Here in America, especially in our youth leagues the strategy would have been to forego the target players and play an immediate through ball most often resulting in a lost possession. By manipulating the defense through target play and drop passes before executing a through ball space was both preserved abd created to be utilized at the appropriate time.
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Showing posts with label target play. Show all posts
Showing posts with label target play. Show all posts
Wednesday
Watch this build up to a goal.
I have written often of the importance of target play as one means to manipulate a defense. Watch this build up to goal as the ball goes forward then back twice before being played through to the first player who strikes a tremendous volley. The value of the back or drop passes to hold the defenders cannot be emphasized enough.
Here in America, especially in our youth leagues the strategy would have been to forego the target players and play an immediate through ball most often resulting in a lost possession. By manipulating the defense through target play and drop passes before executing a through ball space was both preserved abd created to be utilized at the appropriate time.
Here in America, especially in our youth leagues the strategy would have been to forego the target players and play an immediate through ball most often resulting in a lost possession. By manipulating the defense through target play and drop passes before executing a through ball space was both preserved abd created to be utilized at the appropriate time.
Monday
Target Play
When teaching target play I try to keep things as simple as possible. I provide limited guidelines and allow the player to problem solve in-game. We then use a handful of training exercises that accentuate specific aspects of target play. In today's writing I am going to provide the guidelines and a more in-depth explanation of target play than I usually provide a player to help the reader gain the understanding playing and training for the position would otherwise provide.
My guidelines to target players are short, sweet and directly to the point:
1) Play back to goal.
2) Play the way you face.
3) Make a safe pass.
That's it.
I am a firm believer in providing limited guidelines then allowing the player to explore a position to the fullest extent his imagination will allow for.
To provide a written (or oral) explanation of positional responsibilities for a target player I think it best to do it by phase of play beginning with when his team is defending. More specifically we will begin with looking at the target's play when his team is in it's defending third of the field.
Defending Third
The target player must be available to receive the ball from a teammate. This involves facing his teammates with his back to the goal they will be attempting to score in. We see many the player who stand near the center line watching their teammates compete for and hopefully win the ball. Then they look to be played through. This is not target play. This is lazy, unimaginative and predictable play.
We want the target player to be constantly adjusting his position. Every time the ball moves on the pitch, the target player must also be in motion. The key consideration for the target player is to be in a clear line of sight of the teammate closest to the ball so that when that teammate secures possession the target is in his vision early. This will entail a lot of laterally movement on the pitch mixed in with limited vertical movement in establishing the clear line of sight.
Identify the type of defense you are going against. Zonal defenses and man marking defenses each provide slightly different problems to solve. For example, if man-marked the target player will need not only work to provide a clear line of sight to the teammate closest to the ball, but he will also need to gain separation from his mark in order to receive the ball cleanly. This will involve a lot of misdirection play on the target's part. Check away before checking to in the form of "V" cuts as an example. Against a zonal system defenders may not closely man-mark the defender preferring to stay in their zonal channel. The target will set up between lines - in front of the backs and behind the midfielders. This may change the defenders path to the ball from being in line with that of the target. If this is the case, the target will have to account for this in his movements so he can shield the defender from the ball as he would if tightly man-marked.
A secondary yet very important consideration is to keep the defender responsible for you from being in the clear line of sight to your teammate closest to the ball. Make the defender choose between watching you and watching the ball. You may choose to play off to the side of the clear line of sight before bending off a check back run to the clear line of sight. You might decide to play behind the defender, even in an offside position, before checking into and back through the clear line of sight to your teammate closest to the ball,
Upon receiving the ball, and especially so when under defensive pressure, it is critically important for the target to play the way he faces. The drop pass is the currency of value in target play. Picture in your mind the target player checking back in the line of sight of his teammate closest to the ball. A (pressure) defender is in close pursuit. A good defensive team will have cover (and balance) being provided behind the pressure defender. In effect 2 to 3 defenders will be stepping in the same direction the target is checking back in.
This is the manipulation of the defense target play is designed to exploit. When a drop pass is executed defenders will have 3 options for play and most will choose one of two that are advantageous to the attacking team. First, they let up and stop their forward movement. Secondly they may choose to continue pursuing the ball! The third option would be to immediately give ground towards their own goal in anticipation of the through ball that is about to come off the drop pass action.
The third option is obviously the choice of a good defense. How many high school teams do you know who are coached well enough to execute this tactic effectively? Most zonal teams cannot even execute an early retreat effectively. A sweeper may lie in deep and provide a more effective defense against the drop and through tactic, but only if options for the through ball are limited. If a runner is available on each flank the sweeper will need to choose correctly and win the through ball or be open to being beaten by an early cross back against his movement to the through ball.
