SoccerCoachWeekly. Dynamic defenders. David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly. How to play it. Technique and tactics TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

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1 Issue 293 Dynamic defenders TOOLS, TIPS AD TECHIQUES David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly Playing out from the back and switching the ball away from pressure is vital in the modern game when it comes to defending. Defending is no longer the domain of the big kickers, and here s a session that teaches your back line how to create forward momentum whilst keeping the ball away from danger. You need balls, bibs and cones. Set up a 50x30-yard area including a fiveyard channel on each wing, as shown. This session uses a 6v4 overload plus two keepers. The team with the overload begins - they have a player in each channel and goal kicks must go to one of those two players. Those outer players can move into the main area, and can return to their channel at any time to receive a pass. The team of four have to retreat to the halfway line. At five-minute intervals switch the players in the channels. Then switch players between teams to ensure every player, at some point, works both in the channel and with the overload. Technique and tactics During this session, you re looking for players to find space to make the onward pass cleanly and without complication. So that means players finding space to receive the initial ball from the keeper, not calling for a pass if heavily marked, and ensuring a good first touch when the ball does arrive. Players must take only calculated risks in movement and passing, and must know where their team mates are by looking around at all times. That means knowing where the passing routes are before the ball is received. And finally, it s important that players train like they play so that means working at a good tempo, taking the challenge seriously, and never letting their guard drop. 5yds 20yds 5yds 50yds shot Each move begins with the keeper, with the ball going into a channel Defenders must use width in creating attacking moves On this occasion, a white player tackles and, against a 6v4 overload, a counterattack leads to a goal 1

WARM UP Win ball, pass and rest Michael Beale Premier League Academy soccer coach Set up a playing area measuring 15x15 yards, positioning players as shown.

On your whistle, the lone internal defender must tackle an attacker and win the ball. When successful, he passes out to a team mate.

2 WARM UP Win ball, pass and rest Michael Beale Premier League Academy soccer coach Set up a playing area measuring 15x15 yards, positioning players as shown. Four attackers begin inside the area, each dribbling a ball. Four defenders begin on the outside, with an additional defender in the middle. On your whistle, the lone internal defender must tackle an attacker and win the ball. When successful, he passes out to a team mate. The defender then stays in the area while the player tackled makes way to the outside. A new player comes in to act as a new defender. Continue for five minutes then switch players. Technique and tactics The defender must cut attackers movement angles off, must be patient in waiting for a chance to intercept, and must watch the ball at all times. At the point of making the tackle, the defender must ensure he uses his body to help take the ball with him, rather than just tackling without winning possession. The white defender successfully moves in and wins possession The successful defender now becomes an attacker, while the red player tackled now moves to the outside GREAT STAMIA PRACTICE! A new player comes in to defend against four attackers Soccer Coach Weekly is published by Green Star Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Guildford, GU5 0AB, UK. david.clarke@coach-soccer.com Tel: +44 (0) Head Coach: David Clarke Editor: James Evans Publisher: Kevin Barrow Managing Director: Andrew Griffiths Customer Service: Duncan Heard Designer: Steve Southern Contributors: Michael Beale, Andrew Chenny, Tom Fitzpatrick, David Lewis, Paul Watson, Steve Watson Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved. 2

3 FOOTY4KIDS Soccer baseball Steve Watson Editor, Footy4kids.co.uk A fun and extremely competitive game that s very good for developing players passing skills. Set up the playing area as shown, with 5x5-yard batting and pitching squares. Split your squad into two teams - batsmen and fielders. The fielders spread out around the playing area. You are the pitcher. The batting team s players take it in turns to enter the batting square. You roll a ball into the square. The batsman must kick it, first time, as far as he can, and immediately set off around the diamond. The fielding team aims to collect the ball and pass it back to you as quickly as possible. The batsman gets a point for his team if he can run around the diamond before the ball gets back to you, the pitcher - a home run. But if a batsman is running between the poles when the ball comes back, he is out. Batsmen are also out if they miss the ball, they slice their kick so that the ball goes behind the playing area, or play a shot that is caught by a fielder. The innings continues until all the batsmen are out or players are stranded in the diamond and there is no-one in the batting square to face the next pitch. Both teams have one or two innings - the team with the most points wins. Advancing the game You can advance the game by setting up a goal somewhere in the playing area. If the batsman can kick the ball into the goal his team gets an extra point. Also vary things by insisting that a batsman can only kick the ball with his weaker foot. Techniques and tactics Batsmen must decide whether to go for power or accuracy in their shots, and must run as soon as they kick the ball. Fielders need to work together in chasing shots and linking up quickly to get the ball back to you in the pitching square. The ball is served and the batsman plays a shot to his left He runs around the bases as defenders collect the ball It s returned to you, the pitcher, before the attacker can make it round. He fails to make it home, and a new attacker moves into the batting square 3

