Possessing the ball.

Possession of the soccer ball is valued for two simple reasons.  Discounting own goals, 1) possession is necessary to score the ball and 2) possession denies the opponent the opportunity to score the ball.

The reality of possession runs much deeper.  Through today's writing I am going to challenge you to think of possession in terms you may not have previously considered.  Let's throw some questions out to get your mind primed for what is to come.

How many possessions a match does your team average?

What do you consider to be the optimum number of possessions for your team in a match?

How and where is your system of play designed to gain your team possession of the ball?

How long does an average possession last?

Does your team typically win the time of possession battle?



I believe possession of the soccer ball should be all about manipulating the opponents to create and utilize space for the purpose of finding the path of least resistance to goal. In order to manipulate or move defenders player movement off the ball is a necessity. A coaching phrase we use is "ball movement is predicated on player movement" and it is this off-the-ball player movement that can be used to move defenders and manipulate a defense. This player movement must be purposeful, varied and rhythmic. Yes, rhythmic, for attacking soccer is all about rhythm and seamless flow while defending is all about disrupting that rhythm or flow.

If your team is gifted offensively you may wish to have as many possessions as possible in match.  The more possessions you have, the more opportunities to score.  Conversely if your team struggles to score you may wish to limit the number of possessions in a game.

So, how long should a possession last?  We can ask this in terms of minutes and or in terms of passes completed. A general rule of thumb is a possession should last only as long as it takes to score the ball.  However, if a team is attempting to limit the overall number of possessions in a game the answer could involve a time limit with an eye towards shortening a game. So, a successful possession might be a single pass that leads to a goal or it might be 10 to 20+ passes even without a goal scored if a stated purpose for possession is to shorten the game / limit the number of possessions in a game.

Where on the pitch you wish to win the ball also factors into possession.  If you are a counter attacking team you will want to win the ball on your own half of the pitch so as to preserve the negative space behind the opponents defenders to counter through.  If you choose to build from the back your possession may be more deliberate especially as your team pushes forwarded into the opponents half of the pitch. This might involve a lot of drop passes, switches through the back line and even resetting the attack through the goalkeeper all the while keeping a mindful eye on seizing upon a scoring opportunity.

Purposeful possession must be based on well defined strategy and related decision-making. Part of this is determining where on the pitch the opponents have designed their system to win the ball.  Obviously your possession strategy will want to limit opportunities by opponents from positions of strength within their system.  That is, you will want to use possession to manipulate the opponents defense from their comfort zone.

As the modern game is proliferated with zonal defending schemes making a defense move side to side on the pitch has taken on added importance. Our mantra is to cross the ball early and often.  Big crosses against the flow of the defense are prized.  The "scoring" cross then follows, again against the grain or flow of the defense. Target play between the zonal lines is just as important to manipulate a defense as this will hold defenders and preserve negative space behind them to attack through. The picture that should be forming is a defense stretched both laterally and vertically. When a defense is stressed in this manner seams to attack through tend to open up much easier.

Unfortunately what we often see serve as possession is win the ball and play it forward immediately with little forethought.  Many people think of this as counter attacking or direct soccer, but it is not. More often than not a ball is won only to create a 50 / 50 ball further up the pitch.  That is not possession soccer. This is basically trading possession for more advantageous field position - an appropriate strategy at times but generally a crime against possession soccer. If both teams play in this manner the game becomes a battle for regained possessions.

 A team dedicated to purposeful possession can be easily identified by how they play once possession is won.  Good teams will immediately look to solidify or secure their possession of the ball with what we call a "safe pass."    This is usually a short pass, often a drop pass, out of pressure.  It is the receiver of this second pass that sets the tone for the possession - he may well choose to play directly forward to a target or even through the defense. In effect this player is the one that sets the initial pace for possession based on the space he sees available or being created to use.

Perhaps the most important question to ask is how you will define a possession of the ball?  Or when does possession begin?  For me, possession begins after the initial safe pass. At this point the ball has been won and  secured.  What we do with it from this point on defines both the length and success of the possession.