I will preface this by stating I have never coached, but with regard to getting the kids some positional awareness canyou line mark out the 8v8 areas? I suggest this because you could essentially limit them in the same way as kids are in net ball, 2 players from each team allowed to be in the defensive 3rd, 2 players from each teamin the offensive 3rd, 4 players from each team in the transitional 3rd. Each team has 1 player who is allowed to roam the whole field and the ball must be passed not carried from 1 zone to the next.

There are probably some better suggestions but that may help your players to understand why positioning on the field is so important.


What do you think about the FourFourTwo blog And we're off....?
So our development squad season has begun and we're 3 weeks in to our season although the kids haven't started playing club football yet for another 2-3 weeks.
The first thing that has struck me - ap...

Have your say.

In case not obvious one of the 4 players in the transitional zone has the ability to roam to support either an attack or defense.

This would also help to limit the time the ball stays in one section of the pitch - something that you see often when young kids play a SSG as the mass of bodies prevent the ball from travelling.

Absolutely - and a great idea and one we've already discussed is forcing them to occupy certain areas to manufacture space.

Another one we discussed is creating a vertical channels with one player from each team staying in both the touchline zones - this forcibly creates width on both sides of the pitch but also creates a nice little attacking and defending 1v1 on both sides.

Interestingly another trick we've found is to get them to play volley and catch - kicking the ball from their hands to a team mate who has to catch it and then volley it on - modified AFL really.

The strangest thing appears to happen. If you put a ball at a kids feet all the other kids run towards him.

If you put a ball in a kids hands they all run away from him and into space.

Have used this sparingly before to good effect.

I think it's because kids feel their team mate can kick if further and higher out of their hands so they have more confidence to run into space further away from the ball

That is pretty interesting, it could also be due to the accuracy they get doing that - or perceive that comes with doing it... it may also be a result of how they see players interact with goal keepers who have picked up the ball and note that the outfield players offer themselves as leads. Thinking on this my son (who is 5) pays the most attention to the goalkeepers during a game because of the fact they pick up the ball, it is unusual and so results in an increased focus. He also loves watching the ball get punted up field and the resultant play from it.

Was thinking of another way to create space in a game like environment. Set up a grid pattern like this:

*--*
-**-
*--*

the 4 corner * represent a box with a player from each team, the 2 centre * each have 1 of the 2 coaches. The coaches are neutral and are used as a spare player by which ever team passes to them and they then pass back to that team. Games go for 5 minutes (or whatever is appropriate) and the object is for the teams to keepy off each other when in possession. Each pairing is an enforced 1 v 1 situation and players can either short pass to a coach or long pass to a corner and need to be able to beat their man to make the pass. Also they need to jockey for position against their man in order to receive a pass. Being able to effectively place your self in order to receive a pass whilst in a contest is one of the things that is not well executed in the HAL, probably SVD is the best player at it (mostly because he is the one I am most familiar with) that I have watched live.

Do you record sessions? I know that seems pretty advanced but do you think the kids would get 1, a kick out of watching themselves play & 2, a better understanding of how they are not using space? You could use it to highlight when a player does something good (ignore mistakes in a group environment as it doesn't have a positive effect, deal with them one on one or use them within the coaching group to highlight areas to watch out for) to build self esteem and also to get them to understand what you are trying to teach them.

Might well try recording some of it - maybe get one of the parents on hand to record - I've got a video camera.

Might also take the kids along as a group to watch the 11 reps play on the full field - this equates to where the kids need to be next year - then we can discuss how they make space and don't all run to the ball etc

Thanks for the ideas! Some good things to think about...cheers

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Stellar job, boys.

This thread underlines the massive shortfall of genuine knowledge you're likely to find on the internet.

Group 1
A predominantly Sydney based self-anointed football pseudo - inelligentsia exist. They consistenly deride KNVB methodology, and label it some sort of product analogous to Amway. They are essentially xenophobic.

They don't proffer any alternative methodology such as the Italian Coverciano, French Clarefontaine, or the new German high speed precision football, borrowed from the Dutch. They also share nothing with each other or anybody else about coaching. They exude a sneering cynicism about foreign coaching expertise in this country. They claim the local Aussie coaches are adequate, but don't suggest which methodology or curriculum they should use.
They denigrate anybody interested in football until after 2005 as new dawners, thus having no credibility. They communicate with each other through a sneering, hostile, blokey cynicism. They are often passionate football fans, but cynical and malcontented. They hate 442 forum. They are very opiniated about football, but have little theoretical knowledge to substantiate their views.

