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Hi Eric,
This is part of your art.
All I can give is a general guideline:
You want your teams to get to a point where they consistently execute during competitive matches.And of course “consistently” & “execute” are relative depending on what your standards for those are. If you’re looking for a reference, the videos we’ve uploaded give an indication.
That’s your feedback loop though – match day execution.
If it’s not to your liking, it’s possible you’re not doing enough repetition in training.But what I do recommend without hesitation is that #1 priority – on par with the rondos and the principle of receiving across your body – is getting your team to consistently “play out of the back”. That is the foundation to everything else.
For instance, we didn’t introduce “losing your man” well over a year after getting the team (pretty sure it was into the U12 season).
That doesn’t mean you have to do the same, but it shows you how long the process of just one topic can be, before layering in the next level of complexity.Remember, not only do the players have to reach a level of mastery with a particular topic, the coach does too. When a coach achieves mastery, he’s able to project genuine confidence, energy, charisma, & detail into the players … and hence risk of “boredom” doesn’t set in with the players.
I’m going to try and revisit this topic again, as I know lots of coaches want a more specific guideline … it’s just that ultimately it depends on how the team/coach is executing.
Gonna give this a listen on my way to training.
Hi Simon,
- When the intent of the pattern is to get in behind the defense, the ball should be played into space for the winger (so yes on pattern #2 & 3).
- I don’t like that as a rule. All these patterns (and in fact, all this ‘choreography’ that constructs the ‘style of play’) act as structures – or containers – from which a player can then be creative and express themselves. With that in mind, we allow the winger to then ‘create’ what he does next. Maybe he’s in straight on goal and should not cross. But if he’s going to cross, he should be picking out a runner and trying to hit that target (that’s the next layer of detail). I understand the value of the goal line, but in the moment there could be greater value of serving before the goal line. We choose not to be so rigid on dictating what the winger should do. Establishing the general framework / structure / container is the priority.
- Kind of the same as how I ended the answer above. Establishing the general pattern and having it performed consistently in matches is the priority (that’s hard enough!). Everything else is gravy and layered in formally later, or can be done informally by verbal instruction during matches to specific players.
Excited to have you here Simon!
Hi Christian,
I was trying to follow you on twitter, but think you had a little typo …
It’s @christianire, right?🙂
Tactical:
– this is the choreography part, so essentially the patterns both offensively and defensively?
Yes
– in that 30 minutes do you build up to full pressure with defenders? I coach U9 and U11 by the way.
Depends on how well the players are doing. You must judge how far along they are with the material, and what it is they can handle.
For instance in working the back 5, I say don’t be too worried about doing zero pressure for a very long time. The point is to burn the execution of the patterns (with quality) into the player’s heads first. This doesn’t happen in 1 session, or 2, or 20.
Sure … at some point experiment by throwing in 1 defender, and see how they do. And see how you do managing it.
Sure … at some point in the future throw in 2, and see how they do.It’s all a judgement call on your part.
We build up pressure, but a ton of time is with zero pressure.
Play:
– how do you handle this part in terms of teams, 7v7, 8v8 due to numbers?
Yes, but “play” doesn’t always mean “a scrimmage”.
It can be a structured “possession game” as well.– how often do you step in at this point?
Depends.
But usually interruptions happen when the intensity we want isn’t there.Nuno,
There’s general homework, and specific.
General is simply telling all of them, all the time, that they must be working on their games every single day outside of training. And the parents are told the same. Any time with the ball of course is good, but getting lots of solo time against a wall has also been recommended.
Specific is player specific. Obviously everyone has weaknesses/deficiencies, but we’re constantly trying to identify what specific [usually technical] quality a player is most deficient, and tell them to work on that.
For example if a winger is consistently showing poor finishing, that is what we tell him to work on. And we can get REALLY specific. For instance, if we’re seeing that every time he’s inside the 18 he’s missing because he’s trying to blast the goal when a simple “pass to the post” is the correct decision … we’ll tell him to work on that specific finishing.
If a center back’s receiving and subsequent on-the-ground 20 yard passing quality isn’t good enough (smoothness, quickness, crispness, etc …), that’s precisely what we tell him and his parent to be working on.
If it’s time for our outside backs to develop that 40 yard over-the-top backspin long ball, then that is specifically what we tell them to focus on.
Hope that helps a bit.
