Third man run in soccer
A third man run in soccer frees a teammate with two quick passes: one player plays in, a second lays it off, and a third runs onto it unmarked.
A third man run in soccer is a run by a player who is not involved in the first pass. One player passes to a teammate, the teammate lays it off first time, and a third player arrives running onto the ball. It works because defenders tend to watch the first pass and the player receiving it, so the runner gets free without having to beat anyone. It is a good answer when a team marks closely and your midfielders can't turn with the ball.
How the third man run works in soccer
Think of the three players as A, B and C. A has the ball and can't find C directly, because a defender is in the way or C is closely marked. So A passes to B, usually a forward or midfielder who has come short with a defender behind them. B can't turn, and doesn't need to. They play it first time to C, who was already moving when A's pass went in.
The timing is the part to coach. If C waits to see whether the pass reaches B, the defenders have time to recover and the run is gone. C has to start as A's pass is played, or just before, and should be running into space that B can reach with one touch. B needs to know where C is before the ball arrives, so checking over the shoulder early matters. A short call from C helps.
Younger or less experienced players often want to take a touch and turn when they receive with their back to goal, and a defender behind them can win the ball. Teach B that the first time lay off is the pass you want. The run also works anywhere on the field. A center back to a midfielder to a full back running forward is the same pattern, and it can help play out from the back when the first pass is under pressure.
Step by step
In this play O attacks to the right against a 4-4-2. O7 is A, O9 is B and O6 is C.
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Step 1
O7 has the ball. O9 drops short between the lines to show for a pass, and D2 follows tight behind them.
O7 has the ball and can't pass to O6, who has D6 and D9 in front of them. O9 drops short between the defending lines to show for a pass, and D2 follows tight behind.
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Step 2
O7 passes into O9. D6 and D7 turn toward the ball, and as the pass goes, O6 starts running past them.
O7 passes into O9. D6 and D7 turn toward the ball, because the pass is going into the space they are protecting. As the pass goes, O6 starts running past them.
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Step 3
O9 lays it off first time into O6's path. Nobody has tracked O6, the third player in the move.
O9 lays it off first time into O6's path. D6 has been pulled toward O9, and nobody has tracked O6.
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Step 4
O6 arrives facing goal and plays through for O10, who runs behind D3 from an onside position.
O6 arrives past the midfield line, facing goal. D2 is still near O9, so there is room to pass through. O10 runs behind D3 from an onside position and O6 plays the ball into that run.
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Step 5
O10 is through on goal. The defenders were watching O9, so O6 had time to pick the pass.
O10 is through on goal. The move took three passes, and nobody on the team had to beat a defender on the dribble.
To practice it, start with three players and one defender in a small area, with a target at the far end. The defender stands behind B, and A plays in, B lays it off, and C runs onto it and passes to the target. Walk through it first so that C learns to go as A's pass leaves. Then let the defender choose whether to stay tight, and let B turn if the defender drops off. Add a second defender in front of C once the timing is reliable.
The middle is easier to play through when defenders have been pulled wide, so this pairs well with overlaps on the wing.
The full play
You can copy this play into your own account and change it for your team, for example to run it from the back line or with a winger as the third player.
If you coach a youth or rec team, game day on Playspedia helps you set your lineup and keep playing time fair. Set up your team here.