We devote a lot of time on this site to creating situations that are advantageous to the team. A colleague refers to this as accumulating assets. I told him I like that nomenclature and was stealing it to use with my programs. Hey, it's what we coaches do - borrow / steal from one another! lol
The ball carrier engaging a defender to create a 2 v 1 situation against that defender with a teammate. The Cues for Combination Passing are based on this action. When defending we look to establish pressure on the ball and cover in the diagonally forward passing lanes as soon as possible, especially when the Cues for Pressing are present.
It is said, the best pass in soccer is one that successfully defeats multiple opponents - the more opposition players eliminated, the better. It was with these ideas in mind that a former player asked if there was a type of pass I would consider to be the worst pass to make.
Hmm... I had not thought about passing from this perspective, but one type of pass came immediately to mind. The square pass, especially in our own half of the field and executed by backs. A square pass that is intercepted immediately eliminates two of our players from the action. The intercepted square pass is instant quick counter to goal. In this context, a poorly executed square pass puts the opposition numbers up in our defending third. Yikes!
Welcome to the web home of Conceive Believe Achieve Soccer. We specialize in conducting high school team camps. This website began as a means to promote our camps and keep campers informed of upcoming opportunities. There are now over 650 articles archived here. Use the search function in the right hand column below to find ones on topic for you. You may contact us at coachtjbrown@gmail.com or 567-204-6083 Thanks for visiting!
Showing posts with label cues for combination passing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cues for combination passing. Show all posts
Monday
Holes
Several years ago I was in a coaching course and heard a clinician talk about recognition of holes to pass through. Recently, the topic came up again on a soccer coaches forum I frequent. To be honest, I had forgotten about numerically designating the holes available to either run or pass through in the passing game. I have always taught the principles involved but never used an associated numerical coaching phrase to communicate what it is I wanted to see. Much as American pointy football has holes to designate gaps between offensive lineman, the same ideas can be applied to some extent in soccer.
First of all, it is important to recognize the game situations when terminology concerning passing / running holes can apply. There are two basic situations and each uses the terminology bit differently so we will look at this from two different perspectives.
The first designations are used in numbers up situations where 2 or more attackers have isolated a defender. We cover this in Cues for Combination Passing without using "the hole" terminology.
The one hole is utilized when the run and pass are made to the same side of the isolated defender.
The two hole is utilized when the run is to one side of the isolated defender while the pass is made to the opposite side of the isolated defender.
The second situation when designating holes can be useful is in attacking zonal systems of play. In this case the holes are designated as follows:
One hole: The gap between the two center backs
Two hole: The gap between the LCB and the LD
Three hole: The gap between the RCB and the RD
Four hole: The gap between the LD and the left touchline
Five hole: The gap between the RD and the right touchline
In my opinion these designations are best utilized when teaching the cues for combination passing or when teaching the patterns specific to beating a zonal back line. They can also be used in strategic discussions during final pregame talks or at halftime of matches. During the course of play I believe these designations are used more as sight "reads" than they are as actual verbal communication.
First of all, it is important to recognize the game situations when terminology concerning passing / running holes can apply. There are two basic situations and each uses the terminology bit differently so we will look at this from two different perspectives.
The first designations are used in numbers up situations where 2 or more attackers have isolated a defender. We cover this in Cues for Combination Passing without using "the hole" terminology.
The one hole is utilized when the run and pass are made to the same side of the isolated defender.
The two hole is utilized when the run is to one side of the isolated defender while the pass is made to the opposite side of the isolated defender.
The second situation when designating holes can be useful is in attacking zonal systems of play. In this case the holes are designated as follows:
One hole: The gap between the two center backs
Two hole: The gap between the LCB and the LD
Three hole: The gap between the RCB and the RD
Four hole: The gap between the LD and the left touchline
Five hole: The gap between the RD and the right touchline
In my opinion these designations are best utilized when teaching the cues for combination passing or when teaching the patterns specific to beating a zonal back line. They can also be used in strategic discussions during final pregame talks or at halftime of matches. During the course of play I believe these designations are used more as sight "reads" than they are as actual verbal communication.
Execution is the key.
Here we go.
Based on the assumption you will deploy 2 holding midfielders and a lone attacking midfielder what will be required of the outside backs in a 4-2-3-1 is largely predicated on what you ask of your outside midfielders.
Movement without the ball
1) Shared responsibility for the element of width between outside backs and outside midfielders.
2) Outside backs key their forward movement on the movements of their outside midfielder.
3) If the outside midfielder remains in the outside channel the outside back is in a support role.
4) The exception to #3 is if the overlapping run is available to the outside back.
Cues for the Overlap Combination Pass
a) The ball carrier can face the opponents goal
b) There is space between the ball carrier and the nearest defender.
c) There is space behind the defender to overlap into.
