Switching the Field of play

[frank starsinicSpectator]

I work with my team constantly on the importance of switching the field and not ramming the ball up the sideline where there are 8 defenders waiting for us.

We just had our first scrimmage last week and I spoke with them strongly during each quarter break about this being the goal of the scrimmage… executing switches!

Regardless, the team refused to acknowledge the other side of the field and how open it was.  Even on drop balls the player receiving the drop ball would make a pass again up the same side of the field right into a swarm of defenders.

Even me yelling “SWITCH THE FIELD” would get looks from the players over at me, but nary the execution of an actual choreographed switch. It was almost comical.

The one time the ball moved from one side of the field to the other without dribbling was the one goal we scored. Obviously, I will be bringing this point up at our next practice.

I was considering to tell them that any time a ball is dropped that (until we are confident and proficient at switching the filed) it will be a Trigger to Switch the field. Period.

Comments anyone?

 

 

[Stephen RoliinsParticipant]

Maybe I have a different view than many on ball movement and I guess then about switching fields.  The basic premise to possession football IMHO or ball movement is to move the opposition.  To pull defenders out of position to move them around until an open space reveals itself.  This is different then moving the ball around fast enough to take advantage of a weak side opening, though I guess the weak side opening could be the result of the defense moving to the ball side of the field.  I see this patience and the thought of manipulating the defensive structure the main advantage of possession football over a more direct style.  It was something that was consistently drilled into us at the Academy, move the ball to create space and then take the open space without the ball.

Rather than talk about switching fields with my kids, I ask them where do they want defenders to go?  How can they open space?  How can they take advantage of space created?  And they are beginning to realize that sometimes moving someone a few feet does wonders, switching fields IMO is just one example of this train of thought.  Not sure if this directly answers your question but it is what it triggered in my mind.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 10 months ago by  Stephen Roliins.

[andrew crollardParticipant]

What age are you coaching and what else in your sessions are you doing to teach them the process of switching? If you’re just telling them they need to do it in the pre-game peptalk, they likely have no idea how to actually accomplish it because you haven’t showed them. If you have showed them, then you probably haven’t showed them enough times for it to sink in yet or explained it well enough about when, how, and why you want to do it.

[frank starsinicSpectator]

The kids are U14 and should know better. This is a newly formed team for me (as it is every year) so they might not know how adamant I am about playing appropriately.

I think what’s missing for most of these kids isn’t desire or the lack of wanting to do the right thing, it’s the lack of “Triggers” that tell them what to do in certain situations.

That is why I thought I might go overboard a bit and force them to switch every time a ball is dropped to help build a habit of thinking that way. Then, as the year progresses, alter that requirement and allow them to figure it out for themselves.

[andrew crollardParticipant]

You can’t think of their current skills in terms of what your players “should” know. You have to think in terms of what they DO know. It sounds like they just have no idea how, when, and why to go through the process of switching fields. Set up detailed shadow play for them and walk them through the process. Show them the “triggers” as you put it that tells each player where and when they should be moving when that trigger happens. It is going to take more than just one or two sessions of doing this before they are able to complete it to your level of satisfaction. Once they’re able to do it without pressure, add a couple defenders who apply pressure but don’t try to win the ball (I like to use former players who understand what I’m trying to do in the shadow play).

I also coach a very underskilled U14 team and you will go insane if you don’t completely reevaluate where exactly your players are in your development plan to coach to what their actual current levels of understanding are. Of course we would like all our players to come in understanding the core tenets of our style of play, but unless you have someone feeding you players who has the same development plan, it just isn’t going to happen.

