it is a technique that can be especially effective for a team with either fast or tall strikers. the long ball technique is also a through pass from distance in an effort to get the ball by the defensive line and create a foot race between striker and defender. while often derided as either boring or primitive, it can prove effective where players or weather conditions suit this style; in particular, it is an effective counter-attacking style of play in which some defenders can be caught off-guard.