How to execute the Overlap Combination Pass
a) The outside back initiates the sequence by passing the ball to be played across his outside midfielders body while calling out "Hold!"
b) The outside midfielder engages the defender by taking touches on the ball in toward the center of the pitch.
c) The outside back bends his run to the outside and calls "NOW!" when he wants the ball passed to him.
d) The outside midfielder delivers the ball into near space for the outside midfielder to run on to.
This return pass is played either via a back foot push pass or using the outside surface of the lead foot and is delivered just forward of square and down the line.
5) If the outside midfielder makes a central diagonal run, the outside back then makes the outside flank run to maintain the element of width in the attack. This run may be instant or delayed and can lead the outside back all the way into the final third of the field for a cross or shot.
The outside backs on my teams assist on a lot of goals and score a lot of goals themselves.
Other Considerations
The outside backs must read two other cues to determine their movements forward.
6) The positioning of the opposing forwards
a) If the opposing forward withdraws with the forward run of the outside back there are no worries.
b) If the opposing forward remains high, do we have enough defenders back to deal with the threat of a quick counter attack against us?
7) What is the positioning of the opponents center midfielders?
Dependent on these reads we might push both outside backs forward.
If there are opposing forwards remaining high to contend with, we will push one forward with the other holding with the center backs.
Or we may release one outside back with the other moving into the hole centrally dependent on the opponents center midfielders.
Dependent on when the ball is played to the outside back he will have a few options for play to consider.
A) If the outside back wins possession of the ball or is the recipient of the SAFE PASS he should look to play to the feet of the target player checking back to the ball.
If the target is not available, then the safest diagonally forward pass should be made.
a) Can this be a diagonally forward pass through the midfield to initiate a change of field?
Another option is to initiate a change of fields through the back line or as a last result through his Goalkeeper.
B) If the outside back receives the ball in the middle third of the field can he drive a diagonal ball toward the opposite side of the field.
If this ball is on the ground it should be made to a second runner cutting diagonally from the opposite side of the pitch. This player may well be the weak side outside mid or it could be a central midfielder.
If this ball is flighted it will be to the teams opposite outside midfielder OR if that player has made an inside diagonal run it will likely be to the teams other outside back making the flank run referenced above.
We do not want to make this last option a standard of play but it is good to use as a change up. Remember the diagonal ball played across the field? It is the first runner who we bypassed that makes a line or flag run out in front of the outside back / ball carrier. Playing the ball line or dumping it forward into the channel is an option for play.
C) If the outside back receives the ball in the final third of the field he has a variety of options based on how he came to be in this situation.
The first option in the final third is always to shoot the ball.
The next option is to advance the ball to an area from where the shot can be taken
The third option is to pass the ball to a teammate who is open and can take a shot
This may well be in the form of a cross, but doesn't have to be in the conventional sense.
If he has followed the outside midfielder (or another attacking player) forward in a support role he makes himself available for a drop pass and then makes the reads listed directly above to determine his course of action.
If he is arriving as the weak side width element he positions himself so he can make a run on goal going from the corner of the 18 through the corner of the 6 to the back post. Corner, Corner, Post.
If he arrives in the final third as a weak side player in support of the weak side outside midfielder the back may need to make the inside diagonal run to the face of goal.
OR
The back may be asked to remain slightly withdrawn from the final third to sweep up the garbage. Both his own central midfielders and the opposing central midfielders are the read for this action.
Okay, I shared the basic information. I hope it somehow finds its way into the proper hands / minds.
Based on the assumption you will deploy 2 holding midfielders and a lone attacking midfielder what will be required of the outside backs in a 4-2-3-1 is largely predicated on what you ask of your outside midfielders.
Movement without the ball
1) Shared responsibility for the element of width between outside backs and outside midfielders.
2) Outside backs key their forward movement on the movements of their outside midfielder.
3) If the outside midfielder remains in the outside channel the outside back is in a support role.
4) The exception to #3 is if the overlapping run is available to the outside back.
Cues for the Overlap Combination Pass
a) The ball carrier can face the opponents goal
b) There is space between the ball carrier and the nearest defender.
c) There is space behind the defender to overlap into.
How to execute the Overlap Combination Pass
a) The outside back initiates the sequence by passing the ball to be played across his outside midfielders body while calling out "Hold!"
b) The outside midfielder engages the defender by taking touches on the ball in toward the center of the pitch.
c) The outside back bends his run to the outside and calls "NOW!" when he wants the ball passed to him.
d) The outside midfielder delivers the ball into near space for the outside midfielder to run on to.
This return pass is played either via a back foot push pass or using the outside surface of the lead foot and is delivered just forward of square and down the line.
5) If the outside midfielder makes a central diagonal run, the outside back then makes the outside flank run to maintain the element of width in the attack. This run may be instant or delayed and can lead the outside back all the way into the final third of the field for a cross or shot.
