I have been reasonably critical of the curriculum because of what seems to an outsider to be too much of a theoretical approach. To be honest, i have only really know what is discussed on here, plus i have seen a document with google, which surely couldnt be the whole document and a couple of links to some slide shows. Plus of course plenty of posts from decentric and others. With that being said, i think it is unfair to criticise without putting something up, so, without knowing what the real curriculum actually says. I think i am going to have a go at developing my own theoretical curriculum for the benefit of the game in Australia. I will do this over the course of time. Feel free to criticisise, comment, ridicule or whatever.

Phase 1 - Structure of the Game.
This will probably be one of my most controversial areas. I propose that the summer based A league needs to stay. I think it is a success and it has more potential to promote the game away from the major games of League and AFL. There are also advantages with venue hire. I do however propose some serious changes to the format of the A League.

Most agree that we dont play enough games in the a league. In order to fix this, i propose an additional 10 teams to be added to the A League, leaving us with a 20 team A league. The additional 10 teams will come from North Qld, Gold Coast, Woolongong, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin, Geelong, Morwell, Adelaide, Perth.

The salary cap will remain the same for the current 10 teams. The 10 new teams will be limited to a cap (excluding the two marquees) which is limited to 50% of their turnover. All new teams are required to own their own stadium and should budget for crowds of 1000 to 2000.

The idea here is not do all the fishing in the one spot, just because there are fish there. It is better to fish next to 100 fish on your own than to fish next to 1000 fish with 100 other people. The sides have been strategically placed in areas where there is not only a reasonable sized population, but more importantly, there is generally a regionalised television station, meaning that the A league side can monopolise the local area and grow the sport in these regional areas. Slowly growing soccer as the major sport in these areas. Also, with regards to pay tv, it makes it more attractive to the game, because each of these areas will have a small number of dedicated fans who will likely purchase pay tv just to see their team, as opposed to those in the city, who already have a reason to buy pay tv.

The draw of the Aleague will be simple. The current 10 sides and new sides will play each other twice they will play the other side once. This will essentially add an extra 9 or so rounds to the current competition, bringing the league into line with the major European leagues. Whenever a current side plays a new side, the current side is away. The reason for this is because it will save on the huge ground rents. It will also mean that when the big sides come to town, it will be a big occassion for the regional cities. The FFA, will also take the opportunity to adjust the draw, so that the rounds where there are all current vs new sides can take place during Fifa windows or when clubs have large Asian Cup committments. This would reduce the pressure on our successful sides without compromising the number of games. I also think that there is an advantage to the current A league sides in that even with the likes of Newcastle or Central coast struggling, the extra games will see them get some big wins, and be seen by their fans as big clubs rather than wooden spooners. I think this would help the main clubs maintain healthy crowds.

In relation to payment for this competion, i think that the travelling costs could easily be paid for by the current tv deal, even if the grant to clubs had to be reduced slightly. With a small salary cap, it shouldnt be too hard for the other new clubs to survive, particularly if they are chosen from existing clubs who are surviving with less exposure and on similar budgets as things are right now.

The other advantage of this is that it allows the lesser clubs access and assistance from the FFA in things such as providing publicity and guidance on promotions etc. It allows the clubs in smaller areas to professionalise things, in particular the organisation of junior teams. The aim would be for each club (particularly the new ones) to work with the junior clubs with those clubs becoming true representative teams of the areas.

TV coverage, is obviously limited to what foxtel wants. Not all games from the newer teams would be necessarilly covered, but that would depend on their ratings and how they ultimately sell themselves and perform. I expect that in time, foxtel would want to cover them all, but that is not compulsory, imo. The emphasis of the FFA running the game would not be so much on fairness to clubs, but on running the game in a competitive environment with the emphasis on growing the game and the best long term interest of the australian game. I would expect non televised games to be available through internet streaming which would be well advertised, perhaps even on the foxtel site. Most importantly would be that with the one competition the talk shows and sometimes news shows would pick up stories on the new clubs and this publicity would help them double their current sizes in terms of spectators, at the very least.

Playoffs: The playoff system would be a top 5 play off. I really think that this has always been the fairest and best system and the one where teams know what they have to do and where they have to finish. Such a system also allows the new teams to jag a place or two in the system, but it is unlikely that they would be able to actually win or even make the grand final without being good enough to beat the best Current team. It also means that only the very best current teams will make the playoffs so that any team making the playoffs will see the year as a success,rather than now where supporters of teams who made the finals last year couldnt really care less and considerd the year a complete write off. At least more supporters this way, will be happy and the concept of the finals will expand because of it. There will also be a playoff between the best old team and the best new team. The winner of this game shall switch groups.

