The 10 Commandments for Attacking Soccer

1) Thou shall not spectate when thou should be playing. It is impossible to support your teammates on attack or when defending if you are watching play instead of adjusting your positioning each and every time the ball moves. A coaching phrase I use to remind players to do this is “When the ball travels, we travel!” It can be called, ‘When the ball travels” by a coach or player and answered “We travel” by the remaining team members

2) Thou shall check to the ball when winning loose balls and receiving passes. Waiting for a ball to come to you is inviting an opponent to win the ball. Perhaps even worse is running away from a ball thinking you are played through and allowing an opponent to step in behind you to win the ball. Inexcusable. We should never lose a possession due to not checking to the ball. Never.

3) Thou shall position yourself so your hips are open to as much of the field as is possible. If your hips are closed to the direction the ball is coming from, your play is predictable. Open hips to as much of the field as possible is a secret to successful possession. In this manner thou shall receive the ball across your body whenever possible. We call this being a back footed player. Receiving in this manner allows the player to stay in compliance with Commandment #3. Failure to comply with this commandment makes you a predictable player and one easily defended and dispossessed of the ball.

4) Thou shall make a safe pass upon winning possession of the ball. It is senseless to win the ball and attempt to advance into pressure. Make a safe pass and allow that receiver to establish the rhythm of the attack.

5) Thou shall not stop the ball between thy feet when receiving it. The path of the ball must be changed away from pressure when receiving it. This forces any defender in pursuit of the ball to change course thus buying the receiver space and time to play the ball. Failure to do so changes the pressure to make the play away from the defender and onto the receiver.

6) Thou shall support your teammates at proper angles. It is extremely difficult to make a straight pass, especially if the teammate is running away. This type of “vertical” support can devastate an attack. It is just as critical not to support the 1st defender in a vertical line as you offer virtually no support in doing so. The rule of thumb is 45 degree angles when defending and 45 degree angles or bigger when on the attack.

7) Thou shall not pass square in your defensive third nor in the middle portion of the field. Square passes are the easiest passes to cleanly intercept and immediately transition to attack on. Square passes tend to happen when there is a lack of diagonal support for the passer.

8) Thou shall play the way you face. This is a rule of thumb so there are exceptions. It holds especially true when you are under pressure. Drop or back passes are okay to relieve that pressure. Maintaining possession is what we want to do.

9) Thou shall not shoot from impossible angles. Intelligent defenses seek to deny shots in general and especially those from in front of the goal. Many defenses seek to limit shots against them to coming from a line that extends from the goal post to the corner of the 6 to the corner of the 18 or wider. Shots from those angles leave the goalkeeper with a greatly reduced goal to defend. You must seek to cross the ball when in this deep or take the ball to and along the end line for a cut back cross. Thou shall go to goal each and every time you get your inside shoulder in front of the opponent defending you. When you are breaking free and have the opportunity to eliminate the closest opponent to you, do so. It is not an option. It is mandatory.

10) Thou shall shoot the ball whenever in position to take a quality shot. When in front of the goal and from 25 yards in there should be no hesitation. No extra touch to set the ball up just right. No extra passes. Just put the ball on net. Toe pokes are fine. Knees are fine. Love headers for goals. Strike at the midpoint or higher on the ball to keep it low. Whatever it takes to get the ball on net. Just do it and do it at the first available moment.

Fundamentals of Team Attacking Play

There are 4 cornerstones needed in order to attain a consistently high level of team play - quality of first touch, purposeful passing,  intelligent support and communication. The four components are inter-related and as such the quality of your team's play is dependent on the ability to execute effectively in each area.

Quality first touch refers to a players ability to gain and maintain possession of the ball with his first touch of the ball. Although usually used in association with receiving a pass we also need to include the ability to gain possession of a loose ball or a contested ball in our definition. Therefore we can say a player executing a quality first touch will receive the ball under control and away from pressure utilizing his first touch to facilitate his next touch(es)on the ball.