[Phil WeberParticipant]

Frank – a few ideas for switching the field…
1.) Take goals away from them. There are two ways to get points to “win”. a.) 5 pass combos = 1 pt b.)Switching field = 2 points. c.) I always include minus 1 pt for aimless kicks (helps teach them to do things with a purpose, get comfortable on the ball, and not just play kickball…but I coach U8).
2.) When introduce goals – they must get 1 switch of field before scoring.
3.) I would also suggest starting with uneven teams — 5v3, 8v5, 10v7 (pending ability to move the ball — to build confidence in what you are trying to accomplish. Once the kids get comfortable you can move to full field, but I always start with uneven numbers.
Draw a line down the middle of the field with cones to split the field OR split field in vertical 1/3s.

My U8 players can even figure switching the field out with the above scenario.

[Eric StrubleParticipant]

I’ve seen this with my players at well sometimes. From what I’ve seen, often times it’s more about their ability to recognize where the space is rather than not understanding the concept of switching the field itself.

I have two drills that I’ve typically done to work with their ability to recognize the space and when to switch the field:

1) Set up a square field, sized appropriately to the number of players you have to work with, and place a small goal in the middle of each side of the square. Two goals on adjacent sides should belong to team 1 and the remaining two goals should belong to team 2. Have them play a game looking to score going to either of the opposing goals (depending on skill level, numbers, overall focus, etc… add a neutral or restrict touches). What you’re looking for is times to freeze the game when a player or team focuses on a goal despite the opposing team leaving the second goal wide open. When you freeze, simply ask you players to identify the space and ask them how they could take advantage of that space and get to the open goal. Don’t tell them, lead them to the conclusions on their own so that it sticks better.

2) Divide a rectangular field, again make it appropriately sized to the age and number of players you have to work with, and divide the field vertically into three sections. Each section should have a goal for either team at the end line. Again the idea is to let your team play naturally, looking to go to one of the three goals, and then freeze it when your players try to force the play towards a section or goal that’s overloaded by opposing defenders.

Personally, I’m not a fan of possession where you force the kids to switch the field… this feels a little too artificial to me. Instead, I prefer to put my players in situations where the game lends it self to switching the field if the opportunity arises, but also allows them to go directly to goal if the other team doesn’t defend properly. The goal for me is for them to recognize when the numbers and space favor switching the field, rather than switching the field simply for the sake of switching the field.

[Paul GruberParticipant]

Here is my bit on it as this was a problem with my high school team.  Often the obvious opportunities to switch fields occured when our pivot would receive the ball, but instead of turning laterally with it and popping a medium pass to open space for our weak side fullback to run up on to, she would put the ball back into play on the same side of the field she received it.  She is an accurate player with great touch, but she wasn’t seeing the opposite side of the field and to me the solution at the time seemed to lie in her simply peaking over her shoulder before she was played and seeing the other side of the field.  Simply being told this, even though it was obvious to even the most naive to soccer parent in the stands of the switch opportunity, she didn’t see it and that is what mattered and no amount of “insistence” from me corrected the issue.   

To formerly correct this, I will be using the Set Tactical Training of building out of our back field.  On every third swing, when our pivot receives the ball, she will need to make a false check toward the pass, then open up to allow it to go by her while shielding the ball against a potential opponent defender, most likely coming frmo positive space on the field.  Then make the medium length pass to the weakside full back to run onto into space, most likely at pace. 

The issue for this occuring in the first place is the pivot seeing the other side of the field for the obvious switch.  To teach the vision and create a “trigger” I will be insistent that before the pivot receives the ball that she make eye contact with the weakside fullback before the fullback initiates her run.  That will help our timing of this type of play where I don’t have players stagnant waiting for a medium length pass and so we can attack space quickly.

[Pete DuguranParticipant]

Frank,

Have you had the chance to work with your back five moving the ball around the perimeter ?  As our team got better at this it was much easier for us to switch fields when needed.  Also,

very helpful is your back line being vocal and callng for the switch when it is on.

 

[frank starsinicSpectator]

Regarding the Attacking Patterns #1, #2, #3 … how are the kids coached to recognize when a pattern isn’t working and to move the ball to the other side of the field?

It seems with the younger ages, the kids will be trying to force the patterns instead of rotating out of them and to the other side of the field, if necessary?

 

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