A second division. A second division would be an option down the track. However, it would need to stay in witht the same concept in that it would include teams such as Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Port Moresby, Bathurst, Bendigo etc. The aim of this division would be to keep up the wide geographic spread adn attack the game at grass roots level in the country and smaller areas. Promotion and relegation would require the promoted team to beat a relegated team.

NPL. The NPL would play an important role. I would keep it as it is in a state run competition, though i would try to increase publicity by promoting it on the FFA table (Tables and fixtures at a bare minimum). Trying to use FFA publicists (it does go without saying that i would hire better ones) to promote the competition and even pushing foxtel for a weekly highlights show or talk show. I think this might be reasonably successful in the off season. if they wont do it, i think an internet stream, if worked properly would probably achieve the purpose.

FFA Cup. this would stay the same, though the round of 32 draw might ultimately become a round of 64 draw. I must admit that i have always preferred the random draw to the seeded draws which have become popular nowadays so i would revert to the random draw, for no other reason. Depending on whether or not it is considered that we ahve enough games, i would consider a traditional league cup which might involve the NPL Finalists (plus the best kiwi side if they want in) and the A league sides. Obviously, only the finals would be televised at first and it would be expected that the A league sides use their squads adn start their younger players.

Junior and amateur Football. Off season 5 aside competitons and futsal are encouraged. This is to help develop skills as well as to encourage youngsters to develop 1 v 1 skills and play midweek on training nights if they want to. up to under 8s, the small field would be used and 6 aside. Under 9s should use a three quarter field the size of two under 8 fields with three quarter sized goals. U 10s should use the big field, although probably should use the u9 sized goals, which could easily be moved inside the proper sized nets.

In relation to the bigger fields, i think it is very important to keep the 11 aside. The reason for this is that we need to teach our kids the importance of learning the shape of a team and their positional play. Or how other players need to support the ball carrier etc. At this age, it is easy to teach players to try to beat 10 players and hog it because that is what they all do. it is much more important to teach midfielders not to stand in the box all day or centreforwards how to pass the ball. The bigger fields allow the players time to work on their passing game adn their defensive structure which is going to be all important as they get older. I would consider a rule of no kicking over head height outside the attacking third in order to stop the big boot and long ball games, but i am undecided on this at this stage.

Scoring and tables are kept for all ages. I find it utterly disgusting that their is a modern trend to take away grand finals at a young age for children. This can be the highlight of most children's lives, winning a grand final. And many kids dont play the game after u 10 level and to see so many of these kids being robbed of this life time thrill which would stay with them for ever, just because of the political correctness of some do gooders is a sickening modern day trend to me. I also think that doing this will provide more enjoyment for the kids, who will in turn be more likely to stick with the game adn prefer the game to other codes. Conversely, this will attract other kids to the sport and ultimately improve the state of the game in australia. Knockouts, Carnivals etc should be promoted. I wouldnt mind seeing an age level FFA cup style set up where the grand final winners or premiers ultimately play on at a carnival somewhere for State honours and eventually national honours.

I think that pretty much covers phase 1 of my curriculum. Phase 2 - Will cover the representative and national team set up. Followed by Phase 3 which will be a detailing of coaching break downs and tactics. Not sure how fast or slow i will produce this document as it will depend on how much time but hopefully it will ultimately start some pretty good debate among some of you guys who are more up on the curriculum, and by comparing it to the current curriculem (which i still dont understand what it is properly) i and others will develop a better appreciation of it.

I strongly disagree with just about everything you have written in the OP. I hope to find the time to give you a considered and thoughtful response in the next day or so.

Edit - Here is a link to the national curriculum:
http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/dct/ffa-dtc-performgroup-eu-west-1/FFA%20National%20Curriculum_1ma6qrmro1pyq10gzxo5rcn7ld.pdf

Edited by biscuitman1871: 1/9/2015 03:43:13 PM

I look forward to your response, and thanks for the link. I expected the opening response to be very controversial, as it is (of all the curriculum i intend to post) the most airy fairy proposal. Still, I have written it to get comment and i look forward to defending some parts, and who knows, you may be able to change my mind on other parts.

As written down it appears theoretical.

However, it is very practical when one does courses. Like the European continent, it is expected that one will have undergone coach education if they coach.

In England, coaching courses are seen as extraneous. Any football fan on the street thinks they know more about football than the England coach.

Must admit Bender, you are pretty confident in your ability to supplant an entire national football curriculum instead of what occurs in Germany, France, Holland, Spain and Belgium. After all the first four are Australia's parent coutries for the curriculum.

