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Quick question about the Losing your Man drill and the expectation of playing across your body.
In the Rondo’s and S Warm-Up drills there is an intense focus and even a fundamental expectation that the player should allow the ball to come across their body. This approach provides two options of play.
However, in the Losing your Man drill, the player that is passing the ball across to the second runner (this is the third pass in the drill), the player is playing a one touch from an easy layoff with their ‘first’ foot. I understand that we are trying to get the players to complete a one touch pass and we want them to open up.
But why wouldn’t the instruction be to have it come across the players body?
Thoughts?
#1 – Speed. If you’re looking to increase speed of play/counter/surprise then the ball is closer to that foot and can be played quicker
#2 – When I’ve done this exercise, and players try to open up, it can mess with their balance, Some players even ‘whiff’ and miss the ball entirely (obviously less likely with good players). This is because when opening up and trying to one-touch, players are leaning away from the ball as they pass, which is not ‘proper’ basic technique. You usually want to step into your pass.
#3 – It’s mostly a trivial argument. In the more recent “lose-your-man” video Brian is asked that same question (Santa Clara clinic I believe). He didn’t have a huge issue with it being done either way.
I see it as if you’re taking a touch first, you should open up unless a defender is on that side of you. If you’re one-touching, it has more to do with speed and unpredictability (switching play to the ‘third man/runner”.
Hope that helps.
Perfect! Thank you for the reply.
I am just making sure that I understand and correctly apply the finer details of each item.
I think it depends on the angles. In situations where you are coming back to the ball and playing it 1st touch at an accute angle, the near foot may be best. For examples:
A winger drifts high and wide of the opposition fullback, but then cuts back down and inside to receive the ball. The winger isn’t opening his body and the near foot is also farther from the defender.
An attacker’s near post run curving along the 6-yard box. The near foot might be the best way to finish as the attacker is running to the ball.
If you watch rondos from Barca, Bayern, etc, the players use near and far feet, inside and out. I used to obsess about the far foot since that is most often the preferred way to receive – and I still do! – but I also occasionally include some exercises that specify the near foot.
Id argue that one touch is the exception to the rule at collecting across the body is a two touch or more move.
As state earlier the angle is the key to what foot you play the one touch
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