4 TOUCHLIE TALES A game of tactics for your players David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly I was at an FA Development meeting last month. It was an update on our current 9v9 formations, and introduced the early steps for us moving on to 11v11. It was taken by ick Levett, the FA ational Development Manager for Youth Football, and he set a really interesting task. We were talking about 9v9 and the different tactics and formations teams can use when they play it. ick then asked the coaches present to get into groups of three to work out a tactical formation to play. We had to look at the formation and work out its strengths and weaknesses. Our group favoured a formation where teams could play out from the back and get the three-man defence to move into midfield, then support the attack. What we then had to do was find another group who were playing a different tactic to ours. We had to work out how we could play against their set-up. Our group was up against a team playing 2-2-4, so our defence had a fourman attack to cope with. This would mean if we lost the ball, the defence and midfield needed to get back quickly to cover. But their weakness was that to win the ball they were relying on just two midfielders and two defenders, so we believed our team would beat theirs! For some coaches it s all about believing they have a solution. Many I encounter still lack confidence, but this is a great exercise that often proves they can come up with the answer. Some very interesting formations came out of the exercise. I was very attracted to the formation which created two diamonds one in defence and one in attack. I felt this could be a very successful formation at 9v9. It made us all think about the values in 9v9 and also how we can help our players to prepare them for the transfer to 11v11. And that, I thought, would make a great exercise for my young players, so I got each player to consider his own favoured formation at the next training session. We discussed the various formations strengths and weaknesses for 10 minutes. The players all really enjoyed the discussion and came up with some great ideas. Try it yourself and work out the different tactical formations you can use at 9v9, then create other formations and think about how your tactic would stand up. For some coaches it s all about believing they have a solution. Many I encounter still lack confidence, but this is a great exercise that often proves they can come up with the answer, and sometimes, so can their players! Four ways to improve your players 1. Keep it simple Many young players are pushed too hard, too soon. The failure to embed the basics can produce players who always seem to struggle to control, receive and pass - the so-called weak players. So make their skill foundations really strong. Take however long you need to get all your players passing comfortably and accurately with either foot. Make sure they know how to shield the ball and receive it softly before you move on to more complicated skills. 2. Motivate, motivate, motivate All players of any level - need praise. Quiet congratulation for effort (not necessarily achievement) works wonders. You can even consider awarding motivation patches Rewards such as patches will help motivate young players to reward your players as they improve. It s often all a child needs to make his day and make him try harder in the future. 3. Players need to play one of your players will improve if they don t get the opportunity to practise their skills on match day. If you keep certain players on the bench week after week, you shouldn t be surprised that they don t improve. It can be difficult if, because of an equal playing time policy, you start losing games you know you could have won, but if you have good communication with parents and, sometimes, a thick skin, the long-term results are always worthwhile. 4. Improve yourself first It s important to take every opportunity to learn. Watch other coaches - you will benefit as much by noting and avoiding mistakes as Steve Watson Editor, Footy4kids.co.uk An equal playing policy will help all of your players to improve from watching good practice - read widely and go on courses. And invite feedback from players and their parents. You have the power to make all your players - including the weaker ones - feel special. It s a big responsibility, and one we must all try to live up to. 4

SMALL-SIDED GAME Use the neutral Michael Beale Premier League Academy soccer coach The red team plays the ball wide to a neutral eutral players are always on the attack in this game.

5 SMALL-SIDED GAME Use the neutral Michael Beale Premier League Academy soccer coach The red team plays the ball wide to a neutral eutral players are always on the attack in this game. Can the attackers utilise their numerical advantage to create a shooting opportunity? Create a playing area measuring 40x30 yards, as shown. This game uses three teams of three, plus two neutral keepers. Two of the teams begin by playing a 3v3 game. The third team of three are also active one player in the playing area and one on each wing - working as neutrals. You can apply conditions to the neutral players if needed, such as limiting touches on the ball and deciding whether or not those players are allowed to score. Play for 10 minutes then rotate teams so that another group of three players takes a turn as neutrals. 40yds 30yds The neutral runs down the wing and crosses to the red attacker Technique and tactics This game is used to highlight the use of the spare man encouraging players to look out for additional players. Look for neutrals to help create overloads on the pitch with the ball, or simply extra space (in drawing opposition players out of position). The white team attacks down the middle with the extra man advantage of the central neutral shot shot 20yds 5

YOUR SAY SCW Surgery This week Tom Fitzpatrick Castle United, Hampshire I sometimes let the Q excitement of youth soccer run away with me and talk too much at training, during matches and to parents.

