Craigoh

Can someone please explain to me what a direct style of football is?

stinger061

Direct play is basically lumping the ball up field for your strikers to run on to or up to a big man to bring the ball down etc. In general direct play is used in the lower leagues as the players don't have the ability to produce smooth strings of passing to create goals.

Craigoh

Thanks stinger, i am learning the game and the sport from scratch. does anyone have any good web sites i can go to, to learn about football??
p.s Go Sydney FC!! 80000 people tonight to watch Beckham in Sydney... wish i was there

Daemon_Rising

Is it necessarily a Lower League thing?

In Fm07 with my world class Man City team I played direct, not because we didn't have abilty, just because it seemed to create faster play that the opposition couldn't handle.

PhroX

Personally, I'd say hoofing the ball upfield is more "Long Ball" type passing (ie the far right of the passing slider). The best example of direct I can think of is Man Utd last season, particularly when they were playing on the counter. The passing was quick, forward looking and the passes often went a good distance. This season they're playing much more of a short passing game though.

TesBramble

Rubbish.

Direct is just a more direct style of play, instead of going sideways you'll go forward much quicker.

Short passing you tend to take time to build up and pass it side to side.

Long passing is just hoofing it.

Not all lower league teams use it, as a lower league fan that is extremely stereotypical and ignorant of you.

Maccie

Short passing + slow tempo = okay for lower league teams

Short passing + quick tempo + lower league team = prepare to get a beating

Bodis

Direct = Going from defending to attacking in the least amount of moves/passes possiblem, except hoofing it that is

Craigoh

Well when i play more direct, my team seems to hoof it to much... so what are some strategies to play more direct but give options up front instead of hoofing?

stumostro

Really? Im top of the league with 6 games left playing as Exeter using that stye of play for most of my games.