Keep Your Shape vs. Crossing Lines

"Keep your shape" or utterances to that effect are common calls from coaches in youth soccer competitions. Most of the time, especially at younger ages, this implies staying in the teams formational shape; 1-4-3-3 or 1-4-4-2 as examples. In the older age groups the word shape becomes more synonymous with the word support.  Support (and balance) takes priority over formational shape as the latter becomes a bit more fluid.

Typically a formation will have three lines; backs, midfielders, forwards.  Dependent on how each line is employed there might be what we shall call "sub-lines" within each line.  For instance, in a 4-3-3 the midfield might be deployed in a triangle as 2 holding midfielders with an attacking midfielder in front of them.  The triangle shape might shift to one holding midfielder and two attacking midfielders but the players manning these positions stay with their "line."

The same is true of the back line where two center backs are often found flanked by two advanced wing backs.  In this case, the two advanced wing backs might appear to form a line with the holding midfielder(s), but their roles and responsibilities are still associated with the back line.  Similarly if two or more forwards are deployed one might be pushed forward as a target while another is slightly withdrawn.

"Stay in your position" is another call often heard at youth soccer contests.  It can mean the same thing as "keep your shape."  Often times when I watch youth soccer matches I see two teams in rigid formation moving up and down the pitch in synchronization. A picture of armies of the 1700's facing one another in rank and file across a battlefield comes to mind.

Now, I think shape or more specifically support is a critical element to team defending. The system employed behind the support strives to make an attack(er) predictable and therefore more easily defended.  This is sound soccer at any age or competition level.

If predictability of attack is a desired result of properly supported defending, then unpredictability is paramount to effective attacking.  This is where crossing lines comes into play.

In review, formations deploy 3 basic lines with possible sub-lines fielded within any or all lines.  Backs, midfielders, forwards.  When defending these lines define the teams formation.  All too often in the youth ranks they also define a teams attacking shape.  However, this makes the attack very predictable.

Crossing lines simply means a player moves from one line to or even better through another line.  The easiest way to depict this scenario is to picture a wing back moving up the field through the midfield line and into an attacking position abreast of the forward line.  The wing defender has crossed lines and therefore fundamentally changed the shape (or formation) that his team will attack in. If the responsibility for crossing lines from back to front in the formation / shape is shared amongst all backs this movement can prove to be unpredictable and extremely disruptive to the opponents maintaining their own shape or support system.

This movement is commonly defined as mobility, the fourth element to the game of soccer. In previous writings we have discussed the first three elements of the game of soccer; penetration, depth and width.  It is the mobility used to establish these elements that help define a teams attacking shape and the support within that shape.  More precisely it should be mobility between lines that defines a teams attacking shape and manipulates the defending shape of the opponent.

Crossing lines brings a fluidity to the game that rigid deployment in formation shape does not allow for.  In military terms it is akin to defending in a castle while an opponent uses speed and mobility to bypass the castle. In soccer terms, crossing lines adds another dimension to a teams ability to create numbers up situations to attack with. Think again of the wing defender. In front of him a midfielder engages a defender. The wing defender moves forward on the flank isolating that defender in a 2 v 1 situation.  Now the overlap combination passing sequence might be on or the defender might be set up to execute a wall pass / give and go sequence against. But the real value of mobility and crossing lines might be what is occurring on the backside of the opponents formation where your other wing defender might have freedom to run the flank all the way into the final third. Now, the opponents defense is stressed and under pressure of attack from both on-ball and off-the-ball threats on different fronts.

Crossing lines brings with it an element of danger when the ball is lost.  You will find teams that are adept at crossing lines when attacking filling their defensive shape from back to front regardless of originally assigned positions.  This is where pressing defenses come into play.  Upon losing the ball the nearest three defenders press to either win the ball back or slow the counter attack allowing teammates to reestablish shape behind the ball. Six seconds.  That is how long those pressing have to win the ball back. That is also how long teammates have to regain defensive shape behind the ball. 

