Defenders’s game did not get any easier since the development of new offensive tactics, of course. The striker game became more refined, creative and the tactics in particular have experienced some enrichment. So it is only natural for the defenders to try to make their game easier for themselves by using clever tactics. To contain certain plays and offensive actions by opponents, some defenders had the perception of approaching more ahead of their teammate, therefore putting the opponent in an offside position, this, of course, due to the old offside rule. With this frequent movement, therefore, the One-back-system appeared. Some teams that adhered to this first-row formation always placed one defender in front of the other in a standard tactical organization; with the most advanced defender almost close to the centre-half.


We come to the famous and notorious, much praised and much contested one-back system, which already plays a very important role in the history of modern football and, if not today, it will certainly lead to a weakening of the offside rule in the foreseeable future will lead.

Prof. Wilhelm Schmieger, 07/02/1925.


Of course, this system divided several opinions. There was the side that was adept of the system and the side that was repulsed by it. However, this defensive system meant that opponents had to be even more intelligent, prepared and quick to get back to a regular position. Consequently, the goal average dropped, as the system proved to be quite effective. The system, however, due to the change of the offside rule in 1925, ended up falling into disuse.

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Arispe                    
                    Nasazzi

Uruguay 1924.

Sometimes, due to characteristics that matched this tactic, the advanced defender managed to better distribute the balls; the other one was already a more contention player, a stopper, basically. In the representation above, Arispe, Uruguay's left defender, was a more dynamic player than Nasazzi. El Mariscal Nasazzi, on the other hand, was a contention player.

However, it is also good to mention that the method above is not the only one which was used by some defences. Another way of playing this tactic was commonly used with the tackler-defender in front of the other defender who was a runner, a player read to catch up to the opposing forward in case of him charging towards the goal.