Why do the Premier League love the extra-ball tactics again

In recent years, football tactics have experienced a period of prosperity and development, but even the most forward-looking fans still like to see their team "jump into the penalty area".

In many ways, the matches we watch in the Premier League have become more and more cultural, but ask yourself: Who doesn't miss the late 2000s when Rory Drapp staged a signature long-distance throw-in for Stoke?

At the end of the last decade, this direct play reduction in the Premier League was consistent with the decline in the proportion of goalkeepers' long passes, defined as passing at least 32 meters. At that time, more and more teams focused on possession, building offense through the backcourt and reorganizing when they lost possession.

The trend of goalkeepers reducing long passes in England's top league has continued in the past few seasons. However, the use of long-distance throw-in balls has reversed.

Since the 2021-2022 season, when Premier League teams get opportunities, the number of out-of-bounds balls has increased. The tactic became one of its main offensive threats in the second leg of the semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain last week in the Champions League.

Watch long-distance outbound balls that have been scored into the penalty area—those thrown from a quarter of the field attack—contribute to all outbound balls in the area, which has increased year by year, reaching 17% this season.

The media has previously discussed the positive value of throwing long-distance out-of-bounds into the penalty area, but this is not the only aspect that needs to be considered in this strategy. The composition of the

club lineup, their ability to fight in the air, and the adaptability of defense when switching offenses - in case of falling into the opponent's hands - are key factors that determine the team's tactical choices. Most importantly, you need to have a player who can throw the ball into the penalty area from that area.

Since the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons, Brentford and Nottingham Forest have been the standard benches of this tactic, with 54% and 40% of the outbound balls being thrown in the offensive area of ​​the field, respectively.

This season, Brentford has thrown 92 out of bounds from the offensive area directly into the penalty area. Of all the outbound balls at this position, their 63% throw ratio is firmly ranked first in the Premier League.

Analysis of Brentford's out-of-bounds strategy on the court allows us to further examine its tactics.

On each side of the court, their long-distance outbound balls are undoubtedly aimed at the near post, and the ball thrown from the right sideline reaches the goal area with a higher proportion, usually led by Kevin Shad or Ethan Pinnock.

It is worth noting that the success of the long-distance extra-boundary strategy is not limited to the first contact, but more of a benefit from the confusion that follows.

Observing Brentford's expected number of goals (xG) within the 10-second time window after the outbound ball can reveal their advantages in this regard. By attacking out-of-bounds, their expected goals scored 3.9, making the league's highest scoring chance to create numbers—almost twice as many as Crystal Palace (1.1) metrics that followed.

Comparing these data with Nottingham Forest, the team ranked second in the Premier League with 52 long-distance throws into the penalty area, will only highlight Brentford's efficiency in this tactical link.

Nottingham Forest's expected goals scored by 0.7 through long outbound balls did not reach the expected level. With each chance, Nuno Espirito Santo's team scored only 0.01 expected goals per long-distance out-of-bounds ball, which is only tenth in the entire league.

Brentford can score 0.04 expected goals per long-distance outbound goal, ranking among the top in Premier League teams. Although the gap sounds small, key points are often of great significance in slight circumstances.

As they do with their strategies in corners and free kicks, Brentford adopts a specific formation to maximize the possibility of long-range outbound ball scoring.

Usually, their central defenders will stand near the near post, Christian Nolgod is near the penalty point, while Joan Visa, Brian Mbeumo and Mikel Damsgaud will be behind him to grab the second landing ball.

The following is an example of a 2-1 victory against Bournemouth in March 2025. Nathan Collins, Christopher Aye and Pinock stood near the near post, and Nolgod, Visa, Damsgaud and Mbeumo are preparing to attack the second landing point from the starting position near the penalty point.

When Shad threw the long-distance out-of-bounds ball towards the near post, Nolgod took a few steps forward and prepared to grab the expected header. Meanwhile, Visa and Damsgaard followed the Danish midfielder and moved towards different areas to ensure Brentford was able to cover the entire width of the goal when attacking the second landing they expected.

Bornemouth's Marcus Tavennier barely touched the ball in the confrontation with Ayere, nor changed the trajectory of the ball, which meant that Norgao's early run put him in the perfect position, thus scoring the goal that proved to be the winner. It is also important to note Visa's position, as his delayed movement allows him to attack any possible rebound ball as well.

In our next example, Brentford beat Southampton 3-1 in August 2023, with centre-backs Pinock and Collins initially standing at the far post, while Visa and Mbemo approached their sidelines as Mattias Jensen considered a short-range outbound ball.

When Jensen decided to make a long-distance throw, Collins and Pinoke moved to the near post, while Visa adjusted the position to attack the second landing point.

Then, Jensen threw the outbound ball towards the near post area. As Collins was in an air confrontation, Visa was also attacking the ball.. The Irish rubbed the ball against the far post with his head, and Visa's move allowed him to block goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale's clearance attempt, forced the ball to cross the goal line, expanding the score to 3-0 for Brentford.

In the 4-3 victory over Manchester United last weekend, it was Dames' turn to attack the second landing point at a high attack. Initially, he stood in the designated position on the edge of the penalty area with his teammates. Kobe Menu initially cleared the ball when Michael Kayode threw the outbound ball towards the near post, but Kayode cut through the sideline and attacked the loose ball. At the same time, Dams attacked the close post to provide a second landing option. As a result, the Danish midfielder's pass was blocked by Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw and then rebounded into the net.

Not surprisingly, this stage is a key tactic that Brentford coach Thomas Frank is determined to be. “I believe in the players on the edge of the penalty area and how we can keep the pressure on — a second offense, fighting for the second place,” Frank said in Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football in 2023.

This tactic may be less eye-catching compared to the pleasing long pass combination, but efficiency outweighs beauty when there is a chance to put the ball into a dangerous area.

Judging from the data, the Premier League is increasingly inclined to accept this concept.