Lot’s of good questions Jason, that are going to need video at some point.
How do you instruct the back 5 to move themselves in the same situation?
Assuming I’m interpreting your question correctly, in our core training, we don’t choreograph (in the same manner) what the back 5 do while the front 5 press.
The outcome of our pressing is usually:
- We win possession up the field.
- Opponent loses ball out of bounds.
- The opponent bypasses midfield and launches it forward.
- The opponent breaks both lines of pressure with a pass to winger.
- The opponent somehow breaks all pressure and is now running at our back line.
No need to discuss first two cases.
Case 3
We’ve trained this in the following manner. Set the back 5 in their natural positions, and have someone 30 – 40 yards away launch balls at them one at a time. The two basic scenarios are: (a) They are to settle it, and start their ball circulation as usual. Or (b), their first touch is to clear the ball down field.
Which of the two (a) or (b) is communicated while the ball is in transit.
Case 4
This has been more verbal instruction (as opposed to serious choreography) to our outside backs. Our outside backs must read the pass to the opposing winger, and close down space to either anticipate or disrupt play.
Case 5
Again, in the beginning this isn’t seriously choreographed, but more verbal instruction. If the opponent is running at us with space, our back line is instructed to “Delay”. Meaning, don’t dive in and try to win the ball. Delay (contain), until they make a mistake. Delay (contain), and let our midfield recover.
Do your teams/players understand all the nuances or is that always a work in progress?
In everything, always a work in progress. Like I mentioned elsewhere, even with ball circulation between the back 5 which the same group has been doing for 3 years.
Hope that sheds some light Jason.
Ryan,
Just answering this again for everyone who joined us a little later, and may not be able to find the answer. My response is here:
http://www.coaching.3four3.com/forums/topic/when-to-begin/Hi Alfredo,
So here’s what a typical session breakdown for us could look like:
- Warmup (10 mins)
- Technical phase (20 mins)
- Tactical (30 mins)
- Play (30 mins)
Technical phase of course are where the Rondos go. (+ other possible tech activities from time to time like you mention)
For the tactical, I suggest you focus on just one topic in a session (especially if you’re just starting out).
What age and level is your team? I think I can offer a more specific recommendation knowing that.
p.s. The times you see there are flexible, and can expand/contract depending on what the team needs. That’s the art of coaching.
Hi again Alex, so part II in trying to answer your questions. 🙂
To put it another way, how do you play out of the back in a technical, possession-oriented manner, when the kids struggle to control the ball?
Please allow me to share an email I got from someone with what seems the same concern. Then my response.
Gary,
Thanks for the reply, I really appreciate it.
I see your point and agree that if we are developing (pro) level players, the tactical should be taught at team practices and at a younger age. The problem I see is kids at the younger ages often don’t have the technical ability to succeed tactically. IE they can’t receive a ball under pressure in order to make a decision about where it needs to be next. The first touch is four feet from them or they can’t pass an accurate pass to a player 20 yards away. When a kid can’t do these things, trying to teach them tactics seems like a cart before the horse issue.
I agree they must work on the technical side (what I call the skills and one v one tools) on their own and daily. But, I have had coaches in Texas tell me that if I teach the younger kids the technical things, and bring them technically sound kids at U14, they will take it from there. I can see how U14 may be a little late if the kids can achieve some technical proficiency at a younger age and can handle the tactics.
I have also been told it is partly regional in that Texas teams play more direct, fast paced and with size than the CA teams and other areas of the country. I saw a little of that to be true at the Surf Cup but also saw some very large forwards at Surf cup that put heads down and went route 1 the entire day.
I support your effort to change the soccer culture in the US and hope you have success. I am doing what I can with my kids and their teams here in Texas to promote what I call, playing the right way.
I will be reading the blog….
And now my response:
Hi [John Doe],
I feel compelled to respond because while there is a logic to your statements (a logic common to most), on many levels those assertions are not correct.
Allow me to deconstruct a bit.
“The problem I see is kids at the younger ages often don’t have the technical ability to succeed tactically.”
The kids do have the technical capacity to succeed tactically at just about every level. And if we’re talking surf cup teams … absolutely 100% they do.
“IE they can’t receive a ball under pressure in order to make a decision about where it needs to be next.”
If they’re being trained properly in the tactical possession-based game, they should have sufficient spacing to receive under less pressure. Furthermore, the player’s decision about where the ball needs to go next should be decided long before he receives (this is also tactical training).