Of course, this is all predicated on the target player executing a safe pass while playing the way he faces. Dropping the ball to his partner forward (in a 2 forward system), to a midfielder or even an on-coming back who will then play the ball forward. It is this forward movement of the ball in conjunction with playing back to goal and playing the way he faces that preserves the negative space behind the opponents back line to be played in by teammates moving forward at pace. This is what we call Playing Space with Pace or Space and Pace for short.
It is important to realize that the more successful you are as a target player the more attention you will draw from opponents. When this occurs your teammates may find it easier to play very direct once in a while to keep the defense honest. It is extremely important the target player continues and finishes his basic checking back in the clear line of sight of his teammate closest to the ball. Just as the long direct through ball is meant to keep the defense honest so to is the continued and now somewhat predictable movement of the target. Make the defense choose which option they will defend. They cannot defend both and any indecisiveness on the defenses part may find them defending neither. Than the fun really begins!
Middle Third
In the counter attack it is likely a second player will be required to assume target responsibilities. If the through ball does not result in playing an attacker in behind the defense with a clear path to goal it will be necessary to re-establish target play.
One of my pet peeves is to see an attacker carrying the ball at a defense with teammates running in the same direction and at the same pace as the ball is being advanced. This is STUPID soccer.
What needs to happen is one teammate pushing forward at a faster pace than the ball is being advanced, then turning and sitting as a target for the ball to hold those retreating backs and preserve the negative space behind them. It might be necessary for the ball carrier to not advance at full pace to allow target play in front of him to redevelop. If there are simultaneous forward runs ahead of the ball this poses multiple problems for the defense to deal with. Whereas all attackers moving at the same pace in the same direction of the ball is terribly predictable and easily defended, having varying tactical scenarios and paces of play to contend with is a defending nightmare.
The target in the middle third of the field has the same duties as the target in the defending third of the field. Establish a clear line of sight between himself and the ball carrier.
The target is the focal point in establishing a numbers up situation for his team to exploit.
In this regard the target must discern which defender will step to meet the threat of the ball carrier and then adjust his positioning to create a situation where that defender must choose between the movement of the ball and the movement of the target player. If the ball is passed to the target players feet, where will the defender choose to place his focus? This is the foundational premise the cues for combination passing are based upon.
While back to goal play is still the basis of target play in the middle third of the field there will be opportunities to play sideways on and receiving the ball across the body. This is part of the sequences of cues for combination passes referenced above. It might be the target can turn towards goal and advance the ball himself. This is perfectly acceptable if the target is not receiving the ball under heavy pressure. This provides another dimension of unpredictability for a defense to contend with... as long as it does not become consistent and thereby predictable in and of itself.
Final or Attacking Third
If we are to continue with target playing in the final third of the pitch, I prefer the target sets up along the top of the penalty area and outside the width of the goal area or 6 yard "box". We wish to keep the space in front of the face of goal free to play in and should only move into this area when we are ready to strike on goal. Quick one touch passing and flicks are the order of the day to play teammates in for a shot on goal. Assorted turns utilizing the pace and path of passes to the targets feet can be used to generate shots on goal for the target. Again, vary which options you select to keep defenders off balance and guessing instead of allowing them to sit on your predictability.
If you have the luxury of having a tall target player he may continue being the main focal point for crosses, corner kicks and free kicks. Balls played to be headed can be redirected down to a teammates feet for a shot or redirected as a secondary cross to a teammate.
The Target Player as a Defender
When the ball is lost in the attacking or final third of the pitch immediate and intense pressure should be applied by the target player whenever possible.
In the middle third of the field the target players responsibility is to cut the field in half vertically to cut off any crosses to switch the field. Make the attack as predictable as possible for your teammates to defend against.
In the defending third of the field, well, now we are back to where be began this article.
My guidelines to target players are short, sweet and directly to the point:
1) Play back to goal.
2) Play the way you face.
3) Make a safe pass.
That's it.
I am a firm believer in providing limited guidelines then allowing the player to explore a position to the fullest extent his imagination will allow for.
To provide a written (or oral) explanation of positional responsibilities for a target player I think it best to do it by phase of play beginning with when his team is defending. More specifically we will begin with looking at the target's play when his team is in it's defending third of the field.
Defending Third
The target player must be available to receive the ball from a teammate. This involves facing his teammates with his back to the goal they will be attempting to score in. We see many the player who stand near the center line watching their teammates compete for and hopefully win the ball. Then they look to be played through. This is not target play. This is lazy, unimaginative and predictable play.
