For juniors I haven't had explicit instructions about creating space, other than rondos. Particularly with the 3v1 rondos, like you use. I sometimes think playing netball is good for space creation reinforcement, as it is the only way a team can move forwards.

In KNVB for youth age level they advocate that players should try to open passing lanes when in possession of the ball, with diagonal movement off the ball. If in possession and the 4-3-3 shape (in its variations) is maintained, not lost, the argument is the triangles/diamonds should be formed, enhancing passing lanes, by maintaining the formation which has triangles/diamonds in it anyway.

I like your suggestion of of when passing the ball, moving to another area, even if only a few metres at the start. I will probably use this very soon on the training ground, even with older players.

Interesting comment from Raymond Verheijen. I'd never thought about a game like that.

What about Control, 1V1 and dribbling at such a young age?

Decentric, movement is implied in my training sessions from U6 onwards. They have no choice but to move. Movement is inherently linked to time and space. But this is what I tell my players:

Football is all about passing recieving and movement. When you pass a ball move to a new area (even if it a couple of metres to start). Passing to the "most grass" can help incourage this process early on. A player will have learn to get to these new areas of most grass subconciously over time (not kick and chase). Then what you see is recieve, pass, move, recieve with only 2-3 touches on average. Movement off the ball is so important so that space and time can be created.

Raymond Verhejien has said that football is about 150 sprints of about 10m per game. Train and coach this way to make it real.

First of all is there any reason to defeat an U10s side 30-nill
NO
Is it of any value to your players to slaughter another group of 10 year olds
NO
If you are a competitive, self assured coached with a degree of arrogance it is more difficult to choose development over results.
Especially when unknowing parents or coaches start giving instructions to their players about the way to shut down plays that you have designed to develop your player-s whilst playing them in a less destructive position.
They are so lucky I am a saint and will not unleashing my players to obliterate their team.
And chips thinks development coaches are soft. NFI

Again from a different angle, not necessarily true.

Earlier this year FFE co head coach, C, approached me about coaching a split state league premier female team as joint coaches.

I have no doubt players would have improved greatly over the season. Notwithstanding, most other punters assess coaches by results.

Empirically, in the female game forwards are more profligate than their male counterparts. If we had taken on the team, we could have had them playing with a good defensive structure, a compact defensive shape, movement off the ball, etc. This would have progressed over the season.

Yet if the players kept missing goals, our team, and us as coaches, would have been appraised on the goals scored/goals conceded - accrued points. Even if we had worked tirelessly on shooting on the training ground, many, like Judy, would have evaluated the team on results.

Even if the players had improved technically from touching the ball 81 000 to 90 000 times in the season, and improved team cohesion, teams with a couple of the most clinical strikers could have finished further up the table. More athletic and talented players from other teams could also have contributed to the team we had the opportunity to coach, finishing further down the table.

We knocked the team back. I knew they was a dichotomy in the team from last season. Two groups hated each other!!!!

One advantage of senior female teams is that a much greater percentage of players are younger - still in the mid teens upwards. Women mature athletically much earlier than men. They don't think they know it all and are willing to learn.

Many of us used to coaching junior and youth teams are apprehensive about coaching senior players/adults.

How do you explain movement to players, Gregory?

When you respond, I'll tell you what the KNVB advocate and I consequently suggest on the training track.

My head co- coach at FFE is really good in explaining decision making. He has 30 years coaching experience in football.

I practised it last night as well as observing the videos. Yes, good players in the Barca Academy and UEFA Training Ground videos do it automatically.

I practised martial arts for many years. I instructed modern karate. I don't promote violent sports, but it was brilliant for self-defence and fitness training. It was also excellent as an antidote for excessive partying and drinking and smoking whoopee weed.

Skipping is excellent for footwork and co-ordination. Lately, I've been coaching some teenagers who had little exposure to good practice as juniors. They are boys going through growth spurts and they seem ungainly. Their footwork is often atrocious. I don't usually recomend much practice away from a ball, but these guys would greatly benefit from skipping, not necessarily with both feet touching the ground at the same time, but successive stepping - left, right, left, right, left, right, etc.

This emulates receiving position - jumping up and down with successive feet close to the ground. The skipping also helps jockeying footwork. If they were lighter on their feet they would pass and receive much better. I believe the skipping motion, without the rope, is easier to teach than the skip shown in the AC Milan coaching school. Barca and UEFA Training Ground don't emphasise the skip.

I have also taught PE as well as modern karate, being in a paid capacity for both. In modern karate, every technique is broken down in step by step sequential form. I see football techniques often being the same, except with a ball.

The only problem is that the passing arrow in the diagram in Fig 2 goes straight to the cones for each flanker on the left and right. Which side of the cone should the ball go to when the player receives the ball? My spatial awareness isn't too flash.


I think you've answered the rest.