I wonder if you can get your posts translated into the their languages to put your BP suggested alternative pathway for those countries as well?

My curriculum is aimed at winning the World cup for australia, not Germany, France, Holland,Spain or Belgium!

Oh look, 11.mvfc.11 doesn't know what he's talking about. Again.

Why are you such a grumpy c***?

It's a cut and paste from the Virginia shooting thread which he decided to throw in. I just substituted my name for his.

See how he likes it.

Then refute the arguments in the relevant thread (Virginia shooting) instead of resorting to insults and glib one-liners.

You won't because you can't.

Sorry for the thread hijack Benda.

I'm fine until fuckwits start playing the man rather than the ball. There's blokes on here that I never have a run in with, U4, scoll, draupnir, McJules, Nate and others. They abide by the civilised rules of discussion where ideas and points of view are argued and insults rarely, if ever, are hurled about.

All good.

And then there's your hopeless morons like socawho, 433, theselectfew, MVarse, other reprobates and now this bloke who I didn't know I even had a beef with until he decided to drop into an argument I was having with PB, who add nothing except vitriol.

They rarely argue the point and almost always resort to insults only. Then when the heat gets too much, as in MVArse's breakdown in the ethics thread, they run off to the mods.

You'll note I very rarely throw the first hand grenade but once one's lobbed at me then it's gloves off.

Perhaps you'd be better off asking the add nothing types who pop in to slag off posters and scurry back to their circle jerk lovefest to get internet high 5's off each other "why don't they argue the salient points?"

Of course it's harder to make coherent arguments so you can see why they take the cowards way out.

Once again Benda sorry for posting in your thread. Good luck with your curriculum discussion.

.

After seeing all the teams in the FFA Cup I love the idea of extra teams.=d>


It is an issue that all the big boys from Europe agree on - not enough games in Oz. If we had a 20 teams in a national league, playing each other at home and away over a season would create 38 games - ideal. That is if one adds, FFA Cup and ACL.


I know we will be shouted down that it is not economic, but spreading the national league to the regions would bring benefits to areas where these is no major sport at all.

Skills need to be acquired by the time players are 14 years old . Otherwise it is too late.

A lot of the 11 v 11 tactics can easily be learnt at a later age. Technique acquisition needs to be done at 9-13. It cannot be acquired satisfactorily at a later age. Without adequate technique, it is impossible to be a world powerhouse.

I like the idea of the Brazilian system 4v4, or 5v5 with keepers, up until 12 years of age. The rationale for this format is because if one team beats another it is usually due to skill and not tactics.

Rob Baan advocated this.

Hence, when I 've asked eminent coach educators why this has not occurred in Australia yet, with us evolving 7v7 and 9 v9 up to 11 v 11, the response has been that what we have done is to appease the naysayers who want 11 v 11 down to the age of 6.

I disagree with the economic part. The problem is that we are always trying to put multimillion dollar teams in areas where it is not possible. What i have done with the geographic spread is to try to capitalise on the lowered costs in a regional area. Television, radio and other media are much, much cheaper in these areas. Ground rent is another cost.

You will see from my proposal that i suggested that games be played at the home of the regional side (i am using this name rather than the new sides). The reason for this is that it is a condition of entry that each of their sides owns their own smaller sides. I imagine these venues to be the venues and teams that already exist in these areas, albeit perhaps a joint venture of existing clubs might happen. The sides i envision and even budgets would not be too different to what these sides already have in place. We should be able to subsidise the travel expenses out of the huge tv deals we get now. The only real problem is whether or not the existing teams can afford to pay their players for the extra games. I imagine that if their deals are structured properly it shouldnt be too much of a problem.

One thing which i didnt touch on is the structure o fteh free to air tv deal. I think this is very, very important, but it cant be structured like it is now. Sad as it is, there is not enough interest from neutrals, in the a League, from the casual fans, who are most important in the pursuit for ratings. The socceroos and club sides dont have this problem. The solution, imo, is that free to air channels should only get rights to show their Local sides. For example, Perth gets Perth games shown, Brisbane gets Brisbane game etc. With the expanded competition, each of the regional teams gets shown their own team. This is a very important strategy because it means that the right teams get promoted in the right areas. Ultimately, the foxtel deal will increase because of it, because as teams get a better exposure in these areas, those in each area will learn to follow their team and start to get more interest in otehr teams. I think this is an extremely important tactic in growing the game, and it will help the game to gain a real foothold. AS it is, i doubt Sydney FC v Melbourne will rate anywhere on free to air, outside of Sydney and Melbourne.

Phase 2 - The Representative Game.