In conclusion, one of the games within the game of soccer is the battle of Keeping your shape vs Crossing lines and the transitional phases of going from one to the other. 

Liberty Center 10 Evergreen 0

I like to check in with the teams I conduct camp for during their regular seasons to see if what we worked on has translated to their games.  Saturday morning found me making the trip to the Widewater Retreat Center to see the Lady Tigers of Liberty Center take on Evergreen Lady Vikings. I have conducted camp for Liberty Center the past two summers and was anxious to see if the progress made in camp would show itself in an actual game setting.

This is a young program, in their 4th year of varsity soccer, I believe. When I first camped with them in the summer of 2013 I found a group with little actual playing experience, but very eager and willing to learn. This summer I returned to find a group who had obviously worked hard under the guidance of head coach Billy Daniels.

The Tigers began the match in a 1-4-1-4-1 formation with striker Lexi Noll on top and attacking mid Candace Sayers in support.  The Vikings countered with a 3-5-2 formation played a bit unconventionally with the center defender advanced of two outside backs split wide. This aggressive attacking formation put the Tigers back on their heels initially as Viking forwards broke through time and again. Great pursuit angles utilized by the defenders and outstanding play in goal provided by Libby Ball kept the Vikings off the scoreboard.

Beginning at about the 10 minute mark the Tigers were able to begin exploiting the center of the Vikings defense mixing in attacking flank play for variation. Once the first goal went in the Tigers pounced repeatedly on other scoring opportunities.  I was pleased to see the ideas of penetration, depth, width and mobility in the Lady Tiger's attacking play. I was also pleased to see the sequences of two touch play we had worked on in evidence. Overall there was marked all round improvement from when I last saw the Liberty Center women play late last season.

While today's score was lopsided Evergreen had some good runs of play, especially early on. They threatened the Liberty Center goal on numerous occasions but just could not get one in.  Coach Daniels slowed the attack early in the second half seemingly calling for the Tigers to work on their possession game before looking to go to goal.  It was good to see the Vikings continue to work the full 80 minutes of play. That type of spirit will pay off as they build their program throughout this season.

Today's scorers were Candace Sayers and Lexi Noll each with a hat trick (3 goals a piece) while Courtney Taylor, Julianna Crockett, Davina Fredrick and Kris Keller each contributed a goal. Lexi Noll was also credited with 3 assists. Kirstin Daniels had 2 assists and Courtney Taylor 1. Libby Ball was credited with 11 saves and Lexi Noll with 2.

I am looking forward to returning to Liberty Center later on this season. Coach Billy Daniels and this young team are moving in the right direction in establishing a solid foundation to grow the program upon.

Best of Luck!

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?

MAP for Success

My eldest son taught me an invaluable lesson some years ago.  While in middle school Grant carried some "baby fat" as many boys do before the fully hit puberty.  I believe it was during his 8th grade year that he began to grow tall.  That summer Grant had to have a tonsillectomy.  Definitely not the way to spend ones summer when you are 14 years of age, but there was a side benefit - Grant shed all his baby fat and with the help of Tim & Tina Lones at F.A.S.T the transformation of his body in a few short months was astonishing.

Grant was blessed with average physical abilities. Not exceptional fast or quick his best attributes are strength and intelligence. That combination provided him with great endurance while on the pitch and provided me with the invaluable lesson I spoke of before.

You see, once in shape, Grant never stopped moving on the pitch. His movement was not that frenzied all out activity we sometimes see in players. No, Grant was simply in constant motion while on the pitch. Walking, jogging, loping, sprinting, backpedalling, shuffling... just constant movement.  Maybe most importantly, his eyes and mind were in constant motion as well which made Grant an intelligent player and directly impacted the quality of his physical movement on the pitch.

The lesson?

MAP for Success.

