There is often the temptation when watching a football match to call one of the players on the pitch a ‘dummy’, such is the extent to which they have made a stupid decision or done something idiotic.
In reality, anyone who has been to a live football game or watched one in an environment like a pub will know that the words used to describe such a player would be a lot more coarse than ‘dummy’.
Still, the idea of a player being a dummy is something that we’ve all largely grown used to over time, but that is not what is being referenced if the phrase ‘dummy run’ is used at any point by a commentator or pundit during a match.
Distracting the Opposition
When it comes to football tactics, players need to learn the importance of what to do off the ball as much as they need to work out what they can do on it. From pressing to giving teammates choices for a pass or cross, there are countless options open to a footballer when it comes to their time on the pitch when they don’t have the ball available to use. One of the key things that they can look to do is to execute a ‘dummy run’, which can distract the opposition and open up space for someone else to run into. More often than not, this is something that is performed when a team is on the attack, needing to keep defenders busy.
@el_frankmartinez This opens space for your teammates so they can get a shot off // full vid on YT #elfrank #soccer #theAteam #football #dummyrunner ♬ original sound –
The run is made off the ball, which means that you don’t have the ball to run with but your very movement into a certain part of the pitch will be enough to distract an opposition player. From there, your teammate can move into the space that has been created by the dummy run that you made, meaning that they could get a shot off on goal or else put a decent ball into another person on your team. By pretending that you’re looking for the ball, the opposition has no choice but to ensure that one of their players is following you, which is where the space then comes from for your partner in crime to be able to make use of as best as possible.
There will, of course, be occasions when you might need to make a dummy run as a defender, making it seem as though the pass is on so the opposition’s attacking player has to move to shut down the passing lane. That is a move that is normally carried out by the full-backs or defensive midfielder, allowing the centre-back to move forward with the ball into the space. There is also always the possibility that you may end up being found with the ball when you make the dummy run, should the opposition decide that that’s exactly what you’re doing and therefore choose against sacrificing a man to track your movements.