Do we want Robinhos or Robots?

I think this is a good companion article to 11 Captains.  It is probably not a coincidence that I found both articles in the same file. The credit for this one I think goes to Mike Woitalla via Soccer America magazine from several years ago. Great reading and I know I have shared the thoughts if not the actual article with teams (and their parents) in the past.  Enjoy!

Do we want Robinhos or Robots?

How over-coaching and the emphasis on winning stifle young American talent.

The little boy dribbled and kept dribbling. He had taken the ball away from the midfield pack and zoomed toward his own goal. This surprised the other children and allowed him to keep the ball to himself for much longer than any player had managed during this U-8 game.

Having put some 15 yards between himself and the other players, he slowed down and seemed to marvel at all the territory he now had to himself. He started making a wide U-turn and flashed a big smile.

Change the Channel

This is a repost from 2013.  When a reader recently asked about "changing channels" I thought to write an article about this and realized I already had.  Changing channels fits with the theme of other recent articles advocating unpredictability in the attack. 


As we have progressed through the spring season we have installed more and more of our system of play. The past couple of weeks we have focused on flank play utilizing wing midfielders and wing defenders. These players typically man the outside channels.

A channel extends the length of the field from end line to end line although typical channel play takes place between the 18's.  Dependent on who you ask there are either 3 or 4 channels on the pitch.  The two outside channels and either one or two channels through the middle of the pitch. I prefer to think of the pitch divided into 4 channels as this matches well with zonal back 4 so prevalent in today's game.

Anyone who has played basketball knows a key to defeating a zone defense is to overload one side of the court creating numbers up situations that forces the defense to lose the shape it prefers.  The same holds true in soccer.

Our focus has been on overloading the wide channels by playing to flank players and running two other players toward the wings - some combination of forwards and center midfielders.   I like to run both forwards toward the flanks when possession is in the midfield area as this draws additional defenders wide and opens the center and weak side of the field. Early crosses into the center channels or even better, to the opposite wide channel can open seams to attack through when they catch defenses shifting.

Why play wide first?  Because it draws defenders from the space we ultimately wish to utilize - the center channels or the area in front of the face of the goal.

Sometimes it is advantageous to attack "straight" down the outside channels utilizing an outside back to engage defenders before dumping the ball in behind the defense for the wing or a forward to run onto. These "through" balls need to be played in a manner that affords your teammate the best opportunity to win the ball. Too often we see balls played too direct and with too much pace that opposing goalkeepers easily pick up. What about playing a flighted ball with backspin just beyond the defenders?  This will keep the ball away from the goalkeeper and the backspin will also serve to settle the ball back towards the teammate running onto it. Defenders often over run this type of serve and then are caught attempting to turn back to the ball allowing the forward and the ball to run by them.

Sometimes a defense will seek to press and put numbers up in the outside channel and nearest central channel. When this occurs we need to change the channel either via a drop and switch of fields or by a long diagonal cross. These long diagonal crosses should be played just over the head of the defender being isolated.  If the cross is going to the opposite wide channel it must be a flat diagonal cross over the outside defender on the weak side. 

Think of sitting in your family room with a group of people and the person in control of the remote keeps flipping channels every few minutes.  Each time you become interested in a show, he flips to something else.  Such behavior can really get on a persons nerves can't it?  Is the picture beginning to come in clearer?  Switching channels can serve to drive an opposing defense nuts just as flipping TV channels can drive people nuts!

Dennis Mueller's Daily Footwork Exercies.

Dennis Mueller had an Internet link to his Daily Footwork Exercises at one time.  The link I had is no longer working. If I find an active one I will post it here.

