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Probably because you don’t have nine midfielders on a U11 team. I would assume the other players are doing position specific work at the same time.
There are two main reasons that the CB drops deep. The first is too maintain the spacing of the team structure while in possession. The space between the CB and the FB prevents one defender from covering both, and the same is true for the space between the CB and the DM. Without that space, the other team could easily create a pressing trap against the sideline.
The second reason is so that the CB can receive the ball facing forward. If he was level with the throw in, the ball would be coming in a 90 degree angle to his direction of play. By dropping, that angle almost disappears.
Finally, I assume that throw in usually goes to the CB because there is no pressure on them. If a player higher up the field could receive the ball facing forward, I am sure that would be the preferred option.
My name is Jay Freymiller, I coach a U14 girls team in West Lafayette, IN. I am a senior at Purdue University, but this is already my fourth year of coaching club and high school soccer in the area.
I first visited 3Four3 after the U11 video went around. I don’t agree with everything, but the focus on excellence is a refreshing change from the usual drivel heard in English-language coaching discussions. I’m looking forward to strengthening and challenging my own methodology as I go through their material. The biggest influence on my coaching has been studying the methods of Marcelo Bielsa and Arsene Wenger.
I believe the Barcelona youth teams do not always use the same formation at 7 v 7 and instead use a 2 – 3 – 1 system for one season and a 3-2-1 system for the other. The reasoning is that no 7 v 7 systems can mirror all of the scenarios that will be present in the 4-3-3, so a combination is used instead. The critical aspect of implementation is awareness of which patterns to train that will transfer to the 11 v 11 game.
Here is how I encourage our coaches to develop it (age groups and formats are for Indiana Soccer).
For U9, 1-3-1 (6 v 6)
- One defender – focus is on creating excellent individual defensive habits.
- League uses the “retreat line” rule, so one player is an overload during buildup.
- Just one defender means that other players must respect defensive responsibilities – avoids the “broken team” (just attackers and just defenders).
For U10, 2-2-1
- Two defenders – focus is on how defenders can control space with pressure and cover
- Introduction of the triangle during buildup (GK-LCB-RCB)
- Centerbacks are asked to carry the ball forward when not pressured in order to create midfield overload.
U11, 2-4-1 (switch to 8 v 8)
- Keeping two defenders simplifies the transition between formats, but forces defenders to become even better at managing space.
- Diamond midfield introduces the (GK-LCB-DM-RCB) association during buildup, as well as the defensive mechanism in which the defensive midfielder drops into the backline if a centerback is pulled wide.
- Buildup structure mirrors that of the back seven at 11 v 11. Two centerbacks, a pivot in front of them, two wide players, two central players at different heights between lines.
U12, 3-3-1
- Move to three defenders, understanding of line of cover should become automatized.
- Buildup shape becomes a double diamond, enabling passing patterns with a simple transfer to the 3-4-3 (triple diamond). Defenders must also learn to attract opponents during the build up to compensate for the loss of a player in the midfield area.
- The first system with two wide players on each side (outside defender and outside midfielder) means that combinations in wide positions should be taught, especially overlaps and underlaps. Familiarity with the 2-4-1 system from the previous season means that the overlap can be taught as a way to create the overload in midfield while still providing width.
U13, 3-4-3
- Once again, the basic defensive structure is retained even while game format changes. Despite the arrival at 11 v 11, positions are still relative to the 4-3-3 system. Players that will be fullbacks should be the wide midfielders and the future defensive midfielder should be comfortable at the base of the midfield diamond and as a libero in the back three.
- The back three is the basis for creating overloads, either against a forward two or by pulling midfielders out of position. All central defenders should be confident moving into midfield
- Triple diamond shape means that passing patterns from the 3-3-1 should be transferred to the 11 v 11 game.
U14, 4-3-3
- The wingbacks are pulled back and the defensive midfielder moves forward during the defensive phase to create the 4-1-4-1 shape. The mechanisms and patterns that have been trained for the past three years should make the transitions between phases simple to implement.
- Players have multiple buildup patterns and can adapt to varying situations.
As always, I received quite a few books. I have already read through Guillem Balague’s biography of Pep Guardiola and Daniel Willingham’s Why Students Don’t Like School. Willingham’s book is not soccer-specific, but I thought it offered a very comprehensive and useful explanation of the cognitive processes involved with learning. I didn’t enjoy the Pep biography quite as much, but it still offered quite a few insights. If Jed Davies checks out this thread, I’m looking forward to starting on Coaching the Tiki-Taka Style of Play tomorrow.
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This reply was modified 10 years, 10 months ago by
Jay Freymiller.