Phase 2 of the curriculum is the representative game. The rep game is one of the most important areas to the growth of the game, becuase the socceroos have a huge power to attract juniors to the game and to raise the profile of the game. in fact, in many ways it is one of the major purposes of the entire curriculum. We want to win the world cup and dominate the sport, although ultimately the game can have other goals and achieve other purposes, such as developing opportuinities and lifestyles for young players or providing an effective community support structure etc.

The first step in any organisation and the most important step, imo, is the appointment of the coach. The FFA needs to think long and hard and needs to secure the best person for the job. They do need to work with clear goals, and in this sense it should be a minimum 4 year tenure, with the goal being to win the world cup. Obviously when evaluating performance, a second round appearance would usually be seen as a success, and sometimes even just a world cup appearance. But, the goal needs to be to aim to win every single game that is played and in particular ever single tournament that is played.

The coach needs to be carefully considered and he should be appointed for a minimum 4 year period so that he has time to implement his philosophies and styles. The coach selected should be the very best avaialble (not necessarilly Australian). The key though must be to have him selected by an experienced panel of coaches or ex coaches/players and ensure that he can do what is being asked. He should have a proven ability to coach winning teams, he should be given clear guidelines and no 1 should be his ability to select the best players and teach them the best. I see media engagement as a low priority and if this is a problem, his assistant can take over those duties.

He also needs 110 percent support, no matter what, once he is selected. Coaches dont go bad overnight. PLayers need to know that they must play to the coaches instructions and in any disputes the coach is the one who is supported. No player can be worth more than the team. I see virtually no reason why the coach's position should ever be terminated early and i think it is important for the organisation to support their coach fully. ON the rare occassion where action does need to be taken, the FFA needs to come clean and place the blame at their own feet. They knew the coaches ability when they appointed him and if he isnt up it, it is the FFA's problem.

For what it is worth, i would recommend Ange as the current coach as the best option available at the moment. Having appointed the coach, the FFA should then appoint those underneath him. In my opinion, there should be a close consultation with the coach in relation to the technical director, and also the support staff. All decisions must be made by a board of proper experienced personnel. And by experienced personnel, i am not talking about guys who have been around a long time, but about guys who have been around a long time and actually win things or achieve them. The coach of the junior teams are probably the most important positions outside of the senior coach and are maybe more important.

It is not good enough to simply appoint Australians to a position, just because they used to be good players or because they have completed an A1 course or whatever. There should be an international search, and the people chosen should be the players with the very best CV and who are experienced at winning football games and more importantly developing players. I think that these coaching positions are very important and they should be given to experienced coaches, not just guys who are cutting their teeth waiting for an a league position. This is where we should be aiming for the likes of Gombau, Arnold, Popovic and others of similar ilk Rather than guys like Vidmar, Okon etc, who arent really up to A league level yet. I would not mind seeing the pay for these posts increase substantially if (and only if) it means we get first class coaches.

In relation to training, i think that completion of badges should be encouraged, but is not the be all and end all. I see no reason why we cant employ "unqualified" coaches if they have the record up their application. In fact, i consider the reports from explayers and employers 100 times more important than physical level of coaching qualifications.

The mandate for the junior teams, imo, needs to be the same as the senior coach. They need to select the best players available and try to win each and every game. Obviously their will be some restrictions such as having to select entire home based sides for costs or whatever, but at the end of the day, every player selected in an Aussie side should win his place on merits and earn his selection. The days of picking an under 12 side to play an under 16 tournament (or whatever they seem to do now) are over and that practice is outdated. It doesnt help anyone.

Saying this, obviously if a 16 year old is earning a start in a premier league side due to injury, the coach has a right to leave him in that side, if it is in his best interests. His ultimate goal is still to provide the open socceroos side with a side capable of wining the world cup, this cannot and will not be done unless he teaches players the habit of winning against the worlds best sides and allows them opportunity to improve their game. Unlike now, where we use non selection as an excuse because of the "brand" of football we play and results dont matter, we pick the strongest possible side Now Save for a handful of clear exceptions (such as experimenting with players, or letting a player stay and earn a place with his club etc) the players picked will be the best available.

With regards to the sides, the FFA needs to get a lot more proactive with the recording and televising of all of these games. There enough games at this level and enough interest in the game to get internet streams and television broadcast deals. for clubs at this level, and this level should be pushed as i believe that it is a valuable source of both income and media publicity that can help all levels of teh game.

Phase 3 - The Philosopy.