The outside backs on my teams assist on a lot of goals and score a lot of goals themselves.
Other Considerations
The outside backs must read two other cues to determine their movements forward.
6) The positioning of the opposing forwards
a) If the opposing forward withdraws with the forward run of the outside back there are no worries.
b) If the opposing forward remains high, do we have enough defenders back to deal with the threat of a quick counter attack against us?
7) What is the positioning of the opponents center midfielders?
Dependent on these reads we might push both outside backs forward.
If there are opposing forwards remaining high to contend with, we will push one forward with the other holding with the center backs.
Or we may release one outside back with the other moving into the hole centrally dependent on the opponents center midfielders.
Dependent on when the ball is played to the outside back he will have a few options for play to consider.
A) If the outside back wins possession of the ball or is the recipient of the SAFE PASS he should look to play to the feet of the target player checking back to the ball.
If the target is not available, then the safest diagonally forward pass should be made.
a) Can this be a diagonally forward pass through the midfield to initiate a change of field?
Another option is to initiate a change of fields through the back line or as a last result through his Goalkeeper.
B) If the outside back receives the ball in the middle third of the field can he drive a diagonal ball toward the opposite side of the field.
If this ball is on the ground it should be made to a second runner cutting diagonally from the opposite side of the pitch. This player may well be the weak side outside mid or it could be a central midfielder.
If this ball is flighted it will be to the teams opposite outside midfielder OR if that player has made an inside diagonal run it will likely be to the teams other outside back making the flank run referenced above.
We do not want to make this last option a standard of play but it is good to use as a change up. Remember the diagonal ball played across the field? It is the first runner who we bypassed that makes a line or flag run out in front of the outside back / ball carrier. Playing the ball line or dumping it forward into the channel is an option for play.
C) If the outside back receives the ball in the final third of the field he has a variety of options based on how he came to be in this situation.
The first option in the final third is always to shoot the ball.
The next option is to advance the ball to an area from where the shot can be taken
The third option is to pass the ball to a teammate who is open and can take a shot
This may well be in the form of a cross, but doesn't have to be in the conventional sense.
If he has followed the outside midfielder (or another attacking player) forward in a support role he makes himself available for a drop pass and then makes the reads listed directly above to determine his course of action.
If he is arriving as the weak side width element he positions himself so he can make a run on goal going from the corner of the 18 through the corner of the 6 to the back post. Corner, Corner, Post.
If he arrives in the final third as a weak side player in support of the weak side outside midfielder the back may need to make the inside diagonal run to the face of goal.
OR
The back may be asked to remain slightly withdrawn from the final third to sweep up the garbage. Both his own central midfielders and the opposing central midfielders are the read for this action.
Okay, I shared the basic information. I hope it somehow finds its way into the proper hands / minds.
Wednesday
Planning Practices for Success
One of the questions we are frequently asked is how to train a team for a specific formation and system of play. In my opinion, this is the king consideration to having a successful season, especially in a high school setting. Ohio limits the number of contact days a coach can have with his players out of season and once regular season play gets under way there is precious little time for instruction between preparing for a match, the actual match and a recovery day following the match.
Establishing continuity in your training while also maintaining skill level and addressing tactical concerns is a balancing act many coaches struggle with. Mastering this is also the single most important key to a successful season. My approach is to decide on a formation and system of play then analyze the key tactical components of play that will be required to execute successfully within this framework. Call it reverse engineering of a soccer system of play, if you will.
I then build my season long training themes around these ideas. Using this past spring season as an example I knew the technical components that would be most emphasized in our play were the push pass, crossing the soccer ball and running with the soccer ball. Therefore all technical training throughout the season was grounded in these three areas.
Some type of sequence of touches work was done daily and incorporated into preparation for matches, pre game warm ups and touches on recovery days. The sequence of touches I am referring to involves 2 touch play. Receive with the right foot and pass with the right foot is considered to be Right / Right or R/R. The four sequences of touches are therefore R/R, R/L, L/L and L/R. Breaking lines and its variations were staples of our training as warm up exercises.
Warming up for what?
Playing soccer utilizing a specific system of play, of course. So, the tactical application of the techniques we worked on in warm ups took center stage in our play in practice. From small side games through full sided work we emphasized the sequence of touches. It is critical to receive across the body when utilizing any of the four sequences of touches as this is the basis of combination passing. In fact, the cues for knowing when a specific combination pass is on are often triggered by the receiver's ability to receive the ball across his body.
Combination passing infers the ability to interchange positions so this becomes a central focus in our small-sided and full-side practice play as well. We did a lot of 3 team scrimmaging work to emphasize the four elements of play - Penetration, Depth, Width and Mobility. An example would see 3 teams of 6 players each. Two are active inside an appropriate sized grid with the third team in-waiting around the grid. Upon a team successfully competing "X" number of passes inside the grid they would play to the team outside. Those two teams then interchange positions - the team inside the grid moving to the outside and the team on the outside moving to the inside of the grid. Play is continuous.