It is good that you are posting training ground sessions on here, Andy.

I intend to return to this thread later.

Cheers.

My last blog outlined our top line objectives for this group and some of these are already looking more challenging than others. The biggest challenge I think we will face this year is getting the right balance between game centred practise and technique development. If I go by the FFA's Building Blocks addendum to the National Curriculum these kids are bang in the middle of the "discovery" and "skill acquisition" phase so we will constantly need to be aware of hitting the right balance between the two. We need to work on helping the players develop the right techniques for the key skills but at the same time keep it fast paced and fun.




We certainly didn't cover building blocks in KNVB Youth certificate like you did in the C Licence, Andy.

This looks like a method similar to what we use in Marie Clay diagnostic reading assessments in teaching.

As a coach I am fairly intuitive about what players need. It could be argued 'nebulous' compared to the building blocks criteria.

I know I shouldn't have showed some juniors the flashy Brazilian dribbling techniques as they are too difficult for their level of technique development. Then again I've wanted to show them why inside sole of the foot dribbling or rolls can be extended.

Can you set out some of the building block stages, please?

'Fast paced' and 'fun' are important prerequisites for juniors. You've certainly got that right. "Listening' can be a weakness in that age group.



Edited by Decentric: 10/4/2011 09:16:50 PM

Not a bad idea.

Another one is to create space by showing players a 2 metres x 2 metres grid. Demonstrate a 4v4 SSG using cones.

Set out a diamond shape using using the same coloured cones, eg. white. This can be labelled a 1-2-1. It also incorprates the width and depth which was an integral component in your C Licence and my KNVB courses.

Have the 16 players sitting around the 2m x 2m grid it with some at the back kneeling.

Explain that when a team has the ball they must open passing lanes for other players to pass to.

Explain when they don't have the ball they must close down the passing lanes of the other team. They also need the first defender pressurising the player with the the ball. Initially this is a quick movement, slowing down at the last instant.

The second and third defenders should be two covering the two flankers in the diamond shape.


!_____________________________________________!

..............................X


.....X ........................................... ... ....X



............................X

!______________________________________________!

The solid lines are two sides of the 2m x 2m grid.

The Xs are the players in the diamond shape of 1-2-1.

There is one forward, two flankers and one back.

One can add goals to each end.

The demonstration grid is 2 metres by 2 metres.

This helps players understand the role.

Even get players to stand in the 2m x 2m grid on top of the cones in the diamond formation to demonstrate 1-2-1.

Then get the same players to stand in the 10 m x 10 m grid in the same diamond 1-2-1 formation.

Then play this formation in a 4 v 4 SSG in a 10m x 10 m grid for the SSG which accentuates the coaching concept one is trying to get across.

This 1-2-1 diamond can be extrapolated to 11 v 11 using the variations of the 4-3-3. It is often useful to use 7 v 7 as a precursor to the 11v11.

http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/site/_content/document/00001564-source.pdf

I've answered my own question. This link spells it out.

Hey Decentric

Yes that's what I was referring to...one of the challenges we're finding is the difference in ability with a group as big as we've got. There were reasons for a group this size that weren't specifically football related but we now have to find football solutions each week to try to ensure all kids benefit from the sessions.

There is a very big gap even in the most basic passing ability and we get 90 mins a week with them...the big challenge is keeping it relevant and challenging for such a big group.

Thanks for the suggestions....enjoying the exchange in your other thread too.

Cheers

Andy

Edited by Andy Jackson: 11/4/2011 03:48:05 PM

Andy, I wonder why you chose to do an 8v8?

I think it is essentially an American SSG formation.

If you are trying to coach to FFA's curriculum, a 7v7 is a more useful precursory shape for the full 4-3-3.

I've made a post in detail on 7v7 as a precursor to 4-3-3 on about page 9 in on the FFE thread in Performance.

Choice of 8 v 8 was a purely logistical one...we've got 32 players...2 games of 8 v 8 means all players involved.

Sometimes you have to sacrifice the theory for the reality with such a big group.

have you tried the dutch circuit model ?
you could set up a number of different conditioned games as well as have a technical part, you rotate players around every 15 mins, used to work for the 24 age 8 players i took.
The key is to get them used to the games and after a few weeks they will start to play almost without supervision.