Full-Back Play.
One associates the full back with long and lusty kicking, but he must
possess many more qualifications. He must be speedy, a fine tackler,
and, above all, a good header of the ball.
He must also keep himself thoroughly fit, although in one way he has not
so much to do as the men in front of him. He must be strong in defence,
but again, when his side is having the most of the play he should be
able to put in many a good shot. It is also requisite that he should be
able to kick as well with one foot as the other, and boys especially
should study this point. It is simply a case of practice. Every
opportunity should be utilised in developing the left foot, which is
rather weaker than the other, and every eleven out of twelve are greatly
inclined to use the right foot, but if you keep on practising, it will
not be long before you will be quite as proficient with your left as
your right. To become a good artist you must study kicking the ball from
any position or angle that it may come to you. There is what we call the
drop kick, the free kick, the overhead kick, the place kick, and taking
the ball on the run. The overhead kick is practically one to be avoided,
except in a grave case of emergency, because you are never certain of it
coming off, or of placing it to any advantage. The drop kick also takes
a great deal of practice to be accomplished with anything like success,
but the essential thing is to be able to keep the ball on the run and
kick it where you desire. A back should be of a steady disposition and
always keep cool, for if he loses his head he is of little or no use to
the side. It is also necessary to know when to head or kick the ball. It
is often imperative that a back, for the good of his side, should punt
the ball over the touch-line, but when doing so he should not make a
lusty kick and put it over the grand stand. All that is wanted is a
gentle touch to the railings, which is the proper thing to do. As I have
already remarked, to know how to head the ball is of the utmost
importance, and it is effective in clearing the line, especially from
corner kicks. Heading is quite an art of its own, and takes a long time
to master. You should be able to get at the ball not only with the
forehead, but with either side of the head.
[Illustration: HEADING THE BALL.]
There should be a general understanding between the two backs, and also
between them and the goalie. Each should understand the other's play to
a nicety, and cover one another's mistakes to a certain extent. They
must have confidence in their goalie, and should give him plenty of room
in which to operate. It is also important to know when to pass back to
the goalkeeper, and to do so correctly. I have seen many goals scored
from faultiness in this respect. In tackling, a back must be quick in
turning, so that if the forward beats him he has a chance of overtaking
his opponent. This has always been a strong point in the play of all our
greatest backs, and should be cultivated by all those who wish to
succeed. To the uninitiated it seems that when the ball comes to a back
he should return it vigorously, and nothing more. This is far from being
correct. Many of our best backs have been moderate kickers, but when
they did kick they did so with discretion and judgment, placing the ball
to the half-back if he was free or to the outside right or left, as the
run of the play might be. Above all, a back should be a fine tactician,
knowing when to go for the ball or when to put it quickly into touch,
thus giving his fellow players time to get back and save the position.
There have been many fine full backs during the last decade of football
history, and probably the greatest were the brothers Walters, of
Corinthian fame; Nick Ross, of Preston North End; and Walter Arnott, of
Queen's Park. The two Walters understood each other thoroughly, and as a
pair were second to none. Arnott was the prettiest back to watch that
I have ever seen, and Ross was about the most effective. The latter was
certainly the most fearless player that I have ever run across, and
seemed at times to plough his way through the attacking forwards.