Team Shape

I took on more than I anticipated with this topic.  I could have, and perhaps should have, simplified my approach, but shape is not as simple as numerical formation and differs when attacking form defending and even in transition.  I suspect I will update this article after leaving it sit for a day or to.

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I was listening to a young parent / coach sharing her frustration with another parent about how her team would not stay spread out. "They get all bunched up!"   I could not stop myself from asking how old the team was. "First and second graders" came the reply. I said, "Ahh..."  waggled my forefinger upwards in the air and walked off. Really, what was there to say?

Spatial Awareness is a key consideration both in defining and maintaining team shape. U 6 players are going to struggle with this concept.  All the shouted instructions to "stay in your position" that rise up from both the team and parent sidelines are going to have little impact on what actually happens on the pitch at this age. And here's a secret... they almost certainly do more long term harm than they do short term good.

In today's writing we are going to take a look at developing, maintaining and utilizing team shape. While you are reading this article I would like you to keep in mind how the game is played at U6. How it is seen through the eyes of a 6 year old child even as my intended audience for this writing is coaches working with teenagers.

TEAM SHAPE

 

To begin with let us recognize that a team's shape will be predicated on the four phases of play in a game of soccer. The attacking phase and transitioning from attack to defending. The defending phase and transitioning from defending to attacking. A teams defensive shape will be different in each phase or at least it should be.

 

Our team from this last spring had a defensive shape of 4-2-3-1 and an attacking shape that was extremely fluid and hard to numerically define.  This was intentional and it worked very well for us.

 

Let's begin by looking at some of the components necessary to define and analyze team shape.

Spatial Awareness
Roles
Mobility
Communication
Technical skill
Pace of Play
Tactical Awareness
Game Situation

There is a tried and true saying in soccer that Space = Time. 

Defending: At five feet they look at their feet.  This is a simple coaching phrase meaning when a defender comes within five feet of the ball carrier the attackers head will go to the ball at his feet. Five feet is a rule of thumb. Depending on the skill of the ball carrier this distance might be smaller or larger.  The point is that when the ball carrier's eyes go to the ball, his range of vision is significantly smaller. 

Attacking:  If the ball carrier has space / time to play in, his teammates should open the field up even more for him.  If the ball carrier is under pressure, if his eyes must go to his feet, then his teammates must come to him. They must help their ball carrier by getting in his diminished vision and providing BIG passing angles for him.

Every position / player has a role to fill.  When duplication of one role occurs it means another role goes unfilled.  Also, when a role in not filled it stresses the rest of the team.

Defending:  A back who is caught too far up the field can cause the back line to collapse as the remaining backs must cover for him.  That one back out of position creates a domino effect.  A defender charged with slowing the opponents attack who dives in our stabs in an unsuccessful attempt to tackle the ball forces stresses the back line. The target player who does not work to cut the field in half and deny the change of fields through the opponents backs stresses his teammates as they attempt to regain and maintain defensive shape behind him.

In short, it is a defenses role to disrupt the rhythm and shape of an opponents attack but when defenders stray from their positional roles it is the defensive shape that suffers and the defending rhythm that is destroyed.

Attacking:  Wing midfielders who stray inside and duplicate center midfielders strain the teams ability to find and maintain attacking rhythm. They unnecessarily stress their own attack by shrinking the space their team has to play in.  When wing defenders are supposed to read the outside midfielders runs as cues for their own movement, but the outside midfielders are not present in their roles it throws the attack completely out of sync. 

Attacking soccer is all about rhythm and timing. When there occurs duplication of roles (too many attackers in a small area of the field)  and other roles are left unfilled it's a bit like stepping on your dancing partners toes. It throws the rhythm of the attacking dance all out of kilter and forces the attack to rely disproportionately on LUCK rather than on collective coordinated effort.

Ball Movement is Predicated on Player Movement.

Defending:  Defenders like predictability. So much so, one of the key coaching phrases in coaching defending calls to the pressure defender to take "force right (or left)" thusly making the ball carrier more predictable in his play.  Teams that attack in straight lines or a single channel are very predictable. Such direct play is far more easily defended. The defense easily retains its shape and plays from their comfort zone.

Attacking:  Teams that use the philosophy of "safe pass" to secure possession and mix target play with repeated switches of the field and occasional through balls is very difficult to defend as they force the defense to move both forward and backwards as well as side to side.  Purposeful player movement with advantageous ball movement can stress a defense to the point of creating seams through which to attack. 

