Tactics used by the top teams today have grown increasingly complex. Nowadays, individual weaknesses in the opposition are researched ahead of time and exploited through strategy. Players have to specialize in a particular position which they begin learning from an early age. A coach is supposed to balance the players on his own team according to their attributes while keeping in mind the enemy's strengths and weaknesses. This is no easy task. What has been included on this site is only a small fraction of the study on soccer tactics and the understanding of collective strategy.
It must be emphasized that as a coach, one should empirically evaluate and judge every play on its own. Don't abandon what works just in order to enforce what is supposed to work. Only through empiricism can you draw effective generalizations on what is right for your team.
Make sure you are familiar with fundamental soccer tactics and strategy, before indulging into the following articles on formations, different styles of play and complex tactics.