The buzz word in modern soccer is Reactive and proactive play. Most modern thinking prefers proactive play to Reactive play. However, this is an artificial distinction and a side should not limit themselves to playing one particular facet, as the best sides are effective at both styles. In general terms, proactive play is most important for a team when they are in possession of the play, while reactive play is generally best for a team without the play. In reality, this distinction is not one which players need to concern themselves with.

The better thinking is for the player to be encouraged to "go at them" or "be positive" when they have the ball, and to settle on their structure and shape, as soon as they lose the ball. It is important that sides are positive (proactive) with the ball and whenever possible, yet saying this, they also need to be reactive and ensure that they are always aware of the opposition, and are ready to make their runs and direct their attacks according to where the oposition are weakest (reactive). Likewise the same should be the case without the ball. A player must always be aware of their players and the dangerous players and position themselves (and their teammates accordingly). Saying this, once they have their shape, part of this plan should be attacking the opposition and forcing the turnover (proactive). The most effective form of defense is a combination of the two, when the player picks their time to be proactive and force the turnover. A player also needs to ensure they are aware of their own team mates and taht they attack in defence, as a team or unit. It is useless for one player to dive in, if he isnt supported by his teammates.

The name of the game is possession, and the philosophy is to obtain possession for as long as possible, predominantly in the opposition half. This is best done by attacking the opposition, no matter how good they are. In fact, players should be constantly thinking about how they can attack and how they can create scoring opportunities. The best time is often on the break when the defence loses the ball but this must be balanced, and sides also need to be patient in attack. When a player has the ball, they should be prepared to play the easy ball, whenever possible. Those around him should strive to give him two or three or more off the ball options.

As a general rule, if the player has no options on the ball, he should usually run with the ball. Ideally towards the goal of course, but sometimes just into space. What this does is it opens up the play and creates space for other players and uncertainty in the minds of defence. A player should always stay alert and monitor the opposition and his own players for opening of space and opportunity.

Also very important is the golden rule of first touch away from the opposition player. If a player remembers these golden rules, they will go a long way towards starving the opposition of possession and winning the game.

In defence, a player must firstly get behind their players and get their shape. ONce they do this, they will be able direct other players into position and monitor. However, having found their shape, they should also remember the general philosophy which is to always go at the opposition. If the player is aware of the state of the game, he will be able to assess who needs marking and push other players on. Sometimes, depending on where the play is at, a player may be able to take a bit of a risk to create quick attacking opportunities on the break. this should be done though, only where it is safe to do so. Often a player can defend an attacker by dragging them back into the defence. They do need to be aware of their defence though and not throw caution to the wind.

It goes without saying that chances should be taken in the opposition half, not in your own half. If you are going to make a mistake it should be somewhere that you are not going to be punished. This is why, where possible, it is best to play out of defence as quickly as possible and with as little risk as possible.

As a general rule, the ball should never aim to be hit any higher than head height, whereever practical. The players should aim to always hit feet and to keep the ball on the deck. This allows team to knock the ball around and keep possession. It is important for the two wide players (usually the midfielders and/or fulbacks) to stay wide and hug the touch line, when the ball comes to their side. this allows the side to play around the opposition and create havoc in behind the fulbacks.

One thing which players need to be careful to understand is that while the aim and philosophy is to always attack and dominate possession, this is not done by simply throwing players up front, although sometimes this will be required. For example, a midfielder who is playing well and enjoying space does not necessarilly help the side offensively by moving forward and playing beside the centre forwards. IN fact, the side is helped offensively by the midfielder resisting this temptation and staying back in the centre of the park, as he can draw defenders away from the attackers. Attack is about shape and balance, not aimlessly throwing players forward. More will be discussed later in the curriculum when the role of different players is talked about.

The highline should be used with caution in that the defence should always aim to move the attackers out as quickly as possible, when the defence gets the ball. However, this needs to be balanced as when the side doesnt have the ball, the fulbacks need to be careful not to rely too much (if at all) on the offside trap and should always aim to provide depth and cover. Cover is also very important in all other positions and players must be ready and think about covering their team mates.

the offensive attitude must be complemented by a win at all costs mentality. Players need to be taught and trained to go the extra yards to win the ball or the game. A player must be prepared to run and to win the ball and/or do whatever it takes to win the game. It is true that keeping the ball on the deck is designed to make the game more enjoyable, easier and more attractive to watch, but at the end of the day, we do this give ourselves the best chance to win by staying true to our philosophies. We dont aim to kid ourselves. if we are regularly playing well, we will win. Brutal honesty in performance and evaluation is the only way. if we are not winning games, we are doing so because we are not playing well enough. We fix this by staying true to our philosophies and improving our performance, not by pretending that the result is not important and all will be well in the future.