Daily Footwork Drill

FAST FOOTWORK

1. Inside Roll -- Roll the ball across your body from outside to inside with the inside and sole of the foot and stop the ball with the inside of the other foot.
2. Outside Roll -- Roll the ball across your body from inside to outside with the outside and sole of the foot and stop the ball with the inside of the same foot.
3. Side to Side Push-Pull -- Tap ball back and forth with inside of feet, push ball forward with one foot and pull it back the sole of the opposite foot.
4. Side to Side Step-On -- Roll ball to outside with the sole by stepping lightly on the ball, then tap ball back to the inside with the inside of the foot.
5. Side to Side Front Roll --Tap ball back and forth with inside of feet, push ball slightly forward then pull the ball across your body with the front part of the sole.
6. Pull Instep Push -- Push ball forward and pull it back with the sole, then tap ball forward with the instep of the same foot.
7. Pull a Vee -- Push the ball forward and pull it back the sole of the foot while turning and then take the ball with the inside of the same foot.
8. Pull & Take with Outside of Foot -- Push the ball forward and pull the ball back with the sole then push the ball diagonally forward with the outside of the foot.
9. Pull & Roll Behind -- Push the ball forward and pull the ball back with the sole of the foot then pass the ball behind the standing leg with the inside of the foot. Control the ball with the sole of the other foot. feet.
10. Pull turn --Push ball forward with one foot and pull it back with the other while turning toward ball and take the ball in the opposite direction with the inside of the first foot.
11. Inside of foot turn -- Push ball forward, move past ball and turn toward ball and take it with the inside of the foot in the opposite direction.
12. Outside of foot turn -- Push ball forward, move past ball and turn toward ball while taking it with the outside of the foot in the opposite direction.
13. Cruyff -- Push the ball forward, fake kick with inside of foot, but instead pull ball behind the standing leg and change directions.
14. Stepover Turn -- Push ball forward, step over ball with one foot, turn toward ball and take it in the opposite direction.
15. Full Sole Roll -- Roll the sole of one foot forward over the ball and to the outside so the ball stops against your heel. Turn and take the ball with the sole of the other foot with a Step-On.
16. Scissors -- Starting with the ball to one side, step over or in front of ball so that the ball ends up on the other side of you. Take theball in the opposite direction with the outside of the other foot and then stop ball with the sole of the first foot.
17. 360 -- Push ball forward, stop it with the sole of one foot while stepping past it, turn and drag ball back with sole of other foot, continue turning all the way around and take the ball with the inside of the first foot.
18. Kick Over ball -- Kick over ball with inside of foot then pull it back with the sole of the same foot.

Saper Vedere

 

 

Saper Vedere

 

Knowing How to See

 

This is a theme for my spring club team. So often young players here in the United States play with a primary focus of winning the soccer ball. So little consideration is given to ideas about what to do with the ball once it has been "won". This leads to turnovers or the creation of another 50 / 50 ball to be won. Curious this, why players work so hard to win the ball and then treat it as if it were the plague, eh?

So it is that we will spend the next few months reprograming the on-field thought process of our players.  My hope is to transform ball watchers into game observers. That we might progress from the closed singular thinking of one decision soccer based on winning the ball to an open minded creative and free flowing style of soccer based on anticipating the run of play through seeing multiple decisions ahead is the goal.

Know what you will do with the ball before your first touch on the ball.

Failing to prepare properly is preparing to fail.

Solve pressure as opposed to self-inflicting pressure because you don't have a action plan for when you gain possession of the ball.

Be a game watcher not a ball watcher.

These are some of the coaching phrases and points of empahsis we will be attempting to establish with our players in providing them with a broadened spectrum of knowledge based in learning to see the game differently.  We want to develop within them a deeper appreciation of the game by helping them learn to see more of the game being played about them.

Looking forward to the journey!

Playing quickly is all about allowing the ball to do the work for you.

Much has been written on these pages about playing quickly.  Playing fast actually has as much or more to do with the thought process as it does with actual physical speed. Learning to allow the ball to do the work for you is part of the maturation process youth soccer players go through.