We want the target player to be constantly adjusting his position. Every time the ball moves on the pitch, the target player must also be in motion. The key consideration for the target player is to be in a clear line of sight of the teammate closest to the ball so that when that teammate secures possession the target is in his vision early. This will entail a lot of laterally movement on the pitch mixed in with limited vertical movement in establishing the clear line of sight.
Identify the type of defense you are going against. Zonal defenses and man marking defenses each provide slightly different problems to solve. For example, if man-marked the target player will need not only work to provide a clear line of sight to the teammate closest to the ball, but he will also need to gain separation from his mark in order to receive the ball cleanly. This will involve a lot of misdirection play on the target's part. Check away before checking to in the form of "V" cuts as an example. Against a zonal system defenders may not closely man-mark the defender preferring to stay in their zonal channel. The target will set up between lines - in front of the backs and behind the midfielders. This may change the defenders path to the ball from being in line with that of the target. If this is the case, the target will have to account for this in his movements so he can shield the defender from the ball as he would if tightly man-marked.
A secondary yet very important consideration is to keep the defender responsible for you from being in the clear line of sight to your teammate closest to the ball. Make the defender choose between watching you and watching the ball. You may choose to play off to the side of the clear line of sight before bending off a check back run to the clear line of sight. You might decide to play behind the defender, even in an offside position, before checking into and back through the clear line of sight to your teammate closest to the ball,
Upon receiving the ball, and especially so when under defensive pressure, it is critically important for the target to play the way he faces. The drop pass is the currency of value in target play. Picture in your mind the target player checking back in the line of sight of his teammate closest to the ball. A (pressure) defender is in close pursuit. A good defensive team will have cover (and balance) being provided behind the pressure defender. In effect 2 to 3 defenders will be stepping in the same direction the target is checking back in.
This is the manipulation of the defense target play is designed to exploit. When a drop pass is executed defenders will have 3 options for play and most will choose one of two that are advantageous to the attacking team. First, they let up and stop their forward movement. Secondly they may choose to continue pursuing the ball! The third option would be to immediately give ground towards their own goal in anticipation of the through ball that is about to come off the drop pass action.
The third option is obviously the choice of a good defense. How many high school teams do you know who are coached well enough to execute this tactic effectively? Most zonal teams cannot even execute an early retreat effectively. A sweeper may lie in deep and provide a more effective defense against the drop and through tactic, but only if options for the through ball are limited. If a runner is available on each flank the sweeper will need to choose correctly and win the through ball or be open to being beaten by an early cross back against his movement to the through ball.
Of course, this is all predicated on the target player executing a safe pass while playing the way he faces. Dropping the ball to his partner forward (in a 2 forward system), to a midfielder or even an on-coming back who will then play the ball forward. It is this forward movement of the ball in conjunction with playing back to goal and playing the way he faces that preserves the negative space behind the opponents back line to be played in by teammates moving forward at pace. This is what we call Playing Space with Pace or Space and Pace for short.
It is important to realize that the more successful you are as a target player the more attention you will draw from opponents. When this occurs your teammates may find it easier to play very direct once in a while to keep the defense honest. It is extremely important the target player continues and finishes his basic checking back in the clear line of sight of his teammate closest to the ball. Just as the long direct through ball is meant to keep the defense honest so to is the continued and now somewhat predictable movement of the target. Make the defense choose which option they will defend. They cannot defend both and any indecisiveness on the defenses part may find them defending neither. Than the fun really begins!
Middle Third
In the counter attack it is likely a second player will be required to assume target responsibilities. If the through ball does not result in playing an attacker in behind the defense with a clear path to goal it will be necessary to re-establish target play.
One of my pet peeves is to see an attacker carrying the ball at a defense with teammates running in the same direction and at the same pace as the ball is being advanced. This is STUPID soccer.
What needs to happen is one teammate pushing forward at a faster pace than the ball is being advanced, then turning and sitting as a target for the ball to hold those retreating backs and preserve the negative space behind them. It might be necessary for the ball carrier to not advance at full pace to allow target play in front of him to redevelop. If there are simultaneous forward runs ahead of the ball this poses multiple problems for the defense to deal with. Whereas all attackers moving at the same pace in the same direction of the ball is terribly predictable and easily defended, having varying tactical scenarios and paces of play to contend with is a defending nightmare.
The target in the middle third of the field has the same duties as the target in the defending third of the field. Establish a clear line of sight between himself and the ball carrier.
The target is the focal point in establishing a numbers up situation for his team to exploit.
In this regard the target must discern which defender will step to meet the threat of the ball carrier and then adjust his positioning to create a situation where that defender must choose between the movement of the ball and the movement of the target player. If the ball is passed to the target players feet, where will the defender choose to place his focus? This is the foundational premise the cues for combination passing are based upon.