Motion
And
Participation

For

Success

Grant was a game watcher at an age when most of his peers were still ball watchers.  He had a coach at the U13 age level who made an indelible impression on him.  That coach underestimated Grant.  All he saw was a big kid who couldn't run well.  Then, in a game where Grant had been inserted as a left back, Grant made a run from his own half to the back post to an attempted shot off a cross.  The midfielders and forwards were nowhere to be found, but there was Grant at the back post.  That coach chastised the rest of the team scolding them that if Grant could get to that ball, then the mids and forwards should have been there too.  It was an overt reference to Grant's physical conditioning at the time.   I had watched the described action unfold and knew that Grant had not outran anyone to the back post. He had not been a blur of physical speed on the pitch, but his eyes and mind had allowed him to anticipate the play while his steady pace put him in position to make a play.

Grant's junior varsity teammates hated him.  Well, not really, but they did not like the "warm-up" runs Grant would lead them on as a Captain.  Several players and parents commenting on these runs stated something to the effect "Grant can run forever" and there was more than one suggestion that he should perhaps consider cross country as his sport of choice.

Grant made up for average physical quickness and speed with endurance.  Constant motion won out over short bursts time and time again and more so as the game progressed. Imagine if you will, a wing or a center mid never being substituted for in high school soccer.  That was Grant.

Grant knew at what pace he needed to move and when he needed to be somewhere on the pitch. He used his eyes and his mind in conjunction with his feet and lungs to rarely be out of position. It gave him a distinctive edge over those who simply saw the ball and moved accordingly.  Watch a youth... or even a high school soccer match... and take note of the players who are giving huge physical effort.  Note that when away from the ball they typically stand and watch.  When the ball comes near, when they believe they may have a chance to touch it, only then do they become active often times exerting tremendous physical energy. Then ask yourself, what if they had been in motion before that opportunity for a touch had begun to materialize? 

I like to frame that question in this manner;  What if that player were a game watcher instead of a ball watcher?

So it becomes a matter of timing the motion in pursuit of success.  Motion, or effort, alone are not enough to bring you consistent success.  One must participate fully in order to accentuate and take full advantage of ones movement. How one does so determines the consistency and measure of one's success... on the pitch and in life.

Some players are ball watchers and as such only fully participate in the game when the ball is near them.  They are content to watch their teammates and opponents play the game when the ball is away from them.  They enjoy success sometimes - they make a good defensive stop or score a goal but don't do so as often as their "talent" suggests they should.  We hear those players, their parents and casual bystanders make comments like, "when given a chance that kid is really good".  

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.

When not taking advantage of the full measure of one's resources scoring a goal or making a great defensive play is a lot like that blind squirrel finding a nut. All the physical gifts in the world sans intelligent effort will bring nothing more than inconsistent and limited success. Whereas intelligent usage of all available resources will lead to sustained excellence and reward... in soccer and in life.

The question becomes, do you wish to participate only when you personally have something to gain or will you participate in the full measure of the game?  Do you wish for a partial experience or will you immerse yourself in the entirety of the experience.  Do you want full reward or are you seeking only the limelight?

Motion - constant and consistent.  Predicated on what the eyes see and the mind interprets.

And

Participation - motion gets you to what you see. The more you see, the more you get to.  The more you get to, the more opportunities for success you will find for yourself and create for others.

Success - is found in direct proportion to the intelligent effort you give. One must constantly maximize all of one's resources to their fullest measure as consistently as they can.  This is the difference between spectating (ball watching) and participating (game watching and analyzing play).

For you kids out there today... imagine playing a video game with a broken button on your controller or being able to view only half the screen.  You may have some success, even spectacular success, but in a limited fashion.  Only by employing all your resources - a fully functioning controller and being able to see the complete picture can you maximize your success, right?

What goes into increasing pace of play?

Anyone following this blog has likely realized I have been studying ways to improve pace of play for high school players. In order to do so I have watched countless professional matches paying particular attention to individual players and teams who play with great pace in an attempt to identify and define what it is that allows them to do so. I think I finally have ideas sorted well enough to put them down in writing. At least I hope so for that is what I am going to attempt to do in this article.

