At times a coach (or coaching staff) can be forced to simultaneously
train two teams: in varsity/junior varsity high school programs when
qualified assistants are unavailable, in college programs where
numbers often exceed 24 players, or in club play when first (A) and
reserve (B) teams are formed in a single age group--again in the
absence of qualified coaching. A much publicized example this past
year was Bruce Arena’s dual role as coach of both the US men’s
Olympic team and Washington’s MLS entry, DC United. Far from being
negative, training sessions involving both teams can create unique
training opportunities. Note: This article addresses the situation
where one coach must co-train teams, as opposed to training the two
independently.
Co-training indeed offers advantages: (1) the possibility of
players moving between the two squads--assuming one is a first and
the other a reserve team--ensures competitive practices with maximum
effort; (2) full-team tactics are more effectively addressed; (3)
greater numbers of players are developed in the situation where
weaker players integrate into a group of better players; (4)
training commands a full field instead of the half field typically
allotted single club teams; (5) on club teams, movement between
teams as guest players strengthens the reserve team and, at the same
time, often allows first-team defensive types to concentrate on
their attacking skills in a reserve team role. The question then:
How does one effectively train such numbers?
Training Sessions
The traditional aspects of training don’t suffer so long as the
coach is well prepared. Small-sided game play and technical,
tactical, and functional training continue as before. Small-sided
games (4v4 to 8v8) simply involve more teams playing some type of
tournament format, while technical sessions are still implemented in
smaller groups, and tactical and functional topics are dealt with on
a larger scale. Of most interest here are the types of training
actually enhanced by the extra numbers.
Team Shape
Better awareness for team shape, and its importance in holding
possession, can be developed in full-sided scrimmages pitting the
teams against one another. For example, a session emphasizing the
first team’s play out from the back and through the middle third
could be constructed in a large-scale, competitive environment.
That's different from the typical single-team's approach of using
orchestrated “shadow” play or small-sided game play.
The first team holds its possession and coordinates an attack
across a line drawn 10 yards short of its opponent’s penalty box,
while the reserve team tries to win back possession and attack
conventionally the other way (see Diagram 1). When the first is
successful, players turn the ball and work it back under pressure
into their own penalty box. They score by holding possession long
enough to reach their objectives three times in succession (either
line-box-line or box-line-box). The reserve team scores
conventionally. Note: Half of the time both teams attack in the same
direction.
Restrictions might be used to force a style of play: forcing the
first pass off a won possession to be played back, implementing
touch restrictions (e.g., one or two touches for the first team and
three or four touches for the reserve team), or requiring that the
ball be played between wing zones before coming at goal, all force
different styles of play. Any violation results in a free kick.
Team Tactics in Full-Sided Matches
Full-sided matches can be played against one another too, with
restrictions added to slow the play of the first team: for example,
five gates, each five-yards wide and bounded by flat cones or flags,
could be placed across the first team’s middle and defensive thirds
of the field. On winning possession, it then is required to cross
through two (or more) of the gates before attacking into its final
third. Again, the reserve team on winning possession goes directly
to goal. The emphasis here for the first team lies in switching the
point of attack (via the forced play through gates).
Or the teams each could be given a tactical problem to solve: the
first team, for example, might be placed in the situation of being a
goal up (or down) with 10 minutes to play. While the first team
consciously tries to hold its possession and control where the ball
is being played, the reserve team plays more directly the long ball
(a conservative versus risk-taking approach to play).
Set Piece Scrimmages
Set piece scrimmages can also be enhanced. Whereas a single team
might practice its restarts against limited or no opposition, or it
might split its team and concentrate on small-sided restart games,
two full teams can practice the real thing. A session might
emphasize two or more types: corners, throw-ins near the penalty
box, countering goal kicks, or free kicks. While the offensive team
starts play with the set piece chosen, the defensive team tries to
win possession and hold it beyond the midline--farther for goal
kicks. When the latter is being highlighted, a top boundary is drawn
midway between the center circle and the penalty box. Any
out-of-play ball is then restarted by the offensive team with the
set piece(s) being highlighted.
The offensive team scores one for an on-goal shot taken within
five touches following the restart. It scores two for an actual goal
in that same situation and once for any other goal made during the
normal run of play. Alternatively, one team could execute a program
of 10 set pieces then be followed by the other.
Interesting Training Games
The Three-Goal Game
Interesting training games can be played too. The three-goal game
depicted in Diagram 2 focuses on shooting and creative attacking
play, though other aspects of the game surface as well, like
changing the point of attack and effectively using combination play.
Boundaries are laid out in three zones with flat cones, and three
teams of nine players each are distributed as follows: a keeper and
three defenders constrained to stay in their defensive zone, two
attackers constrained to play in each of the other zones, and a
third attacker allowed to travel between attacking zones. Play can
evolve to a 6v4 situation in any of the three zones.
Each team begins play with six points, but when a goal is scored,
the defending team gives up a point. Any team losing all its points
must leave the field (except for its keeper), and the two teams
remaining then use all three goals with the following restriction: a
change of possession in the neutral-goal zone requires the attacking
team first to play the ball out of the neutral zone before
re-entering it with a go at goal.
Different aspects of play can be emphasized: combination play by
requiring a combination be played (e.g., wall pass, takeover, or
double pass) on entry into a zone before going at goal, touch
restrictions to create rapid directional changes in front of goal,
or flank play by requiring goals be scored from headers.
Winning/Holding Possession
Offensive players don't often concentrate on their defense, i.e.,
on winning back possession in their attacking third with numbers
down, and conversely, defensive players don't often concentrate on
holding possession and working it through their defensive half. But
the three major ways goals are scored are well known: set pieces, a
good crossing game, and won possessions in a team's attacking third.
More likely, the single-team scrimmage pits an offensive group
attacking its defense. Possibly there are goals near the midline at
each touchline for the defense to aim at when they win possession,
but the primary object is for the attackers to attack and the
defenders to defend. With two teams there are enough players to work
these other aspects of play: the two components compete against one
another while matched directly against the opposite component of the
reserve team.
Diagram 3 shows a session where the first team's offensive five
are defending the reserve team's defensive eight (top of diagram),
and the first team's defensive eight are attacking the reserve
team's attacking five (bottom of diagram). Note: For the first team,
the most attack-oriented outside mid is one of the five at the top,
while three backup midfielders (attacking, defensive, and outside)
join the defensive eight. For five minutes, the first team's five
try to win possession from the reserve team's eight. Each ball they
win is counted then put back into play with a free kick by the
eight. Simultaneously, the first team's defensive eight play the
same game with the reserve team's five attackers. The two components
of the first team compete scorewise with one another, as do the two
components of the reserve team. The losing component of each team
then does 25 situps before we have a go again.
Conclusions
Co-training teams offers advantages. On the one hand, it extends
the scope of training available; on the other, it develops players
faster: weaker-team players develop faster because they continually
play against better players and stronger-team players because their
tactical options are extended.