Target play and flank play were two of the main tactical themes of our formation and system of play so we built on the above referenced possession game by dividing the squad into two teams. We utilized a large grid of approximately 44 yards wide by 50 yards long. On the top or 44 yard ends we positioned target players and along each side we positioned flank players for each side. No defense allowed outside the grid to begin with. We built this game into allowing targets and wings to interchange (Mobility) with players inside the grid both with and without the ball. This provided us with a realistic depiction of the sometimes chaotic world of spine play and the importance of target play (Penetration) and flank play (Width) to provide space for and allow the spine players room to maneuver in the middle of the pitch. Add in goalkeepers or a defender with the targets and you have Depth. covered as well.
There is continuity of technique and tactical emphasis throughout these progressions that all applies directly to the formational alignment and system of play we utilized. Were there other areas of concern, technical and tactical, that cropped up during the season? Of course, but we incorporated addressing them into the continuity of our practice activities.
With so much active play in our practices we also address the physical aspects of play. One of the best ways to condition for playing a game is ... to play the game! We used a lot of small-sided and full-side team play to condition us for actually playing and by staying consistent with our practice and playing themes we addressed the psychological (confidence) aspects of play as well. We had a plan. We stuck to it and as a result as the players improved their confidence grew. As did the success of our season. 47-8-5 speaks for itself, doesn't it?
Establishing continuity in your training while also maintaining skill level and addressing tactical concerns is a balancing act many coaches struggle with. Mastering this is also the single most important key to a successful season. My approach is to decide on a formation and system of play then analyze the key tactical components of play that will be required to execute successfully within this framework. Call it reverse engineering of a soccer system of play, if you will.
I then build my season long training themes around these ideas. Using this past spring season as an example I knew the technical components that would be most emphasized in our play were the push pass, crossing the soccer ball and running with the soccer ball. Therefore all technical training throughout the season was grounded in these three areas.
Some type of sequence of touches work was done daily and incorporated into preparation for matches, pre game warm ups and touches on recovery days. The sequence of touches I am referring to involves 2 touch play. Receive with the right foot and pass with the right foot is considered to be Right / Right or R/R. The four sequences of touches are therefore R/R, R/L, L/L and L/R. Breaking lines and its variations were staples of our training as warm up exercises.
Warming up for what?
Playing soccer utilizing a specific system of play, of course. So, the tactical application of the techniques we worked on in warm ups took center stage in our play in practice. From small side games through full sided work we emphasized the sequence of touches. It is critical to receive across the body when utilizing any of the four sequences of touches as this is the basis of combination passing. In fact, the cues for knowing when a specific combination pass is on are often triggered by the receiver's ability to receive the ball across his body.
Combination passing infers the ability to interchange positions so this becomes a central focus in our small-sided and full-side practice play as well. We did a lot of 3 team scrimmaging work to emphasize the four elements of play - Penetration, Depth, Width and Mobility. An example would see 3 teams of 6 players each. Two are active inside an appropriate sized grid with the third team in-waiting around the grid. Upon a team successfully competing "X" number of passes inside the grid they would play to the team outside. Those two teams then interchange positions - the team inside the grid moving to the outside and the team on the outside moving to the inside of the grid. Play is continuous.
Target play and flank play were two of the main tactical themes of our formation and system of play so we built on the above referenced possession game by dividing the squad into two teams. We utilized a large grid of approximately 44 yards wide by 50 yards long. On the top or 44 yard ends we positioned target players and along each side we positioned flank players for each side. No defense allowed outside the grid to begin with. We built this game into allowing targets and wings to interchange (Mobility) with players inside the grid both with and without the ball. This provided us with a realistic depiction of the sometimes chaotic world of spine play and the importance of target play (Penetration) and flank play (Width) to provide space for and allow the spine players room to maneuver in the middle of the pitch. Add in goalkeepers or a defender with the targets and you have Depth. covered as well.
There is continuity of technique and tactical emphasis throughout these progressions that all applies directly to the formational alignment and system of play we utilized. Were there other areas of concern, technical and tactical, that cropped up during the season? Of course, but we incorporated addressing them into the continuity of our practice activities.
With so much active play in our practices we also address the physical aspects of play. One of the best ways to condition for playing a game is ... to play the game! We used a lot of small-sided and full-side team play to condition us for actually playing and by staying consistent with our practice and playing themes we addressed the psychological (confidence) aspects of play as well. We had a plan. We stuck to it and as a result as the players improved their confidence grew. As did the success of our season. 47-8-5 speaks for itself, doesn't it?
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