“The first touch is four feet from them or they can’t pass an accurate pass to a player 20 yards away. When a kid can’t do these things, trying to teach them tactics seems like a cart before the horse issue.”
If they’re being trained in the tactical possession-based game, their spacing will give them enough time in case their first touch isn’t the cleanest. Similarly, their 20 yard pass doesn’t have to always be on the money if spacing is being taught correctly.
When trained properly, the tolerance for errors are greatly relaxed.
Furthermore, with proper spacing (again this is tactical training), players don’t feel as pressured and are able to focus on their touch, and focus on their decisions and game understanding. And that leads to better execution in every facet of the game. For instance, with proper tactical training, instead of having 1 second before the pressure comes, a player will have 3.
Now, if a player can’t reasonably kick a ball 20 yards or receive a pass within reason, then we’re talking AYSO. Certainly not an average club team, and certainly not a Surf Cup team.
We’ve implemented successful possession-based soccer from Bronze to Premier, from U9 – U19. And girls.
You can find our experience matrix here: http://analytics.3four3.com/stats/coach_details.cfm?coach=brian%20kleibanThank you again [John Doe]!
– Gary
Hope that gives further insight Alex.
But again, if you’re dealing with U9s and under that can’t connect or receive a 10 yard pass, then for sure divert more time to those things.Please follow up if I’m off-base with your question(s).
Hi Alex,
How you feel about skill development with very prescribed individual training approaches (Coerver, “1,000 Touches”, etc.). Does that come into play at all in your practices, or you assuming that skills will either be developed by U9 or will develop in the course of doing the tactical work?
It has gotten sprinkled into the Technical Warmup phase of a session at times. But the core, the bread and butter are the Rondos. The Rondos offer a tremendous amount of technical development, and the bonus is that they focus on the tech required for this possession style. The remainder of individual technical development must happen outside the team training environment.
Now, if we’re talking pre U9 (or ‘non-elite’ U9), then by all means feel free in addition to the 4v0 4v1 Rondo / S-pattern add generous doses of “Coerver-type stuff”.
To put it another way, how do you play out of the back in a technical, possession-oriented manner, when the kids struggle to control the ball?
I’ll attack this question as soon as I get back home …
That’s a good observation Benjamin.
Is the GK included? Yes and no.Specifically, in the Goal Kick scenarios presented, if you have a keeper at the requisite level to play the role we have our defensive mid play … then the D-mid doesn’t have to drop into the box. In our case, our keeper(s) have not achieved that.
This is a big challenge. How to get the keeper to have the needed level with his feet.
Yes on all counts Alec!
You can not rehearse the “possession out of the back” activity enough.
We introduced it to them at U10, and they still do it regularly now at the end of the U13 season. 3 YEARS and counting!
And I’ll say something else, it’s still not mastered.And absolutely yes on rehearsing the throw-ins.
Pretty much Ryan.
- The midfielders told to find space while ball is circulating with back 5; and provide passing lanes/windows with simple 2 to 8 meter movements (much like they’re being accustomed to in 4v0 / 4v1 / 3v1 Rondo).
- The wingers are told the same, but to stay wide.
If you’ll notice on the first ever video (the U11 video), take a look at the wingers. They aren’t “losing their man” as rehearsed.
Good question Phil:
In regards to receiving the ball across your body, what additional info do you give? By that I mean dead vs live touch? While ‘losing your man’ to create space is key, there are times simply settling the ball at your feet with a defender in your shit immediately still happens. At times, a ‘live touch’ quickly to the side into space alleviates the high pressure defender immediately. Do you review this with the kids and if so how do you teach (drills) them when to and not to use the dead touch?
And some good responses too.
In regards to your question, we give no additional info.
The golden rule of our methodology. Our guiding principle if you will, is this:
Do less, not more.There’s a million different skills a player can learn or be taught. But if we try to teach too many of them, nothing gets mastered, and any hope for a consistent well structured possession team goes out the window.
What we do is give them a rock solid foundation with this curriculum, upon which details like you suggest can be layered in later in time with us, or it is to be done independently outside the team environment.
Now, that’s not to say you can’t try and teach them your detail concurrently with this possession framework, but I suggest you be very careful how many things you work on. Because you run a high risk of curriculum overload.
