Game pressure or more touches?

This may be like asking what the meaning of life is but I have been considering what the best way to develop technique is. Obviously there is no magic formula but I’m interested to hear some opinions and the logic behind these opinions.

These are the things I have been considering.
- To teach or let the kids develop technique.
(I chose to teach in the warm up but to let them develop for the rest of the training session).

- The next thing which is what I can’t decide on game pressure vs more touches. I’ll use an example to explain.

Say your topic was dribbling.
What do you think is more beneficial?
- 1 v 1 or 5 v 5 encouraging dribbling (a successful dribble past a player also equals a goal).

Passing
5 v 5 (5 passes also equals a goal, 2/3 touch) or 3 v 1.


At the moment I do a combination of both just but I’m starting to lean towards 5 v 5 as some players are becoming very good at 1 v 1 however some don’t use this in a game or in the 5 v 5. Also 5 v 5 develops better decision making (whether to dribble or pass, shoot or pass etc).

In a 5 v 5 however the better players tend to dominate and get more of the ball so therefore less touches for the less developed players.

I am very interested to hear some of the responses.

What ages are these kids mate?

If the topic is dribbling, its all about building on the learnt skill then adding variables or restrictions...
I.e.
- Start with dribbling on their own through cones etc for technique,
- Add a passive defender 1v1
- Add a defender 1v1
- When they are mastered step it up to 2v1, 3v2, 4v3 etc 1 or 2 touch.

Technique is very important; correct technique needs to be taught, practised and monitored.


Passing drills need to be restricted. I.e 2 or 3 touch, very heavily monitored, meaning if they have 3 touches, stop and change possession.

E.g. If the less developed players aren't getting touches in a 5v5, give each player a number 1-10, where 1 can ONLY pass to 2, 2 can ONLY pass to 3 etc etc where 10 passes to 1... When this is at a decent standard and understood go back to the 5v5 and play with the same principles but passive defending. When you're happy with the quality of the passing and movement, make it all in defence... This way all kids are getting touches of the ball. Again, I'm not sure how old the kids are, and this might prove to be a difficult exercise. Especially the 5v5....

I prefer to work on 5v5 with 3 touch, improves movement off the ball which is a major flaw in a majority of junior football. When it becomes too easy I add cones around the perimiter of the field that the players have to touch after they make a pass, further promoting instant movement after a pass.
As said previously it all depends on the age group and what prior coaching they'd had.

Just an observation about todays World Cup Semi-Final, I was so happy Spain won and so impressed with their individual player technique which proved supreior to the Germans.

It was interesting on two fronts one watch the game and you will see that the Spainish players not only control the ball well but naturally kept themselves between the opponent and the ball.
Many time I see players at all levels dribble or control the ball with sound technique, except they show the ball to their opponent too often. You have player in possesion-Ball-opponent. The high quality Spainish players more often have Ball-player in posseion-Defender.

My second observation was how tall and physically bigger the Germans are compared to their Spainish opponents. Says a lot I think.

It's all about touch. If you can control the ball, make it go where you want it, etc., then - as Arthur says - you can always keep your body between the ball and the opponent.

For those interested in skills development, particularly with regard to touch and control, I've started a thread on skills - linked to Con Boutsianis's new coaching application for the iphone - LearnFootballTV.

Shameless promotion, I know, but I think it's worth it.

Sorry the age group is u11 down.

I've come to a conclusion that it is all about where the kids are at and varying the resistance to suite them.

1 v 1 is a good place to start and 5 v 5 encouraging dribbling is a good way to end in terms of dribbling.

And 4 v 1 to start and 5 v 5 encouraging passing is a good way to end in terms of passing.

However I still think even if they are not ready for 5 v 5 they should still be exposed to it at the end in a "free game".

So my training sessions for under 11 are a bit like this.

Warm up
- Skills under no pressure.

Technique
- E.g. 1 v 1 or 4 v 1

Game pressure
- E.g. 3 v 3 or 5 v 2 etc

Free game
- 5 v 5

Seems like a decent session for kids of that age...

What type of squad are they? Skills, club or representative?

They are a club side with most of them it being their first year.

Its an ok training session and the kids are getting better technically. However I think one thing in I massively under rated before I got into coaching is mentalitiy.

Things like
- Motivation
- Never giving up

Us Australians are usually pretty good at however things like
- Trying different techniques (e.g. step overs etc) in a game kids a very very reluctant to do so.
- Their is a massive fear of stuffing up so they go back to what they can do and what is least risky.

If anyone has any tips on how to encourage kids to try step overs, keep possesion instead of booting it away etc would be much appreciated.