The key is to give the ball and get the ball with efficiency limiting play to between 1 - 3 touches on the ball.

Holding onto the ball too long or taking excessive touches serves to draw defenders to you and allows others to organize their defense around you. Chances of losing possession of the ball increase expotentially with each successive touch taken. Excessive touches can also kill an attack by turning teammates into spectators. If a player is unwilling to pass the ball his teammates will become unwilling to put forth efort to prepare to receive the ball from that player. This stagnates the attack..

The key to quick play is being prepared to receive the ball at all times. Moving without the ball so as to be in the vision of the teammate about to receive the ball provides options. Having options for play leads to creativity and unpredictability in our play. Body positioning with hips open to the ball and as much of the field as possible before receiving is a king consideration. Having a plan for playing the ball before you receive it is essential. This will allow you to play the ball in one or two touches or take space if it is available.

In short, quick play in soccer is all about preparation to get and give the ball.  Purposeful off the ball movement allows for the ball to be moved quickly. It is all about allowing the ball to do as much work as possible for you.  A simple tried and true demonstration can be used to illustrate this.  Have two of your fastest players, each with a soccer ball stand at the center line.  On command have one pass the ball to the top of the 18 and the other run with the ball at his feet to the top of the 18. The pass wins every time. 

If before you receive the ball you know you will have space to advance into, by all means take that space.  However, it is important to recognize the purpose of taking space is not only to advance the ball but also to engage defenders or the goalkeeper - that ultimately we take space to give up the ball via pass or shot. We should seek to purposefully engage a defender drawing him in and then release the ball via pass or shot just as they are about to close you down and attempt a tackle.

Just as excessive touches on the ball by an individual player can slow play and break the rhythm of the attack and even that of the game, a team that shares the ball utilizing a minimum of quick touches will play hard for one another and establish a tempo and flow that can frustrate opposing defenders.  When the ball is doing a lot of the work it is not necessary to have great physical speed to play soccer quickly. As Johan Cruyff said, "Soccer is a game that's played with the brain."  Preparation, the speed of thought, the decision-making process and quick skillful execution utilizing the least amount of touches possible are the keys to fast play.

REACT & RID - Poor First Touch

I am resurrecting a feature focusing on coaching yourself in the game.  Each day we will look at a frequently encountered mistake in the U13-19 game and how the individual player can analyze and correct these mistakes in real time, in the immediate moments after the mistake or delayed after the game which we will refer to as RID.   We’ll call the feature itself, Recognition And Corrective Training or REACT for short.  The hope is to instill accountability for your play and provide you a means to accept responsibility for mistakes you make.  In the end, it's still up to you.


REACT moment.

Ball bounces too far away when attempting to receive the ball

Real Time:
Did I have a plan beyond being first to the ball?
Was I properly prepared to play the ball?
Did I extended the receiving foot to greet the ball and then draw it back to welcome the ball to me?

Immediate:
Remind yourself to take and release a breath as the ball approaches.
Remind yourself to welcome the ball and not confront it.
Extend your foot and draw it back a couple of times during the next dead ball situation. Do this on the half turn as well.

Delayed:
Practice receiving passes with pace against a kick back board or with a partner. Incorporate changing the path of the ball and your direction.  Focus on preparing to play before receiving. Know what you want to do with the ball before you receive it. I particularly like to place a player inside a small grid with benches laid on their sides along each side of the grid.  Pass the ball against, turn the ball on the reception and play it immediately against another bench.  Even better, of course, is to work this in a group of five players!

Five Golden Rules of Soccer

Previously we looked at the 10 Commandments of Soccer and the 7 Deadly Sins of Soccer  so I thought I would present the Five Golden Rules of Soccer today.  As with many rules, there might be exceptions, but these are good rules of thumb to keep in mind when playing.

1) The key to scoring is controlling the ball.

This is true from both the individual (first touch) and collective (possession) perspectives.