While back to goal play is still the basis of target play in the middle third of the field there will be opportunities to play sideways on and receiving the ball across the body. This is part of the sequences of cues for combination passes referenced above. It might be the target can turn towards goal and advance the ball himself. This is perfectly acceptable if the target is not receiving the ball under heavy pressure. This provides another dimension of unpredictability for a defense to contend with... as long as it does not become consistent and thereby predictable in and of itself.
Final or Attacking Third
If we are to continue with target playing in the final third of the pitch, I prefer the target sets up along the top of the penalty area and outside the width of the goal area or 6 yard "box". We wish to keep the space in front of the face of goal free to play in and should only move into this area when we are ready to strike on goal. Quick one touch passing and flicks are the order of the day to play teammates in for a shot on goal. Assorted turns utilizing the pace and path of passes to the targets feet can be used to generate shots on goal for the target. Again, vary which options you select to keep defenders off balance and guessing instead of allowing them to sit on your predictability.
If you have the luxury of having a tall target player he may continue being the main focal point for crosses, corner kicks and free kicks. Balls played to be headed can be redirected down to a teammates feet for a shot or redirected as a secondary cross to a teammate.
The Target Player as a Defender
When the ball is lost in the attacking or final third of the pitch immediate and intense pressure should be applied by the target player whenever possible.
In the middle third of the field the target players responsibility is to cut the field in half vertically to cut off any crosses to switch the field. Make the attack as predictable as possible for your teammates to defend against.
In the defending third of the field, well, now we are back to where be began this article.
Saturday
Analyzing Team Play. What and Why.
If you go to any Internet soccer forum or message board you will find a frequent topic of discussion is the lack of proficiency in scoring goals. This is one of the areas I am most often asked to address in the team camps I conduct. There seems to a general consensus in thought that a magical drill or practice exercise exists that can improve a teams ability to score goals. Of course, this just isn't true. In fact, the reasons a team struggles to score can often times be a lot more complicated than one might suspect. Before coming up with appropriate exercises to address a teams struggles to score I have to figure out why they are struggling to score.
A friend contacted me after the 2012 high school season lamenting his team generated 22 shots on goal for the entire season. On the other hand, they had converted on 21 of those chances!
For our purposes here we will use the official FIFA definition for shots on goal: A shot on goal sees the struck ball travel within the frame of the goal and results either in a goal being scored or a save being made. So, if the shot strikes post or bar and bounces out, this is not considered a shot on goal. And, of course, any shot high or wide of the goal is not considered a shot on goal.
The coach referenced above is a former college goalkeeper and knows the correct definition of a shot on goal. So I was really curious as to how a team could convert on 21 of 22 chances. That is one of the most confounding statistics I have ever heard of. No wonder he was interested in getting his team to take more shots on goal!
The question I had to answer was, why only 22 shots on goal over the course of 17 games?
The first hint I got was the coach telling me his team refused to shoot from distance. They insisted on being at nearly point blank range before attempting a shot. Aha! That explains the tremendous conversion rate. It also provided a vital clue in terms of questioning why they only took 22 shots on goal. My suspicion was a lack of striking skill and this was confirmed during my first session with the team. They didn't take more shots or shots from greater range because they could not execute the required skill to do so. Now, I knew where to begin addressing the issue of generating more shots.
A friend contacted me after the 2012 high school season lamenting his team generated 22 shots on goal for the entire season. On the other hand, they had converted on 21 of those chances!
For our purposes here we will use the official FIFA definition for shots on goal: A shot on goal sees the struck ball travel within the frame of the goal and results either in a goal being scored or a save being made. So, if the shot strikes post or bar and bounces out, this is not considered a shot on goal. And, of course, any shot high or wide of the goal is not considered a shot on goal.
The coach referenced above is a former college goalkeeper and knows the correct definition of a shot on goal. So I was really curious as to how a team could convert on 21 of 22 chances. That is one of the most confounding statistics I have ever heard of. No wonder he was interested in getting his team to take more shots on goal!
The question I had to answer was, why only 22 shots on goal over the course of 17 games?
The first hint I got was the coach telling me his team refused to shoot from distance. They insisted on being at nearly point blank range before attempting a shot. Aha! That explains the tremendous conversion rate. It also provided a vital clue in terms of questioning why they only took 22 shots on goal. My suspicion was a lack of striking skill and this was confirmed during my first session with the team. They didn't take more shots or shots from greater range because they could not execute the required skill to do so. Now, I knew where to begin addressing the issue of generating more shots.
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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