Wayne Menton I have seen this sort of A behaviour many times. It stems from you wanting your team to succeed too much.

6 YOUR SAY SCW Surgery This week Tom Fitzpatrick Castle United, Hampshire I sometimes let the Q excitement of youth soccer run away with me and talk too much at training, during matches and to parents. And at times I let my guard slip with the language I use. I feel I m losing my players respect because I m not communicating with them in the right way. What can I do to change this? Wayne Menton I have seen this sort of A behaviour many times. It stems from you wanting your team to succeed too much. Sometimes you need to accept defeat for what it is: a part of the learning process, not the end of the world! I suggest you take a step back. Let your players learn by playing the game, not from you. And if you spot something that really must be corrected, don t tell the children what to do, ask them what they think is the solution to the problem. At matches, be quiet. The best coach I ever saw took a newspaper to matches and sat reading it while his team were playing. He was of the opinion that the only time he needed to coach was during coaching sessions, not matches. Bottom line: the less you say, the more your players will listen. Good luck! TACKLED: Results Here s the result of the poll we ran in Soccer Coach Weekly 291. We asked what you should do if, away from the soccer pitch, you saw one of your players bullying another child. Should you suspend or punish the player, even though what happened was outside of the coaching environment? 14% TAKE ACTIO DO T TAKE ACTIO 86% TACKLED: Joining forces? You ve a happy team, but are often short of players and you sometimes find the coaching hard going. Should you consider merging with another team to help solve your problems? YES Andrew Chenny Southwick Rangers Your players will be better for the knowledge and insight of other coaches, and merging would provide a great opportunity to really grab this. Your players will be better for the knowledge and insight of other coaches, and merging would provide a great opportunity to really grab this. After all, we want our kids to take on as many different influences as possible it shouldn t all come from one coach. Competition for places could be a really good thing here as well. Joining up with another team means players who had sat in their comfort zone now have to fight for their position on the pitch. Because of that, they ll up the effort in training and will pay more attention to what s being said. That means better players and more of a take out for everyone. What s the alternative, keep bumbling along until you can no longer drum up enough players to start matches? That will mean abandonments, embarrassment and the real feeling of having let your players down. Or worse still, burn yourself out because there is too much weighing down on you? What use is a coach who has lost his passion? You re not doing yourself or your players justice, so it s a good idea to find a solution now rather than suffer the consequences later. Share the burden it ll be a good decision for you and for your players too. There s also the competitive element. o matter what is said in some quarters, players like winning matches, and that s a fact. They ve got a lot more chance of doing that with the full complement of players, that s for sure! O Paul Watson Leeds Youth, Alabama, US While lining up a player short may not have been ideal, at least players were all getting maximum time on the pitch the ability to play the game for as long as they wanted. I ve been involved in team mergers in the past, and in my experience they never end well. Coaches often feel they re doing it for the sake of the kids, but the reality is it s for themselves. It can be an easy way out of what is, admittedly, a big commitment, but in merging with another club they re destroying the team unity that has often been a long time coming together. Players rarely get on with the other lot, and there s a negative atmosphere. Both times this has happened with me, the experiment has lasted a season at most before the whole thing implodes. And some teams go in for mergers for all the wrong reasons. If one is stronger than the other, one or two of the weaker players might be cherry-picked, but the others are left to one side. And while lining up a player short may not have been ideal, at least players were all getting maximum time on the pitch the ability to play the game for as long as they wanted. Two squads into one team ultimately means more time on the bench, even if EPT is adhered to. There s also a huge amount of politics involved in merging teams the new name, where the team plays, different codes of conduct. It s all political stuff that gets in the way of what we are there to do teach kids how to play soccer! And if it s about being short of players or help, then reach out! There are always kids who want to play soccer, and believe it or not, there are always parents and other helpers who want to muck in too. You ve just got to let them know you need a hand! PUT IT TO THE VOTE: Which of our guest coaches do you agree with? Visit our Facebook page or your thoughts to David Clarke at david.clarke@coach-soccer.com 6

SoccerCoachWeekly. Perfecting pressing. David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly. How to play it. Technique and tactics TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

SoccerCoachWeekly. Perfecting pressing. David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly. How to play it. Technique and tactics TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES Issue 295 Wednesday, December 19, 2012 TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES Perfecting pressing David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly Closing down and harassing opponents on the ball is vital if players are