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Football (Soccer) vocabulary · Formations & Tactics

High line

Meaning in football (soccer), with examples

/ˌhaɪ ˈlaɪn/nounCommon term

In football (soccer), high line means: A defensive set-up in which the back line stays far up the pitch, keeping the team compact and catching attackers offside, but leaving space behind.

In Turkish: önde savunma hattı, yüksek savunma hattı

How it is used

Teams play, hold or push up a high line. It works well with pressing but is risky against quick strikers and good through balls. The opposite is a low block, or defending deep.

Example sentences

  1. Playing such a high line against a striker that fast was asking for trouble.

  2. We hold a high line so the midfield and defence stay compact.

Common collocations

  • play a high line
  • push up the line
  • behind a high line
  • risky high line
  • offside trapA defensive tactic in which defenders step up together just before a pass is played, leaving attackers in an offside position.
  • pressingA tactic in which players close down opponents quickly to win the ball back, often high up the pitch near the opponents' goal.
  • through ballA forward pass played between or behind defenders into space, so that a teammate can run onto it and go through on goal.
  • centre-backA defender who plays in the middle of the back line, marking strikers, winning headers and clearing danger from the penalty area.

More terms: Formations & Tactics

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