get everyone behind the ball

[Kontol]

I hear the commentator say "Manchester United are getting everyone behind the ball".

The verb "get" has lots of meanings, does it mean to retreat in this context? I understand "on the ball" to mean in possession, but the speaker is using the word "behind" here. Does it mean "out of" in the sentence? -- to retreat everyone out of the ball

 

[emsr2d2]

They are moving all their players up the field so that they all have the opportunity to accept a pass. The whole team is attacking.

You could replace "getting" with "putting" but that loses the idea of movement.

 

[jutfrank]

They are moving all their players up the field so that they all have the opportunity to accept a pass. The whole team is attacking.

That could be what it means but I suspect it has precisely the opposite meaning here, where the whole team is making a concerted and unified effort to defend.

 

[emsr2d2]

That could be what it means but I suspect it has precisely the opposite meaning here, where the whole team is making a concerted and unified effort to defend.

Hmmm. I would expect that to be worded as getting everyone in front of the ball!

 

[jutfrank]

No, it's very typical football speak. We'd never say 'in front of the ball'.

 

[Kontol]

That could be what it mean but I suspect it has precisely the opposite meaning here, where the whole team is making a concerted and unified effort to defend.

So, does "behind the ball" means to lose possesion in their own half?
On the ball = in possession
Behind the ball = lose possession in their own half.

 

[jutfrank]

No, it means 'in a position between the ball and the home goal line.' When an opposing player is in possession of the ball, a defending team is behind the ball when all players are in defensive positions. That means the attacking team has a full eleven players to penetrate.

The phrase behind the ball is a preposition phrase, not a verb phrase.