Team Shape

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

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

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

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

TEAM SHAPE

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ball Movement is Predicated on Player Movement.

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

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

Clear concise effective Communication

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

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

Techniques determine the plays and the plays determine the game.

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

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

Pace of play is all about brain power.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Style of Play?

I have not posted video of our club team because I do not have any to post.  It would be impossible to coach and run a camera at the same time.  Parents want to watch their children play. We operated on a shoe string budget with no extra money to hire someone to tape our matches.

However ... if you would like to see what our style of play looks like watch the MLS Columbus Crew SC play this (2015) season.  Coach Gregg Berhalter's team is running "our" system right down to the minutest details.

It is both secure defensively and dynamic on the attack. To say I am excited by what I have seen from the Crew in their first two matches would be an understatement.  They have brought for enthusiasm previously unknown to me for MLS soccer.  If they remain healthy and continue to play as they have thus far I think this season will be a very special one for the Crew!

Watch as the backs remain tight and usually within their 18 when defending.  Then note as the outside backs release and the spacing between center backs widens as the team transitions to attack.  One of the holding midfielders stays central, slightly advanced of the two center backs and is a primary facilitator in both transition to attack and building an attack. The action in front and up top is very fluid with an emphasis on target play, multiple switches on the point of attack and some direct play mixed in to keep the opposing defense honest. 

It is what we refer to as Sun Tzu soccer at its best.

“For should the enemy strengthen his van, he will weaken his rear; should he strengthen his rear, he will weaken his van; should he strengthen his left, he will weaken his right; should he strengthen his right, he will weaken his left. If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak.”

The idea is not to merely create scoring chances, but to have any player on the pitch capable of being a threat to score. When this happens it stresses a defense to the breaking point.  The Crew have demonstrated an adept ability to do this thus far.  They are absolutely peppering the opponents goals and the shots are being generated by multiple players from varied spots on the pitch.  Beautiful soccer!

Using 4 v 1 to develop basic possession fundamentals

Just when I think I have camp curriculum set a team will present a bit different problem for me to help them solve. Such was the case twice this summer when I found a need to adapt our standard camp fare to more appropriately fit the needs of teams we were working with. In both instances we were looking at increasing pace of play utilizing a possession style.

When working with a group for the first time I prefer to have game film from the previous season to review. I also rely heavily on their coach's description of play including their strengths and weaknesses. Even with decent prep work before beginning camp there are times when we need to adjust on the fly as we seek to establish a baseline we can start from. I often fall back on 4 v 1 as an evaluation and teaching exercise to accomplish this.

I consider 4 v 1 with the attackers on the outside of the grid and the defender inside the grid to be the most basic of possession games that also allows for the teaching of proper touch sequences, establishment of proper angles, vision, decision making and rhythm.

In most instance a 10 yard by 10 yard grid is appropriate to begin this exercise in. It is important to establish immediately that players should be positions along the sides of the grid and not in the corners. If you have the luxury of field space and striping equipment circles ban be even better to play "in" than a squared grid with players moving along the sides of the circle to establish passing angles. 

I really like this exercise to reinforce and give practical application to the two touch sequences of play - Right/Right, Right/Left, Left/Left and Left/Right. If there is a need introduce these sequences you might wish to utilize the breaking lines warm up exercises before moving on to 4 v 1.  I prefer each station work on the same sequence of touches at the same time. A basic element in the proper sequence of touches is found in receiving the ball across your body to the "back" foot. We call this being a back footed player.

When playing 4 v 1 it is essential for potential receivers of the ball to slide along their side of the grid in order to establish the proper angle to receive the ball on the back foot.  One of the rules of thumb that can be emphasized and reinforced while playing 4 v 1 is that when the ball carrier is under pressure teammates need to move closer to him.  The ball carriers eyes will be on the ball at his feet and under actual game conditions his attention might be on shielding the ball from the opponent. Moving closer, while making the playing area smaller allows for the larger angles necessary to safely pass the ball while also allowing the receiver to remain a back footed player.

A basic truth for receiving and passing the ball is that ball movement is predicated on player movement. While we are merely asking players to slide along the sides of the grid this is nonetheless an essential part of the exercise and a building block for the dynamic runs you want to see in games. This is one of the foundations for "being in your teammates vision early"  and "knowing your play with the ball before your first touch."

What we are discussing is properly preparing to play the ball before your first touch on the ball. Setting yourself up to be a back footed player is an example of one fundamental way to accomplish this. In being a back footed player your hips will be open to as much of the field as possible providing you with good sightlines to teammates and allows them to be in your vision early. It is important to stress the necessity for players to be game watchers instead of ball watchers.

As game watchers we can increase both the quality and the rate of our decision making which in turn allows us to establish a rhythm to our attacking play. Remember, attacking soccer is all about rhythm while defending is all about disrupting rhythm. We use rhythm to manipulate the opponents defense in order to create seams to penetrate to goal through.