Teams that are good at set pieces are taking throw-ins and free kicks quicker when the ball is in their own half. The goalkeeper is distributing the ball quicker. The opposition will be disappointed they lost the ball and run a play when they are distracted.

Most teams won’t prepare to be set to defend against the throw-in immediately. They will be jogging back with their back facing the ball or backpedaling. The quick throw-in pins them back on the next throw-in because they’ll then remember you take them quickly. They’ll have to follow the throw-in receivers back into their own half of the pitch, further away from your goal. They have to get into position.

If the other team knows you take throw-ins quickly, before the match, they won’t make the mistake of not being in position, which means you can’t surprise them; they will be pinned back from the start. But you have to keep taking them quickly to maintain that pin.

Strike when they are arguing with the ref. You can almost always guarantee someone will be arguing with the ref from a throw-in or a free kick. Quickly run a play to take advantage of the distraction; pin them back some more.

The throw-in and free kick are big opportunities to pin the opposition back and to always keep them on their toes. Make them think about defending first and attacking second. That is a massive distraction.

Teams that are good at set pieces think differently. They are waiting for a signal. Signal is there; go. They know where to run, and those that take the throw-in or free kick know where the run is being made. They run plays. Teams that are not good at set pieces, so most teams, are not good at thinking about these signals. They are never ready. They are unprepared for rehearsed situations that the opposition can reproduce. For the team that rehearses, they will move without having to think.

In the past, goalkeepers weren’t as sure as to who to throw out to. They had to wait because the run wasn’t being made. Now, the moment they get their hands on the ball, they are charging out to the edge of their penalty box looking for the run and playing the ball immediately, with no hesitation. They aren’t waiting for the run; several specific runs are being made, always. When they are looking to waste time, the run isn’t made, but the run is always made when the countering team needs a goal. I feel like you could blindfold some of these goalkeepers and they would know where to place the ball.

Pin the opposition back from a dead ball to make them think about defending first.