Roles

The target man

A target man is a centre forward who acts as a physical and technical reference point in attack, holding the ball up, competing for aerial passes and bringing teammates into play.

Tactical roles Read the tactics guide

What a target man is

A target man is a centre forward who plays as the team's physical reference point in attack.

The target man receives long passes from the back, holds the ball up under pressure, and brings teammates into play with knock-downs and lay-offs. Many target men are tall, but the role depends on strength, timing, first touch and secure link play as much as height.

The role is sometimes treated as old-fashioned, but it has not disappeared. A good target man is still a useful tool in modern football, especially against teams that defend deep, in matches that need a more direct attacking option, or as an option from the bench late in matches.

Where the term comes from

The target man is rooted in English football's long-ball tradition.

English football developed the target man as a clear archetype during the era when long passes from the back were a normal way to build attacks. With the goalkeeper or centre back kicking the ball forward to a tall striker, the team needed a forward who could win the header and bring teammates into play. The target man was that player.

The role was at its most influential in English football in the 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s, when most professional teams played some version of long-ball football. The vocabulary stuck even as the game changed, and "target man" remains a widely understood term today, including in football cultures with no historic long-ball tradition.

What the target man does

The role's contributions are built around physical presence and secure link play.

Win headers

The target man is the team's main aerial threat. They win headers from long passes, crosses and clearances. The whole team plays towards them in the air.

Hold the ball up

When the ball reaches them with their back to goal, they shield it from the defender, control it under pressure, and wait for support to arrive. This is the defining technical skill of the role.

Knock-downs and lay-offs

Bring teammates into play with controlled flicks, headers and short passes. A target man who only wins the ball is half the role; a target man who plays the second pass to a teammate is the full version.

Score from crosses

Most target men score the majority of their goals from crosses. They attack the cross with their body or head, finishing chances that smaller forwards would not be able to reach.

Skills the role demands

The target man needs a specific set of qualities.

Physical strength

The target man competes with centre backs in close physical contests. Strength in the air, on the ground, and in holding off defenders matters. Many target men are tall, although timing and hold-up play matter as much as height.

Aerial ability

Good timing, neck strength, and an ability to direct headers accurately. Winning the header itself is not enough — the header has to land where teammates can use it.

First touch

The target man often controls difficult passes in tight spaces, with defenders close behind. A heavy first touch ends the move; a clean first touch starts the next phase of the attack.

Awareness

Knowing where teammates are before the long pass arrives. The best target men play the lay-off in their head before they have controlled the ball — they already know who is running for the second pass.

How the role differs from similar roles

The target man is distinct from other centre forward roles.

Versus the poacher

A poacher specialises in finishing chances inside the box. They are not usually involved in build-up. The target man is the build-up — they are central to how the team gets to the box, not just to what happens once they are there.

Read about the poacher

Versus the complete forward

A complete forward combines the qualities of a target man with finishing ability and movement. The target man is more specialised, with the physical role at the centre of what they do. A complete forward is a target man with extra qualities; a target man is a complete forward without the extras.

Versus the false nine

A false nine drops out of the centre forward position to draw a defender forward. The target man does the opposite — they stay central, hold the line high, and occupy the centre back. The two roles are almost mirror images.

Read about the false nine

Versus the second striker

A second striker plays just behind the target man rather than alongside them. The target man holds the ball up; the second striker picks up the lay-off and turns the move into an attack. The two roles work well as a partnership.

Read about second strikers

Where the role fits

The target man fits best in direct and counter-attacking teams.

Direct football is the natural home for a target man. A team that plays long passes from the back needs a striker who can win them. A team that attacks down the flanks needs a striker who can attack the crosses. The target man's qualities suit both patterns.

Counter-attacking systems also benefit from a target man, particularly in two-striker shapes such as 4-4-2 or 3-5-2. The target man holds the ball up after the team wins it, allowing teammates to break forward in support. Without a target man, a counter-attacking team has to rely on faster, more dribble-based forwards to start attacks themselves.

Target men and counter-attacking

A target man can help a counter-attacking team turn a clearance into a controlled attack.

When a deeper-defending team wins the ball, the first pass forward may be under pressure. A target man gives the team a reliable outlet, holds the ball up and allows runners to join the attack.

This does not make every counter-attack long-ball football. It means the target man gives the team a way to keep the ball after the regain rather than simply clearing it away.

How the role has changed

The target man is less common at the very top of the modern game.

Modern top-level football has moved away from pure long-ball play. Most top teams build through the back, press high, and rarely play the ball directly to a single forward in the air. A pure target man is harder to fit into these systems, where the centre forward is also expected to press, hold the ball under pressure, and combine in tight spaces.

The role is still common at lower levels of the professional game and in domestic league football, where direct play is more often used. The qualities that define the target man — physical strength, aerial dominance, hold-up play — are still valuable in the right system. The pure version of the role is rarer; versions of it survive widely.