Only applicable to two recently joined members.:x

The rest of the participants are a good bunch of blokes, willing to exchange ideas and assist others. :)

It would be good to see a few female coaches in this section too.

What extra clarification do you require regarding figure 2 from my ealier comments in this thread?

Nice feedback. What is really required is a web page where technical information can be provided for all coaches. Information can be used, trialed, and incorporated into training sessions. A coaches association could be a part of this idea.

Point taken about the cynicysm.

The hop/skip really is a very basic coaching tool for learning players to pass and recieve. I found it useful at times to overcome some technical issues. Try it use it or discard it. It is not an exaggerated move however. Slow down a UEFA game and watch how players pass and recieve, which foot, and their body and action. Yes the plant foot and shoulder position is everything in passing and shooting.

The positional games are very challenging for players initially. Encourage movement, technical and decision making. Modify the areas and touches.

Not necessarily.

I'll depict two scenarios.

Split state league club C ran an academy.

Under 16s and under 14s.

Under 16
Out of TIC the coach, M, worked hard all year on shape (Insight and Communication). Technique assumed less significance than I and C. The team played a cohesive 4-4-2 with a flat midfield all year. They were undefeated and easily won the title. The coach - the same guy on Walter Pless' blog who cast aspersions about my KNVB course, equated success to results.

Under 14

Different coach- B.
B said he used simpler youth/junior training than prescribed for the age group. B did a lot more technique work, more explicit instruction, a lot of SSGs. The players often accrued over 600 touches. They lost a few games. Shape work was less important for B. His players are the only ones I've seen, and another notable exception, besides FFE, and when I coached under 12 reps team, who always have 600 plus touches per session in this state. I know that quality of touches is important too, which should be achieved in diverse technique/game scenarios.

B is very controversial. He screams at players. Player often don't like him. He used to play in NSW state league at senior level. His under 14s lost games.
Pertinently, many more of B's under 14s went on to make rep and state squads in the same season than M's players of the under 16s. One could see palpable technical improvement and game sense increasing every week with B's under 14 players.

Conclusion

M from under 16s had much more success- better results. M is now a Tassie NTC coach. He has a good reputation.

B from under 14s had less success. B developed better players in the same season. B is still a contoversial figure and sometimes gets sacked from clubs.

Importantly, M's players probably enjoy his sessions more than B's. Nevertheless, B produces decent technical players with game sense.
B demonstrated the value of development over results for youth.





Edited by Decentric: 8/7/2011 10:21:47 AM

Very useful.

Again your description about which foot one receives then passes the ball increases the probability of an instantly successful training session, without teething problems for Fig 2.
ATM we are having resounding success on the training track, apart from 3 skills/training drills. Your explicit instructions have given us a drill to do instead of the Dutch passing square (one of our failures), also incorporating dribbling. I need to experiment on the pitch with a number of players to make the Dutch passing square work properly.

That exercise gives me about nine dribbling techniques to incorporate as well as the passing. Moreover, it is done in the diamond shape we want our players to deploy in games.


A further topic of discussion I've reappraised is your jump/skip in receiving. With respect, I'm not sure it is useful. Manrubenmuz has sent me a link to AC Milan coaching this point (thanks M). I've added another drill from the Milan site which incorporates Brazilian Soccer Schools Jairzinho turning technique in context - Milan calls it control pass.
I've also looked at the Barca Academy instruction for passing by Manual, the guy who sits next to Guaridola in Barca games. They don't suggest the skip. The same with the UEFA video instruction.

I think the skip complicates instructions for players. Barca doesn't emphasise it. I've concluded that if a player simply uses constant up and down movement on the balls of feet when waiting to receive the ball, the skip comes naturally. What is most important is the position of the non-kicking foot.

KNVB emphasises simplicity in instruction. I'll admit that Barca Academy is the best coaching in the world. They have taken KNVB to a new level. Their results on the pitch are exemplary.



Edited by Decentric: 8/7/2011 09:50:50 AM

In another section on KNVB training I delineated rondo training in sequential KNVB form. I feel this is a strength of my coaching. What your diagrams have done is provide a useful reference point for other coaches to follow.

As I said before, if some minor trolling details could be rectified, I would recommend your articles on this site as a reference point for almost every coach of youth/juniors I know.

I like FIg 2 for a useful training ground drill. I would add stationary dribbling for the players at the start of the exercise at the bottom of the diamond who are waiting for passes.

I would also add specific dribbling techniques, like the Matthews' cut (repetitively), for the dribbling at the end of the exercise when they return to the start fom the middle of the diamond. Aussiesrus utilises this technique ( Matthews' cut) in his training ground sessions he delineated some time ago.

I have a very clear KNVB structure for training sessions. What you provide is a refinement to various activities. Also, your articles draw more constructive comments from other posters on 442 who haven't posted here before. I've now incorparated soccer tennis, in 4v4, 3v3 SSGs to our SSGs circuit, from Cardiff (thanks), for our football school. This came from questions about defending.

