WM system
The so-called World Cup system is a tactical game scheme in football . It was created through the modification of the offside rule carried out in 1925 and the withdrawal of the middle runner of the previously used Scottish furrow . Contrary to other assumptions, its name has nothing to do with the football world championship (WM), but is derived from the formation that the players form in their basic position on the field , and which is similar to the typeface of the capital letters W and M:
The W is formed:
- the forward center forward
- the left and right half-strikers hanging back
- the preferred left and right winger
The M is formed:
- the leaning middle runner (similar to the Libero , the last man before the goalkeeper )
- the mostly defensive left and right defenders
- the more offensive left and right outside runners
The World Cup system is characterized by a rigid allocation of positions on the field. The defenders rarely took part in the attacking game and the strikers rarely went into defense. The structure of the game was largely determined by the half-strikers and outside runners, who would be assigned to midfield today. Hennes Weisweiler emphasizes, however, expressly: "In the game itself everything was in flux." In the attack, the half-strikers catch up, the forward tips change their positions, nobody is tied to his post. Still, it can't be a pointless mess. The main principle: everything changes and swirls, but every attack position is occupied. We also join forces in defense, which requires a clever defense that not only always covers the man, but constantly alternates between man and room cover. When the opponent attacks, one defender covers the outside in close contact, depending on which side the ball is running on, but the other defender stands in the dangerous space in front of his goal.
The system was developed by Herbert Chapman , former coach of Arsenal FC . He withdrew the offensive center runner to stop the center forward's free run and shot on goal. The stopper was born.
In 1954, Germany became world champions with this game system . A special feature in the final against Hungary was the tactical task of the two players Horst Eckel and Werner Liebrich in the basically practiced World Cup system. Nándor Hidegkuti was officially the center forward and Ferenc Puskás was the left half- forward . If these players were in their traditional positions, they had to be fought by Eckel (right outer runner against Puskaus) and Liebrich (middle runner against Hidegkuti). But if the "covert playmaker" Hidegkuti fell back into midfield and Puskas stayed in the dangerous area, Eckel and Liebrich had to switch tasks: Eckel clung to playmaker Hidegkuti in midfield and Liebrich took over striker Puskas.
Nowadays you play much more flexibly, so the 4-4-2 – system (with middle field diamond) and the 4-2-3-1 – system are widespread. The 3-4-3 system is not unlike the WM system.
literature
- Hennes Weisweiler: Football. Tactics, training, team. Publishing house Karl Hofmann. Schorndorf near Stuttgart. 8th edition 1980. ISBN 3-7780-3028-0 . Pp. 76-82.
- Bernd Rohr, Günter Simon: Football Lexicon. The great football encyclopedia. Copress Publishing House. Munich 2004. ISBN 3-7679-0829-8 . Pp. 377-382.