2) Make sure your teammates know where you are or can find you easily.

It's all about support.  Constantly ask yourself, "Where on the field do I need to be in the next 5 seconds?"

3) Don't dive in!

Is it ever wrong to play contain or delay defense?  Remember the cues for when to attempt a tackle: if the ball is between the attackers feet you can be beaten to either side.  Wait until the ball is outside of the attackers foot prints or he misplays it too far away from his feet.

4) Receive the ball away from Pressure.

Use your first touch to change the direction the ball moving it away from pressure and out of the pursuit path of the defender. Receive the ball across your body whenever possible.

5) Keep your photo album updated.

Don't get caught watching the ball or the action around the ball.  See the whole field.  Constantly survey the pitch to know where your teammates are, where available space is and any danger the opponents might present.

Key Considerations for Goalkeeping

There are four basic considerations for goalkeeping that help deterimine an individuals aptitude for the position.  The goalkeepers technical ability, his tactical understanding, his psychological ablity to deal with the demands of the position and his physical gifts.

Move. Control. Pass. Move.

A couple weeks ago during a discussion analyzing a teams play I made the following statement, "I don't know that they have the technical excellence to play possession soccer."  That comment has haunted me for several days. I awoke this morning with a better understanding of why.

Possession soccer is actually quite simple to play from the standpoint of technical skill.

Technically all a player must have in his arsenal are two basic skills he has been working on since his very first practices.  1) The ability to control the ball and 2) the ability to pass the ball. 

The picture of possession soccer many of us have involves a series of short secure passes that move the ball about the pitch quickly in a variety of directions. This description infers possession soccer is a slow probing style of attacking soccer. That does not have to be the case at all. The pace of play sessions I conduct at camps are all about possessing the ball at pace after all. In fact, we have achieved some very good results in increasing the pace of play with teams whose technical skill level could be described as average at best.

Why?

What goes round comes round.

They say, what goes round comes round.

Some years ago during a conversation with Steve Burns, then head men's coach at the University of Michigan I asked, "In what one area of the game would you like to see club and high school coaches do a better job of preparing players to play in college?"   Coach Burns' immediate response was "First touch."

This morning I was asked, "Given all the high school soccer you watch, what do you believe is the weakest part of the high school game?"  My immediate reply was, "Lack of intelligent attacking play."

As I reconsider both the question and my response several hours later I find I remain comfortable with my answer. No doubt Coach Burns was spot on with his reply and the quality of first touch remains an area in need of improvement in high school soccer.  In some ways that contributes to the lack of intelligent attack in the high school game. There are also many other factors between first touch and the finished product of intelligent attacking play. Still, when I consider the general state of the high school game in our area I find the style of play to be the biggest impediment to improved attacking play.

If you go out to watch nearly any youth soccer game it's all about the biggest, fastest, strongest (bfs) kids. It does not take a lot of skill to whack the ball up the field for that bfs kid to run on to. The vast majority of freshmen entering high school soccer are sorely lacking in basic soccer skills in part because of the kick and run style they have played through the youth ranks.

The first high school staff I was on recognized the weak skill sets kids coming into the program had and would spend their contact days in the summer trying to address this issue. The high school staff would conduct a week long mini-camp consisting of two 2 hour sessions M - F.  A couple of weeks later we hosted a team camp conducted by Graham Ramsay. Graham would hold 3 sessions a day M-Th with anywhere from 1 - 3 more sessions on Friday dependent on his travel plans.  By the time actual practices began, the kids had a huge head start on almost every other squad in the area. The team played a possession style that was instrumental in establishing a winning tradition and took the team to its only State-semi appearance.

Now it is some years later and the program does some fundamental skill work during the summer months but has also been participating in a team camp at a local college. This team camp involves a session or two of technical work but is largely based around playing two games a day against other teams attending the camp.  The high school program has been able to maintain its success but now plays a very direct game reminiscent of youth league bsf kick and run games.

