Back in the old days when football was a straightforward game our school coach had an equally straightforward golden rule for defenders -- "Never pass the ball around in your own penalty area. Just hoof it!" That might explain why we did not win any medals.
The coach would no doubt be apoplectic if he was to witness defences at work in the Premier League these days.
If you ask the average fan what makes them most nervous during a match it is most likely to be when their own team "plays it out from the back". Even watching on television you can feel the nervousness amongst the crowd when their defenders and goalkeeper start tippy-tapping in front of their own goal. It is definitely not recommended for fans who suffer from high blood pressure.
The reason for this anxiety is that while playing out from the back is great when it works it looks awful when it doesn't and can have a disastrous outcome. It's a sophisticated art and if a team has defenders lacking technical ability it will quickly be exposed. Critics argue that quite often it ends up with the keeper or defender being forced to hoof the ball downfield anyway.
One reason for Southampton's poor performance this season was former manager Russell Martin's insistence on "playing out from the back" but not having the players capable of doing it. It resulted in the team conceding many soft goals of their own making. For neutrals it was entertaining to watch, but definitely not for Saints' fans.
Despite the lack of success Martin bravely defended his tactics. "The more we have the ball the more we can control the game and take the fight out of the opposition," he said. The problem for him was the Saints defence kept giving the ball away.
Of course playing out from the back hasn't suddenly surfaced but has evolved through time. One thing for sure, it has become more fashionable in the Premier league in recent years.
Among the leading exponents have been Manchester City. With Pep Guardiola at the helm, City have earned a reputation for outstanding possession football which has contributed to them winning six of the last seven Premier League titles, although they will miss out this season.
Despite their reputation for short passing, City are not averse to the playing the occasional long ball to catch opponents off guard. City's goalkeeper Ederson is known for his distribution skills, especially his long accurate kicks which can lead to goals.
Playing out from the back gained impetus in 1992 when a new pass-back rule was introduced forbidding goalkeepers to pick up back passes which meant the custodians had to use their feet much more than before. In doing so they also improved skills with their feet and in time grew in confidence in passing the ball. Since then managers want keepers who are not only good at saving shots but also skillful with their feet.
Despite occasional embarrassing setbacks teams will continue playing out from the back, especially those blessed with talented players. But the key is to remain flexible and always remember that there is nothing wrong in hoofing the ball downfield if the situation requires.