The preferred formation of choice is the 4-4-2. This is the most flexible of all the combinations and allows players to easily learn derivatives of this formation and make minor adjustments which allow the formation to adopt to individual game circumstances. MOre of this will be discussed later during the coaching phase. Though in reality, players and coaches should strive to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of all different styles. A player who understands and is well practiced in the 4-4-2 theory will be able to easily adapt to other derivatives of this style, such as the 4-2-3-1 which seems very popular at the moment.


I intend to discuss a little more about the role of the clubs, when i get time, before going to other phases such as the coaching, training and positional roles. I could be wrong but i think that this one might start to get some decent criticism from decentric and others over time. I am interested in how it compares to the NC and or what areas others agree or disagree on.

The rationale about why 1-4-3-3 is preferable as a development system is that it involves playing in a lot of triangles and diamonds inherent in the formation.


Later having familiarity in this system, supposedly makes it far easier to adapt to a 4-4-2 with a flat midfield , than going from a 4-4-2 to the 1-4-3-3. Heavyweight international football boffins assert this.

What 1-4-3-3 formation are you talking about, though? One with a flat midfield? One with a triangled midfield, to Attacking midfields like Ange plays, two screeners like Holger played? What is the role of the midfielder in the 1-4-3-3? A 4-4-2, when played properly is, imo, more conducive to playing with triangles, although i concede, that any formation will use triangles. And there are right and wrong ways to play both formations. I strongly disagree that 4 -3-3 is better for players to adapt or that it involves more triangles. I do think that the 4-4-2 is far simpler and easier to coach, particualraly at the all important learning team.

there are a number of adavantages that the 442 has over the 433 formation, which i probalby wont discuss just yet. From a coaching point of view, the biggest advantage is that it is far easier to coach the positional sense into players. The players roles can be defined with greater certainty, imo, and whilst it isnt a defensive formation, it does give a better defensive base, from which to attack from.

I should also indicate, that while 4-42 is the preferred formation, that is all it is. Players should be encouraged, at all ages to experiment with all formations, including the 4-3-3. They should learn the basic 4-4-2 though, and they should understand how the 4-42 can be adapted into other formations.


Edited by bender parma: 6/10/2015 09:30:21 PM

I am not sure what happened to phase 4 of the curriculum which dealt with the goalkeeping positions. It seems to have disappeared or been lost in cyberspace. I think i will continue witht eh positions and move onto the left and right backs.

These are actually the easiest positions to play and are where, as a general rule, you usually stick your new players who are coming down for a run and is why they are more commonly known as left and right Gump. Saying this, like any position, a good fulback is an important part of any team. The first job of the fulback is to defend.

The fulback must identify their winger early and ensure that they are always goal side of the winger. AS is often said on these forums, defence is first and foremost in the minds of any fulback. AS soon as the ball is lost, instinctively, they need to immediately track back and get behind their winger. They also need to be very careful to stay on their feet and jockey their winger, forcing them wide. This is more important, even than jumping in and winning the 50-50 ball. That is not to say that the tackle isnt an important skill for the fulback, but if the position is played properly, the winger will rarely have the chance to turn with the ball.

A fulback who shows his player the wing, jockey's and holds him up and forces the winger to prop and play inside has done his job.

Having marked up their player, the fulback must keep his head up and sort out the winger and defence. He must look to the centre back and find out whether or not he is called across into the center (which is discouraged) and make sure that his winger is in position. More often than not, the fulback should mark his player and push his winger up the field to the next player or the space. The fulback also needs to consider his positioning, when the ball is on the other side. He should drop level with the last man in defence, who should be a centre back, and be prepared to cover if it is required, remembering though to always keep an eye on his own player.

In making defensive decisions, it is very important for the fulback to remember to mark the man who is the most dangerous player and not necessarilly the man with the ball. On many occassions, the fulback will be required to mark two men, often bearing down on him. This is one of the most important skills for a young player to learn. The best way for a young player to understand this is to think of the positioning on the field is to show them what should happen on a chalk board. Grap a circle string or large rubber band. use one finger or pencil to indicate the two attackers. You ten make a triangle with the rubber band which linds up with the the near post and teh last defender (centre back). In time it will come natural for the fulback to think defensively in triangles, which is very important in the game.

AS with any other position, though Defence is only part of the position. A well skilled fulback should always look to attack when possible. In fact, many say quite rightly that the position is actually the easiest place to attack from. By timing their runs properly, a fulback will actually get the other side of their winger and more importantly, will actually drag them deep into the defence and take them out of the game. This makes it much easier for the fulback to defend. There are two keys to the overlapping run. The first is to try to end up as wide as possible and running so that your body shape allows you to face towards the goals. This is not by not running in a straight line. The fulback should make a curved run around his players which makes it easier to get wide and to receive in the proper position, facing the ball and seeing the play. The second important part is the timing of the run. In most cases the ball will be received from the central midfielders or from cross field switches. the straight ball from the right midfield is a possibility but should not be used too often.

