The False Nine

The False Nine is a center forward with a non-traditional role.  The Nine position has long been defined by players who push high on the opponents backs looking to be played through for goal scoring opportunities.  The advent of zonal defending has forced changes to the role and responsibilities of the Nine position. Today the False Nine typically plays a bit withdrawn, often back to goal and is tasked with diverting the opposing back lines attention from others making forward runs and distributing the ball to teammates  This does not mean the False Nine is not a goal scorer, only that goal scoring opportunities for the position are generated differently than has been tradition. On my teams we refer to the Nine / False Nine as the Target Forward.

We expect our target forward to provide initial penetration by pushing opponents back toward their own goal, but instead of looking to be played through the primary reason is so the target forward can then check back to a ball played to his feet by a defender or midfielder.  The traditional Nine would push opposing backs towards their own goal looking for the flighted dump and run service from backs or midfielders.  The modern role for a center forward is to push the backs towards their own goal and then have them come back forward to defend against the False Nine receiving the ball at his feet.

As the ball is played to the feet of the False Nine and the opposing backs are stepping to meet that threat, wing forwards and mids, perhaps even a back are starting strong penetrating runs to be played through either directly by the False Nine or off a drop pass from the False Nine to a CM.  The through ball, or dump and run, is still very much alive but its execution has been adapted to beat today's zonal defenses  that have become far more common than the man-marking systems prevalent in days gone by.

I feel it important to note that a Target Forward does not present a stationary target.  Rather the False Nine / Target Forward must be very active and have a high work rate.  He must be in constant motion and vary his runs so as not to become predictable. In addition to "V" cuts that push defenders back before checking to the ball, bent runs back towards his midfield can also be employed. Sometimes the False Nine will drift to the weak side in order to check back to ball side. Other times he will move strong to ball side serving as much as a decoy as an actual target.  Deception is very much a part of his game.

Once in possession of the ball his primary role is not to take on defenders to create goal scoring opportunities for himself but to continue engaging defenders to create opportunities to distribute the ball to teammates who then advance the ball. Think of it in this manner - the False Nine is a creative distributor in the middle third of the field, then in the final third he is on the receiving end of distributions for goal scoring opportunities from the player he has played through. Still a goal scorer but also a facilitator of the attack = The center forward / modern Nine / False Nine / Target Forward.