Any game of football, regardless of formation or playing style, can be divided into 4 phases:

1. Ball Possession (BP) : this is the phase when our team has the ball and we are attacking;

2. Ball Possession Opponent (BPO) : this is the phase when the opponent has the ball and we are defending;

3. Transition to defence (BP>BPO) : this is the phase when we lose the ball and must switch from attacking to defending;

4. Transition to attack (BPO>BP) this is the phase when we win the ball back and switch from defending to attacking.

We call these phases the ‘four main moments’

– from the FFA National Curriculum, Section 2 – Vision and Philosophy