which opponents to describe their set plays as ‘un-defendable.’ 

 

Still, you don’t often see throw-ins utilized in such a way today, but if you have a long-throw specialist in your team, then it’s definitely worth trying out!

 

Goal kicks

Goal kicks are often overlooked when it comes to set plays, but they can actually be extremely beneficial if you work them into your team’s tactics. 

 

For instance, if your goalkeeper merely punts the ball towards your strikers up in the air, you have a good chance of giving possession back to your opponents right away. 

 

However, if you employ a set play from your goal kick, your goalkeeper can play it out along the grass, and you can build attacks from the back. 

 

EPL champions Manchester City build all of their attacks from their goal kicks, and It’s something that many other teams in the world also utilize. 

 

How do you get a soccer set play?

The referee awards your team a restart depending on why the game stops, and from there, you can initiate your set play. Corners, goal kicks, and throw-ins are awarded when the other team kicks or heads the ball out of play. 

 

 Your team is awarded a free-kick when your opponents commit a foul. As such, you have the opportunity to use your set plays when the referee awards you a restart by any of the above means.

 

Is it easy to score from a soccer set play?

Providing you work hard on the training pitch with your teammates, you have a good chance of scoring from set plays. This is particularly the case with corners and free kicks, so it’s definitely worth spending time in training working on set-piece drills. 

 

The most successful teams have a range of set plays available to them, and they can mix things up as and when required. So, if you’re planning to make the most of set plays out on the soccer field, remember that variety and practice are key.

 

Recap: A soccer set play explained

Utilizing soccer set plays to your advantage provides your team with a much better chance of scoring a goal. This is because you can surprise the opposition and deliver a tactic that they weren’t necessarily expecting. 

 

To ensure your set plays go according to plan, you will need to practice them out on the training pitch and include everyone in the drills. If you put the effort in during training, you will almost certainly see the results on match day.