I begin with a vision of what optimal pace of play might look like. This is not a realistic vision for the game for it fails to account for many things, defenders and changing the pace of play as examples. What if an entire team were to be successful using one touch play? That is, the team could maintain possession of the ball until it is scored with players only requiring one touch to move the ball about the pitch and into the goal.  

I think the pattern or sequence of play should look like this.

Vision
Communication
Preparation
Technique
Execution
Mobility

Vision is assessing all options before your first touch on the ball. Being a game watcher instead of being a ball watcher. Seeing the big picture of the game instead of the smaller picture around the ball. The player must know where the opponents are, where his teammates are and where available space is before he receives the ball.

Communication between teammates is essential. The player passing the ball, the player receiving the ball and all supporting players must vocalize what they see, their vision of the game about them. Non-verbal communication in the form of body positioning, eye-to-eye contact between players and hand signals are not only appropriate but required as well.

Preparation to make a play with the before actually receiving it is essential. This involves having active feet, establishing proper angles to receive the ball while keeping hips open to as much of the field as possible, checking to the ball, making a run into space ahead of the pass.

Technique refers to the action of the player receiving the ball. It can include one touch or multiple touches, shooting, passing, volleying, heading or dribbling. In this case, a one touch play where the technique is the first and only touch on the ball.

Execution refers to the decision-making process used to determine the appropriate technique to use and the success or lack thereof in applying that technique to the situation at hand. Together the Technical and Execution elements of play are referred to as skill, the ability to select and implement an appropriate and effective response from a range of possibilities.

Mobility is off-the-ball player movement. Once the ball is played away to a teammate, the passer must re-engage with the remaining nine teammates to provide intelligent support to the new receiver. It is important to be in the receiver’s vision before the receivers head goes down to play the ball. In most instances, the passer will need to anticipate where the receiver will next play the ball and move to support that action or perhaps one even further advanced. It is important to recognize that ball movement is predicated on player movement - players must move if they wish the ball to be passed to them. Check to the ball, make runs and so forth.

If we add an element of control to the process, we then have two-touch play.

Vision
Communication
Preparation
Control
Technique
Execution
Mobility

Control is simply a term I use to identify taking more than one touch on the ball. This does not necessarily mean the quality of first touch was poor only that more than one touch was required for the Technique and Execution to be fulfilled. The “extra” touches naturally slow the pace of play. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It is a possibility for play that exists – nothing more, nothing less.

Two touch play comes in four basic varieties. Right foot / Right foot combination. Right foot / left foot combination. Left foot / left foot combination or left foot / right foot combinations. These are actions of the receiver (first touch) transitioning to ball carrier / shooter / passer (second and succeeding touches).

These first two descriptions of play describe a fast paced brand of possession soccer that can be difficult to attain with great consistency in youth or high school soccer. Let’s be honest, it can be difficult to attain and sustain at any level of play, but that should not preclude us from striving to do so. 

What set me on this journey was the process of play I found existing in most youth soccer and high school matches. The sequence is out of order and because it is the pace of play is considerably slower. This is what I have found to be the norm:

Poor Preparation
Efforts to Control
Technique
Vision
Communication
Execution
Mobility.

Instead of being the first priority, Vision is found in the middle of the process after possession has been secured. Equally remiss is finding Communication in the latter part of the process. A fourth order of play leaving communication out entirely is about as slow as soccer can be played..

In identifying these four progressions of play, it is easy to discern great players play at levels 1 and 2 while lesser players are at levels 3 and 4. Think of it in terms of video games. One must complete the levels in order to progress through and ultimately win the game. It is my goal to put together a development curriculum that will by-pass or at least minimize the time spent on levels 4 and 3 and progress young players to the second and ultimately the first level in quicker fashion. Cheats for Proper Play if we wish to look at it in video game terms.

Part of my thought process involves reduction and minimization of the transition phase of the game and the number of times a team must regained possession of the ball in a match. In my mind, those are negative aspects of play. It is similar to the idea a team does not have to be great at playing balls out of the air, if they keep the ball on the ground. If we minimize the number of turnovers and resultant need to regain possession of the ball our quality of play should rise dramatically, yes?