Receiving The Ball

[Paul GruberParticipant]

Hello Phil, I’m just going to clarify my understanding of the question.  To me a dead touch is when the ball dies on the foot that receives it.  I don’t teach my players to dead trap the ball, so for my respective teams this is the result of the player taking too much pace off the ball when receiving.  Note, technically it doesn’t have to mean a completely dead ball; it can mean a ball that is underplayed relative to the intent of the first touch requiring an extra step and/or touch before a pass can be made.  That is the fundamental flaw I’m addressing and it may be quite different from what you are posting a question to. 

Whether the ball is dead under the player or with the player extending to reach the pass, if the ball dies on the foot or is under played, the player is going to lose time in taking an extra step or touch before a pass can be effectively made.  Often when I see players that make a mistake like this in games, it results in 3 touch passing assuming they are able to get the ball off at all.  In lesser experienced/skilled players, I often see them taking a step back to windup for the pass, then step forward to kick the ball. 

The 4v0 and 4v1 rondos address positioning relative to the ball first, although much of the discussion is about receiving the ball across the body.  It is impossible to successfully receive the pass across the body effectively if the player is out of position and not checked back to the near cone.  Again, the video reflects this in some of the play where the player “mentally checks out” momentarly after passing the ball, not realizing that the play can change directions.  The result often is a turn over in possession. 
With proper positioning, the player receiving the ball will have the defender pressing from his back side, so he owns position relative to the ball.  Or the defender avoids pressing to cover the next pass giving up space in the process to which the receiving player can cut the ball across their body to change direction.  To me the technical element I would focus primarily on is the positioning of the player to the near cones.  That being done more consistently will result in more successful string of passes regardless of the quality of the first touch of the player, even in that limited 7×7 sized grid.

[Wolfgang HoffmanParticipant]

I know what I am about to say is counter to some very basic “truths” taught here in the USA.  And before you all call me out as nuts please watch closely some Barca video.  I would suggest that the ball SHOULD be under your body when you trap it and when you strike it.  Regarding dead and live touches I see plenty of both in the pro game and in Barca videos depending on the situation.  but even in the live touches the players keep themselves over the ball.  It is when the ball gets out in front of them that the get in the most trouble.

[Michael Caton-JonesParticipant]

I think that paying attention to a players ‘body shape to receive’ is more important than whether the touch is ‘dead or ‘live’.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 10 months ago by  Michael Caton-Jones. Reason: Jeez, that looked ugly

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