50/50 Balls. Why some players are 1st to them and others win them.

First of all, there is a difference between being first to the ball and actually winning possession of the ball. Matthew is a player I have worked with for some time now. He is almost always first to a 50/50 ball anywhere in his vicinity. He rarely came away with possession of the ball.  Ian was a player who actually won 50/50 balls on a regular basis. He not only was first to the ball, but came away with possession of the ball.  The difference between the two players ability on 50/50 balls are two fold.

First, Matthew was what we typically describe as a one-decision player.  That is, his whole focus was on being first to the ball with little to no thought about what he would do with it once he "won" it.  For Matthew that was secondary to actually being first to the ball. This resulted in a lot of mindless kicking of the ball aka creation of more 50/50 balls.

Ian moved to win the ball in such a manner as to set up his next play with the ball. By doing this Ian could win and pass the ball with the same touch or settle the ball and play it away on a second touch.  Possession of the ball for his team was gained by Ian.  We refer to this type of thinking ahead on the pitch as playing multiple decision soccer.  A primary consideration is to know your next play before your first touch on the ball.  Ian was very good at this.



The other noticeable difference between the players was their skill tool set.  Matthew was first to a lot of balls playing them almost exclusively with the laces of his right foot.  Ian used every conceivable body part to settle the ball under control and play it away. Either foot, either thigh, chest, head - Ian's first touch on the ball was superior.

Quality of first touch and multiple decision soccer is what separated Ian from Matthew. Both players read the game well - Matthew in a one-decision selfish focus exclusively on the ball manner and Ian as a game watching team oriented player.  When each arrived at the ball the differences were startling - Matthew wanted to arrive first and gave little thought beyond that singular idea.  Ian wanted to arrive first, gain possession then purposefully play the ball away with all this being thought out before his first touch.

Some coaches value the kamikaze style of Matthew. For his high school team Matthew won an individual award, but the team had a very poor season. Ian won individual awards as well and his high school team made it all they way to regional finals.  One team, due to the way they were coached, valued being first to the ball while the other valued winning and possessing the ball.  One team played chaotically surrendering a lot of goals and struggling to score because possession was devalued through emphasis on being first to the ball.  Meanwhile the other team played stout defense, scored and had a great season because of valuing possession of the ball.

If one were to watch the two teams play, Matthew's played in a frenetic style. Lots of energy and hustle, but with very little to show for it.  Ian's team played with energy, hustle and poise. There was a calmness about their play that was sorely missing from Matthew's team's play. The point being, a players / teams approach to 50/50 balls is quite often indicative of their style of play.  If you want a calm and poised style of play, you must equip players with the proper tool set.  This includes both technical skill and tactical sense or on-the-field decision making abilities.