What you are providing is excellent, Gregory.:d I see this section as a potential epicentre for Australian coaches, particularly when you provide the type of articles you do.

There are still a few questions I'd like you to answer from earlier in the thread regarding specific detail to your exercises in Fig 2.

I've often tried to explain the 5v2 and 5v3 on here. Some other posters can comment as to whether what I've tried to impart has manifested as the same as your diagram. If my diagrams have made no sense, then your articles are providing an integral tool in explaining training ground SSGs from my perspective.


Edited by Decentric: 8/7/2011 09:44:19 AM

Edited by Decentric: 8/7/2011 10:23:59 AM

Fine, if you're happy to conveniently overlook the fact that the game of sockah is played between two teams, with two sets of posts and the winner is determined by who scores the most goals.

You need to be reminded that the development of receiving, passing, shooting, heading, first touch, tackling, stepovers etc etc is fundamental stuff in any junior 'results based' coaches charter.

If your team is developing well then it will ALWAYS be reflected on the scoreboard. Even your tassie mate has one example of this. :d

Troll. :lol:

No problem, glad I could help.


Damn, things have improved so much since then. Han Berger deserves a lot of praise for his work.

Test the skills of the players before the season. Set goals and test them at the end of the season.
I think there is another institution involved with the development of children that does it just that way.

99.9% of coaches operate within a competitive structure i.e. the team plays a game and a ref keeps note of the score.

A coach's competitive record (list of achievements) determines his value, at any level.

So lemme ask you how you would determine the achievements and value of a non results based coach and what criteria would you use to appoint one?

Edited by judy free: 7/7/2011 07:51:40 PM

I enjoy coaching defending. Defend well attack more. Zonal defending next. We will cover basic and some advancing defending topics.

Back to topic though. How useful have coaches found the positional games for insight and technique training?

Even some of our split state league players seem to be unaware of this, in the female ranks anyway.

I had a relaitve who wouldn't listen to me about defensive jockeying. The footballer went to the US college system and this was immediately identified as a weakness. The player received good defensive coaching in the states. I am now learning some extra points from this player in regards to defensive coaching to augment what I know.:)

When we teach dribbling techniques with players having partners we also focus on the defensive body positioning of the passive defenders.

In the sixties and seventies we were just told to go in as hard as possible and win the ball, even in a state side!!!! If a player didn't win it, coaches used to tell us we didn't go in hard enough.](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,)



Edited by Decentric: 7/7/2011 05:20:04 PM

Good point.

I must admit results based coaching is a tenuous career.

Look at Frank Farina.

The Roar were probably playing better football than Victory and should have won the title under Frank's, Han Berger restructured team. Early next season he was sacked. I was told the other day he is now coaching New Guinea!!!! Nobody can convince me FF lost his coaching ability in a few months.

Ditto, Aurelio Vidmar. Probably one of the greatest coaching achievements by a local coach, reaching the final of the ACL, albeit with a weaker team than his opponents. Next season there were calls for him to be sacked. Again Aurelio didn't lose his ability in a few months.

Many coaches in the KNVB course wanted development jobs. Who can blame them? I still remember being vilified for dropping a player from a state title winning rep squad. In FFE everything is a win/win situation.

Ron Smith is lauded as a good development coach, but he struggled as a senior A League results based coach.

In a game like football, which is competitive, even with all the best coaches in the world coaching in the A League, someone has to finish in the bottom positions.

Edited by Decentric: 7/7/2011 05:09:52 PM

What if the role is a developmental position as opposed to a results one? Not all coaches can do both.

Thanks, Cardiff.

I completely forgot about football tennis. This is probably the most technical training ground exercise I did as a player in the non-technical sixties and seventies. Apparently football tennis is as common as 11v11 football in the Czech Republic.

I have done it a lot with two person juggling. With a high net this is useful for defensive heading and general aerial receiving too. I think I'll incorporate it into the KNVB 4v4 rotation model, even if it isn't a 4v4. I have no other decent SSGs to develop heading.

If the coach has no CV or experience (unlikely in a paid job) to speak of then you are probably right.

Otherwise, it's simply a case of pointing to the scoreboard i.e. list achievements.

How many coaching jobs require you to perform a task to demonstrate your ability? Generally its an interview and who you know.

In the real world applying and getting a skilled job requires an interview, pyschometric testing, and perfroming tasks to demonstrate your competence.

What I am saying is that when hiring coaches for paid jobs, the applicant should be put through his/her paces to demonstrate competency.How else are improved standards and change implimented (thats what the FFA wants).

Or more importantly knowing the right people.

Nor should it.

It would be a sad day (in any sport or industry) when theory takes precedence over genuine real world experience together with a CV that points to tangible success.

Edited by judy free: 7/7/2011 11:26:28 AM

This is the same in every industry, it is almost never the most skilled but the best connected who gets the gig.

I didn't post it.