In making the run, it is very important for the fulback to call his cover back into position. Usually this will be the midfielder in a 442 which usually works best, because the midfielder can not only cover the fulback but he stay in an advanced enough position to support the fulback from behind and put in a dangerous cross or shot, depending on how the play unfolds.

The modern game often calls for playing out at the back. The fulback is an important part of this. They must always support their keeper, and should come to the byline and support making an angle so that the player marking them cannot get the ball. It is important to support from wide, because if they are marked, their winger will follow them and be taken out of the game, allowing the ball to be kicked further up field. Although playing out is encouraged, the fulback should take no chances. if it isnt on, he must speak up and not allow the team to fiddle around. The fulback must aim to finish the game with 100% completion rate and zero errors. If in doubt, the ball goes up field to the corners, where the midfielder/Winger will run onto the ball.

When not making the overlapping run, the fulback plays behind the midfield and should be always prepared to support the wide midfielder. when receiving the ball, he must keep an eye out for the potential diagonal cross field balls which are often teh most dangerous balls that can be played.

At corners, the fulbacks should each take a post. And the fulback should also nearly always be th player that takes the throw ins. On attacking corners or free kicks, the fulback should usually resist the temptation to get into the box. His position will mostly be on the edge of the 18 yard box or even 10 yards behind it waiting to pounce on any scraps. The fulback must resist the temptation to throw 10 players into the box, even in desperate circumstances, because more often than not, the ball will come out and positioning properly at this time will in fact be a more attacking move than standing in the box. Also, often the fulback will be called on to cover the centre back who usually fancies himself in teh box, although this would depend on team dynamics and plans.

The skills looked for in a fulback are usually speed and fitness and a good crossing leg. Contrary to popular belief, the fulback is probably the most taxing position physically, because the fulback needs to make 50 m runs at pace, regularly. Good dribbling skills are helpful, but they dont always need to be as silky as in other positions. From a physical aspect, a Matt Leckie or Ben Halloran are both ideally skilled for the position. As far as actual positional play, i believe that Davidson and Franjic are the two best we have at the moment. Hopefuly they will improve in other areas or at least have blinders at teh next world cup, and we will go a long way to a good performance.

By popular demand, i will move onto the Central midfields. 

It doesnt really matter what your formation is too much, the midfields job remains similar in the way it is taught.  The central midfield should be the link between the forwards and the defence.  Always supporting, always defending, always creating.  At least one of the midfielders will need to take on the organising role and he should be alert to arrange his players and give the team direction.  It is important that he is always talking to his teammates and organising them.

As soon as the team loses the ball, or if the ball goes out, he need to get himself a yard or so behind the opposing midfielder and he should ensure that the team gets their shape.   In most cases, it should be the first thing he yells.  This makes sure everyone instantly is reminded of what they need to do.  From the middle, he picks up the danger early and he should direct his players into appropriate position, if they are not already there.  He should never rush in, as he must enure that nobody comes through the midfield, and where possible he always stays on his feet.  That being said, if there is to be a tackle, he must go in hard and not lose the challenge.  No ifs buts or maybes.  He must dominate his midfield.  He should make any 50-50 balls 60-40, but if he cant, he stays on his feet and doesnt commit.  

In attack, he needs to remember that he is the link.  The biggest mistake he can make is by pushing too far forward, thinking he is playing defensively if he does not do this.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Obviously if things are on they are on, but he provides far more attacking impetus by remembering his support role, he must hang off getting into the centre forward's way and always remember his role is to support the wingers, fulbacks and even strikers.  Not only will he create more, but he will also get plenty of chances to slot his own goals.  

In Most formations, the midfielder will have one, two or even three midfielders to help him control the centre of the field he should usually play about 10 metres or so from that player.  Often that 10 m will become a triangle or a diamond, depending how the team sets up.  The best and most succesful midfielders will still retain control of their midfield, and will often rotate with the others depending on the run of play.  Basically principles remain the same though and where possible both the screener and the Attacking midfielder (or 6,7 or 10 or whatever number is randomly assigned these days) must always keep the same things in mind.  Get your shape when you lose the ball, and find shape and support when you gain the ball.  I dare say also, no matter what shape is being used, if the pure midfielders role is not being filled, the attacking mid or screener should always cover for the player out of position.  It can be stressed how important it is to control and dominate the midfield.