Clear concise effective Communication

Defending: From the goalkeeper organizing the defense to cover or support defenders coordinating with the pressure defender effective communication is essential for quality defending.  I would add efficient communication to the list of qualities as well. There is nothing worse than a goalkeeper that constantly talks without passing quality information. We do not need a cheerleader in the goalkeeper role and we need the rest of the team to appreciate that when the goalkeeper does speak, he must be listened to. 

Attacking:  When a player receives the ball his eyes will be down to the ball.  Therefore his field of vision will be approximately 10 yards square.  His teammates must be his eyes for him and communicate information that will aid in his decision-making.  This can come in the form of "man on!" or calling for a specific type of pass to be made among other things.  Because of the urgency associated with being under pressure from a defender any communication must be
both clear and concise.

Techniques determine the plays and the plays determine the game.

Defending:  Deny, Delay, Destroy.  Understanding the cues for when to attempt a tackle is critical.  Utilizing bounce steps to take away momentum. Doubling a ball carrier when he faces his own goal. Maintaining pressure / cover (and balance).  Defending is about disciplined application of technique.

Attacking:  Proper execution of proper technique is a primary consideration when attacking. Preparing to play by positioning the body properly to most effectively employ the proper technique takes a lot of forethought.  Being in the passers vision before he even has possession of the ball is a technique that can greatly enhance the pace of play.

Pace of play is all about brain power.

Defending:  Having a plan for where on the pitch you wish to defend is a key consideration. Where will you set your line of confrontation?  Will you bunker in or will you try to pressure high on the pitch?  Will you press and or will you play delaying defense. How you choose to defend can impact the pace of play in the game.  How you seek to disrupt the opponents attacking rhythm can impact the pace of play.

Attacking:  Being able to control pace of play is the key to successful attacking.  Perhaps you choose to sit back in your half of the field to defend, then once the ball is won counter attack with pace.  Win the ball, safe pass to secure possession and then GO!  Or if you choose to build from the back you might play a more deliberate style before changing the tempo of the attack.   Regardless, pace of play is a brain power consideration far more than it is a physical speed of consideration.  Pace of play can be planned for and executed within a well designed system of play.

Tactical awareness is all about being a game watcher instead of being a ball watcher.

Defending:  While the pressure defender must have eyes on the ball and the support or cover defenders have a primary consideration of providing back up to the pressure defender, all off-the-ball defenders should be in and maintain back to goal "ball / you / man positioning.  When in this positioning defenders should be able to see both the ball and either the opponent they are charged with marking or any opponent that enters the zone or channel he is responsible for.

Attacking:  A game watcher will see space that can be utilized.  He will also be able to recognize which defender to attack with off-the-ball movement that he might move that defender to create space for teammates to take advantage of.  Tactical awareness on the attacking is all about manipulating the defense and the recognition of, creation of and utilization of space in the most efficient and effective manner possible.

How we choose to use team shape to impact the game through any of the above referenced components is determined by the game situation.

Defending:  Playing a delaying defense to slow the pace of play may be an advantageous proposition when your team is over matched or if they are playing with a lead.  Playing pressing style and pressuring high on the pitch might be the choice when needing a goal or if you believe you can stress an opponent from their normal comfort zone. Depending on the game situation you may choose to defend with more ... or less ... personnel.

Transitioning from Attacking to Defending:  Many teams today seek to press in an attempt to regain possession of the ball.  This basically entails pressuring the ball and having two support or cover players backing up the pressure defender.  That is a team shape within the teams defending shape.  The remaining defenders will be sprinting to regain the teams defensive shape or formational look behind the press.

Attacking:  Again, depending on the game situation you may withdraw attackers from the attack or throw more players into the attack depending on whether your team is in need of a goal or not.  I like to attack with as many players as possible and I like them to enter the attack from as diverse positioning as possible.  Even if we withdraw a forward into the defense I will still seek to push as many into the attack as possible.

Transitioning for defending to attracting:  When the ball is successfully won the winner of the ball may find himself under pressure via a press. The philosophy of safe pass is a team shape that helps secure possession of the ball and can be used to set the pace for the attack or pace of play.  This shape will morph based on what the receiver of the safe pass sees but will always have elements of depth, width, penetration and mobility.

In conclusion, soccer is a game of opposites.  While on the attack teams want to establish a rhythm and mix in change of direction with change of pace.  The attacking shape should be fluidly purposeful with lots of interchanging amongst players.  It stands to reason then that defenses seek to disrupt the attacks rhythm. To do so, a defense must stay organized with strong support of the pressure defender. The defensive shape, while not exactly rigid, must remain true to its numerical formation to operate at peak efficiency.  Team shape is not a constant or rigidly defined thing. Whether attacking or defending team shape is predicated on support around the ball.  The definition of support around the ball changes when attacking from when defending. Therefore, it will also look different in the transitioning phases.