On the one hand, it's easier just to work with the skill sets kids come to the program with. They play kick and run coming up through the youth ranks so instead of expending a lot of time and energy to improve or simply teach them sound fundamentals, why not just go with what they already know how to do? Less work on the part of coaching staffs and probably a lot less stress too.

When a kid does enter high school with a good skill set, they are often promoted directly to the varsity level.  Certainly not always, but often enough to consider it the norm. One of the oddest aspects of high school soccer is watching coaches try to turn skilled athletes into kick and run players. More often than not these days the skilled player is found at a forward position waiting to run onto "through balls" or "dump and runs" regardless of if their individual style, physical build or mental make up is suited to a forward position or not.

Where do the rare skilled players come from these days?  Club soccer teams where coaches take time to teach techniques, tactics and develop soccer IQ. Our local club has long defined its purpose as preparing kids to play high school soccer. The path we have followed has had strong emphasis on teaching fundamental technique, tactics and developing soccer IQ.  As I listen to feedback from players and parents this fall I get the sense many of the local high school coaches do not appreciate our efforts.  In general the high school coaches wish to restrict, restrain and simplify the players individual games. Thoughtful and intuitive play is largely eschewed for simple "pass the ball here" and "whack it forward" play devoid of thought or the freedom to take advantage of what an opponent leaves open. It amounts to taking the on-field decision making process away from players which in turn stifles creativity.

On the surface this is a risk aversion approach to attacking play, but upon closer inspection it is not. If a team attacks in the same manner every time it has possession, the attack becomes very predictable and easily game planned for.  It actually becomes a higher risk proposition as the attack goes against a defense prepared to defend against it. Then the reliance really does become on having the bsf players or better athletes.  This weaves us back around to the lack of intelligent attacking play that I cited earlier. If a team can vary its attack, be unpredictable, they become much more efficient on the attack. 

So, Coach Burns was definitely spot on regarding quality of first touch and by extension other fundamental techniques of the game. My answer is also spot on for what I address is how the lack of foundational skills has served to perpetuate the dump and run freeway soccer reliant on big, strong fast kids found in the youth ranks.

I'm not sure of the answer to this situation.  I have a suspicion if the high schools do not address some of the issues raised in this article the truly good players of high school age will drift away from playing for their school and choose to play for their club or academy teams year round.  That will hurt the high school game even more. 

Decison Making in Soccer continued

Over the last couple of days I have begun attempting to capture the decision making process in soccer and put it into words the layman can understand.In Friday's article, Decision making and it's impact on the game we explored some of the basic concepts of decision making in soccer before narrowing our focus to the decisions a player in possession of the ball must make.  Yesterdays article, More on Decision Making in Soccer  we began dissecting the faults in the actual process many players go through to reach a decision.  Today I will attempt to present a different way for layers to approach the decision making process when they are about to be in possession of the ball or wish to be in possession of the ball and how this impacts their decision making processes once actually in possession of the ball.

One of my pet peeves in soccer is the player who stands around waiting for someone to play him the ball or perhaps even worse, to play him through. This player is extremely predictable and easily defended. Another pet peeve is the player that moves for the ball only to "win it" or "receive it" then immediately aimlessly whack it away. There simply isn't much thought put into these decisions, is there?

So what should these players be doing?

The one thing I wished was taught better at a younger age is the concept that ball movement in predicated on off-the-ball player movement. When the ball moves with purpose their is a shared responsibility to maintain possession of it. The passer must deliver an accurate and properly weighted pass and the receiver must receive with a quality first touch. That's the simple version of shared responsibility in passing and receiving. It is a simplistic look at the decision making process when in possession of the ball as well. If only it were actually that simple.

Let's compare and contrast from the perspective of the player receiving or wining the ball.