With regards to attitude, the central midfielder needs to be unselfish.  He must always look to use diagonal switch balls as often as possible and also play the shorter simple balls when they are on.  That being said, his control and first touch is imperative.  And as well as this he needs to be prepared to run at players as well.  There is no more dangerous thing than a central midfielder who controls the ball and makes a penetrating diagonal run.  It puts the defence in two minds and will more often than not create space and time for the attack. 

When selecting a midfield player, this position will usually be taken by the best player in the team.  Not necessarilly the fastest or most skilful, but the one with good solid skills a touch of pace when he wants to, a decent shot and most importantly a proper football brain.  Contrary to popular opinion, despite the fact that the midfielder is always in the game and never rests, this is not the most physically taxing position.  Most running is usually for shorter distances than other positions, meaning that it will be more like a long distance run than  a series of sprints.  If you have an older experienced player (who actually knows how to play), it is usually here where you would play him.  The biggest mistake coaches can make is by looking to put players here solely because they are the fittest players in the team.  They need to look for skill/football ability first. The other important thing is to make sure the player here is well respected by teammates and doesnt have the air of arrogance and lack of respect by teammates.  A good midfielder will need to get his team motivated and achieving what he wants.  It is no coincidence that these types of players are usually the ones who make the best coaches (at least in pre curriculum days).  At a reasonable young age, it is highly advantageous for these players to get involved in coaching or assistant coaching of junior teams. 
 

Where do you think your mooted preferences differ from the current FFA methodology?

I doubt there will be a huge difference, because I doubt that there is this magic wand that the FFA methodology waved that invented these great things that made modern coaches and players so much better and more advanced than those in the 80s to the stage that old time socceroos teams are said to not be able to compete with their modern more advanced trained players.  I have only read one curriculum document which someone pointed me to once.  Maybe there is a lot better stuff around, i dont know.  I am going to finish this curriculum (which is a long way from being finished) and then hopefully you i will give people a chance to use the curriculum to show me where those dinosaurs who taught me about the game were so wrong and explain why modern methods are so much different and better.

I must admit it is interesting that your comment seems to suggest there isnt much difference with the current FFA methodology. Does this seem to suggest that what was taught back in the day was as good as current ffa methodology. 

It would take a thesis to answer some of this.

The best thing for you to do is do some of the FFA Skills and Game Training certificates FFA offer. Some of these courses only take 1-2 days. For the amount  of time invested, the knowledge gained, or one has access to, is well worth the time spent.

The vast majority of coaches who undertake FFA coach education are not analytical by nature in comparing old and new methodology. Many of us on here are. The same people would find FFA coach education interesting even if they never coach.

At coach education  courses, I usually ask a lot of questions. Most don't. The best people to clarify  them are FFA staff coaches.

Keep it coming Bender.

D a truer word never more said 4v4 and 5v5 with keepers is how our game should be structured up to 12 years of age.
I don't believe the naysayers bit because the FFA has never fully backed Futsal and if we are to develop the technical abilities we need to succeed at the Gold Standard World Class level we need Technique WE NEED FUTSAL. In schools would be a start , so many schools now have indoor facilities and we are losing these facilities to Basketball. Crazy stuff in my mind.
In 2017 Under 12s in BPLV will be half pitch 9v9 and about time too.
They have left the Community Clubs to play full pitch CRAZY STUFF AS WELL.

Agree 100%.

There was a lot of talk in WA about moving 12s football back to 9 v 9 (as with 11s) but with offside but it hasn't come to fruition.

Lots of barriers thrown up about availability of pitches - which is crap when you could play two games across on pitch that would be used for a 11 v 11 game.  Too many ingrained attitudes are holding back progress.

Luckily girls can play down in mixed competitions so my daughter can play 9 v 9 for another season. 

Guys the reality is culture eats coaching for breakfast! What we really need is a change in grassroots culture and the general football community in terms of valuing technique and touch at the foundation which is precisely what we have been lacking since the golden generation era.

The more i think about it the more the FFA need to bring Tom Byer to offer some sort of consulting role if we want to truly change our football culture or else we could be waiting a very long time till we improve again.

We just don't focus not enough on the foundation years(2-6) and instead thinking coaching or a curriculum will solve the problem but the reality it can only take you so far, it might help get better ideas and get us to progress to a certain level but wont fix the foundation which establish football countries have an advantage of if we want to win a world cup or close to winning one.

Education, insert knowledge and awareness of what is needs to be done is the key.

NOW YOUR TALKING B4L " (Football) Culture eats coaching for breakfast!"