The circle is where games are won or lost

You know it. We know it. The circle is where games are won or lost, and yet it’s often the area where our coaching attention is most superficial. We drill shooting technique endlessly—slaps, sweeps, deflections, tomahawks—but we rarely train the behaviours that create shootable moments in the first place. This article pulls together insights from several elite coaches to give you a framework for striker movement, timing, and circle behaviour that actually works in the chaos of a real game.

The goal is straightforward: transform your forwards from ball-chasers into intelligent predators who create and exploit space, arrive in shootable positions, and convert chaos into goals.

Sources:

Alyson Annan: Circle Behaviour
Santi Freixa: Scoring
Jude Menezes: Rebound Scoring
Hunt Rebounds Like Predators
Fede Tanuscio: Circle Entries

Here’s something that took me a while to understand, and I think a lot of us get this wrong: circle behaviour is not about constant motion. The best strikers know when to move and when to stay still. The timing of that decision is what separates efficient finishers from frustrated runners who never seem to be in the right place.

So when do you actually want your striker to check away? The answer comes down to reading the passer. If the passer is not yet ready to deliver—their stick isn’t on the ball, they’re still running, they’re under pressure—then your striker needs to create separation from their marking defender. They also need to check away if the space they want to occupy is currently blocked.

The execution is simple in concept but requires discipline. You want a short, sharp movement away from where you ultimately want to receive. This draws your marker with you, and then you explode back into the vacated space. But here’s the key: timing is everything. Check away only when it will open a passing lane at the exact moment the passer is ready. Too early and the defender recovers. Too late and the moment is gone.

Now, how does this differ between senior teams and youth? With your top senior teams, players are using checking away to manipulate experienced defenders who track runs and anticipate movement. They combine checking with communication—eye contact, hand signals, subtle body language. With youth teams, you’re really just teaching the basic concept: “show and go.” Move one direction, then go the opposite. Emphasize patience—don’t rush the check; wait for the passer’s cue.

This is where Alyson Annan really changed lots of coaches’ thinking. She’s emphatic about it:

So when do you hold position? When the passer is ready and the passing lane is open. When your marker is ball-watching or has lost track of you. When standing still creates the clearest target for a scoring pass.