First, the player is ball oriented meaning his focus is largely on the ball. He concentrates of seeing the ball, receiving or winning the ball and only then makes a decision on how to play the ball.. Many players utilizing this style of play end up self-inflicting pressure resulting in panicked play. After gaining possession of the ball the player will attempt to discern the correct play to make. If his teammates are playing in he same manner as he is - watching the ball and not moving purposefully - he onus is on this players to maintain possession of the ball, likely having to shield it from an opponent(s) and trying to find someone to pass to. In short, this player is doing far more than his share of the work.

Now let's look at a player who is game oriented. Yes, there is still a focus on the ball but before this player receives the ball he has positioned himself in the best possible manner to do so. The decision on how to do this comes from being a game observer. He will have positioned himself with his hips open to as much of the field as possible. This player will have a plan fort where and how he wants to play the ball next before his first touch on the ball.  Now, if his teammates are playing in the same manner, one or more will have been moving into this players field of vision before this player ever touches the ball allowing this player to make a decision on where to play the ball next and how it should be played. The likelihood of a good decision being made increases exponentially in this sequence of play as does the probability of a quality first touch and and well executed play to follow.

Instead of self-inflicting pressure this second player provides himself with more time to make decisions and more space to play in even when the actual physical confines in which he must play are not significantly enhanced. It is the preparation and planning ahead of time that makes the difference for him.

It is clear which decision making process is the better of the two.  It is a shame we do not train young players better on the proper way to make decisions on the field. It is perhaps the greatest weakness in the American soccer culture.

More on Decision Making in Soccer

Much of yesterdays focus was on the decisions that need to be made when an individual is in possession of the ball.  As I re-read that article I decided the next natural progression is to take a look at how to make those decisions. Training players in the art of decision making is perhaps most overlooked facet of the game here in the United States.  I would like to change that even it it is one camp at a time.

A significant part of the problem is the emphasis placed on winning youth soccer matches. In recreational leagues winning is often fueled by the coaches need to win to prove his worth as a coach. Parents certainly get caught up with winning as this seems to somehow validate their child's rank at the head of his class? I am not against winning, per se.  No, I am against winning at the expense of proper development. What does this have to do with decision making in the game of soccer?

Glad you asked!

At the youngest and most basic levels of the game it is often the biggest, strongest, fastest kids that dominate through natural ability. Even as the players grow older and the level of play advances play often remains pretty much the same. Teams look to "play through" fast forwards in pursuit of goals. It is dump and run soccer. It also limits the decision making process by all but eliminating other choices or options. The method of attack when in possession of the ball becomes very predictable thereby actually increasing the risk factor with every successive through ball played.

I refer to the thought process behind this style of soccer as "See ball. Win ball. Whack ball."

Okay, at the better levels of club and high school soccer it is more than that, but often times not much more. When conducting speed or pace of play camps for teams I attempt to redefine the way most players think the game. Even though see ball, win ball, whack ball has three parts it is basically one decision soccer. What I mean by this is the decision for what to do with the ball is made when the ball has been won. I believe the key is to make the decision on how to play the ball before your first touch.

Once again, I am going to leave you the reader hanging as I want you to ponder the significance of timing in the decision making process.  Until tomorrow.....

The worst. Bet they would like to change that, eh?

 

Found this on the Internet at http://www.whoscored.com/Graphics/451/Show/Premier-League-2012-13-Most-Ineffective-XI

 

 

 

The lowest rate of success on passes by a central midfielder is 72%. 

 

On my current U17 Boys spring team I would venture to say I have no more than 4 of 18 players who have a success rate at 70% of higher.  A majority might be on the wrong side of 50%. 

 

If you have followed along with the posts covering our season you will appreciate we have worked consistently and constantly on preparing to play which I believe is the king consideration both in playing quickly and in playing accurately. 

 

Breaking down old habits to establish new, better habits is a challenging task. Slow and steady must be the course.  Those players that have been with the team for more than one season are generally, but certainly not always, further along in the process.  I believe all are improve albeit each at his own pace in accordance with his own acceptance of the need to change, You know what they say about change,  It is constant in he world. You either modify your dreams and magnify your skills or you will find yourself reminiscing about the past as the world passes you by.

