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Alright, now we're talking.....only in the most inflexible and basic offensive play calling systems is there no room for players to do anything except exactly what they're programmed to do. What Martz did with the Rams - and he was able to do it b/c he players smart enough, skilled enough, and communicating well enough, was to incorporate a new wrinkle into the Sid Gillman, Don Coryell basics of stretching the field both vertically and horizontally. It's called many different things now, but it's basically a 'choice' route tree. BTW: Building a football offensive play calling system, specifically a passing attack, is a lot more than WR's running single route assignments. Each downfield option to throw the ball (up to 5 on any down) - has it's own specific route tree - literally b/c when you draw it up you're basically drawing a tree trunk with branches - there will be numbering systems, letters, etc. whatever the playbook is written up as - to identify with specific branch of the tree is supposed to happen on any given play. But with more dynamic offenses, you don't have the only one option in the play call, players will have multiple options on where to get on the field based on the defensive alignment. The Rams offense back then, used the short crossing routes out of the backfield as the primary read for those things. It was an amazing offense to watch back then, because when the deep balls would be thrown, Kurt Warner would drop back 3 steps from under center, and let loose a very high arcing ball deep that based on the original formation at the line of scrimmage, looked like he was throwing away to open space, especially when defenses would bring pressue and blitz, but would hang up in the air for awhile, and then a receiver would run under it and catch it.
Watching these long ball passes to open space in soccer is essentially the same thing, the player passing knows where the open space is going to be, and knows he's got a player that can get there.
Most sophisticated passing offenses, from high school up through pros use some variation of the choice routes since the 1999-2001 NFL seasons and the Rams success with it, but it requires a ton of practice - and------decision making on the fly - from multiple players on the offense. QB and downfield receiving options.
Other examples of the decision making in football as well - involve blocking - blocking is not quite as simple as line up and hit the guy in front of you. There are adjustments that need to be made at the line of scrimmage regularly with regards to matching up the offensive front with defensive front 7. BTW - we absolutely sucked at this in the past 2 1/2 seasons under George Deleone. THe guy was a complete clusterf-ck of coach. With a veteran center returning, our old OL coach back, and a whole bunch of people that seem to be able to motivate and communicate well, I hope and expect that to improve......but even more so - the QB and backfield have to looking at the spacing on the field, and understanding the offensive play call, and making decisions about who to block on a pass protection.
This is the biggest reason why most tailbacks coming into college from high school, or into the NFL from college, do not play regularly for at least a season or two - it takes a lot of training and practice to be able to be back there, and make the right decisions about who to block.
From the other perspective, which is my favorite, you'll hear DL's, linebackers and especially safeties, and MLB's talking about making sure their "fits" are right. THey are not talking about fitness or having a fit - they are talking about filling spaces. Leveraging the offense - if one single player takes a bad angle on making contact, and doesn't get their "fit" right - especially from the back line of the defense - it can mean the difference between squashing a play at the line of scrimmage, or giving up a huge play.
THis happened when he crumbled against Michigan late in the game last season. One single player goes to the wrong shoulder, of the offensive player, and fills the wrong gap, and the play goes for a touchdown. Those guys back there, on the last level of the D, need to make choices on the fly too.
The thing that is very consistent for me between the two sports, is that offense is about creating space on the field to advance the ball, and defense is about taking away space to stop the ball.
THis is why it would be interesting for me, to learn how soccer practices are set up, to help players understand spacing and decision making
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