Coaches need to pay attention to the details of the process too.

I am constantly reading, watching and learning about the game of soccer. Over and over again I am struck by the smallest of details in the process of coaching and playing the game. Today I want to look at the technical aspect of this by taking a well known exercise and tweaking it just a bit to enhance it.

I do not recall exactly when I first saw this exercise although it seems to me it was at a licencsure or diploma course from my early days in coaching soccer.  The exercise is typically called the Dutch Diamond and is employed as a warmup. It's the simple type of exercise that offers repetitive touches and serves to develop muscle memory.  Like any exercise worth the time to use it comes with coaching points. In this case, preparing to play, quality of first touch and the correct execution of a push pass.  There is also movement after the pass although it is not necessarily game related in the simplest version of this exercise.

Using four cones set up a 20 yd x 20 yd grid and divide the players between the four cones.
Begin with one ball being passed around the outside of the grid. 
The touch sequences are all 2 touch and begin coutner clockwise with right / right,  then right / left. Change directions to clockwise utilizing left / left and left / right touches on the ball.
Pass and follow.

Simple and useful exercise when executed properly.  The coaching points listed above can help improve upon it. The video linked below illustrates a very simple means to drive those coaching points home even more effectively.  It's a quite simple tweak of the exercise.

Breaking Lines  (Thanks to Randy at soundsoccerdotcom)

I add 2 cones to each corner forming a "L" or "V" shape dependent on abilities. In this manner we can perform all 4 sequences without resetting. By adding two cones to each corner a greater emphasis is placed on preparing to play (receiving across the body) and quailty of first touch (pushing the ball across and break the line to lead into the second touch)

The after pass movement portion is still not as game related as I would like it to be so I continued tinkering with possible progressions.  What I came up with was to have the passer make a diagonal run through the center of the grid instead of following their pass (a sometimes useful play in-game, but one we over-emphasize in skill exercises, imo).  For the purposes of this warmp exercise that the players will be merely exchanging positions between two diagonal corners as opposed to circling the grid matters little as the touches are the same at all four corners.

REACT & RID for December 14, 2012

REACT moment for December 14, 2012

Have trouble gaining separation from defender and with receiving under pressure.

Real Time:
Did I remember to keep myself between the defender and the ball.
Did I "check away" or drag the defender away from where I wanted to receive?
Did I "check to" or go to meet the ball?
Did I receive sideways on so I could execute a self-pass?

Immediate:
When next receiving the ball under pressure make sure you know where the defender is by making light physical contact with him.
Get the defenders momentum started away from where you wish to receive.
Know before you ever touch the ball how you will solve the pressure you feel. Self-pass, change the path of the ball away from pressure

Delayed:
Play the ball against a kick-back wall or bench and practice receiving with a self-pass.
Play the ball against a kick-back wall or bench and practice using your first touch to change the path of the ball away from pressure.
Add a partner to the above exercises to add "live" pressure.  Pressure should be light to begin with and gradually increase as confidence is gained in receiving under pressure.
The above activities work great with 3 people - a passer, a receiver and a defender.

REACT & RID for November 15, 2012

REACT moment for November 15, 2012

This one will look at returning the oars in the row the boat motion.

Have trouble controlling chest traps

Real Time:
Did I have my arms pulled back before contact with the ball?
Did I return the oars (extend the arms) as the ball made impact?
Were my arms extended too soon?

Immediate:
At the next dead ball practice returning the oars.  Row the boat and then return the oars.  Feel the extended chest concave as the arms are extended.

Delayed
Toss the ball in the air and receive it off your chest usingthe  proper motion of returning the oars.  Practice this with a partner serving a thrown ball.  Progress to fielding a punted ball from a short distance.