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by Gary Rue
garyrue@bellsouth.net
 

NOTE:  Gary did not write these exercises and tips with the idea that someone would publish them.  I subscribe to the Soccer-Coach-L e-mail list and Gary is one of the coaches that posts extremely well thought out replies.  These are some of Gary's posts that I collected for use in coaching my own teams.   I approached Gary and he was gracious enough to allow me to publish them here.  If you like what you see or have a question about one of the exercises you can reach Gary at garyrue@bellsouth.net There are 50+ more pages of Gary's posts categorized at the Home Page of Exercises of the Day by Gary Rue. Click here and enjoy.

How to Decide on a Style of Play for your Team
(segment 1)

        Defining and designing a system or style of play is one of the most important jobs of a head coach, especially in the older ages. Even for younger players, a coach has to define player responsibilities within some framework. This framework is the team shape. A formation is the base or initial shape.

In a system of play, the coach needs to define to some degree:
* defensive responsibilities
* attacking patterns
* restarts and set pieces
* transition

A coach must consider several factors when defining his system of play:
* player skills and capabilities
* coach's knowledge and experience
* environment
* amount of preparation or training time
* number of allowable substitutions and substitution law

A style of play occurs every time the ball is tossed out to a group of players. However, it's up to the coach to get his players to use the most effective ways and means to work as a team towards a common goal.

Over the next few posts, I hope to identify some areas to help a coach define his team's system of play. Part of this will be some examples on how a coach can train his players to adapt to that system.

Coaching with Style - Players
(segment 2)

       Prior to the season starting, a coach should have a "game plan" in the works. That is, the coach should have some idea of the shape he wants to mold for his team. This preconceived plan should not be carved in stone. In fact, the coach should be willing to change and adapt a large percentage of it after he has viewed and assessed his players.

      The players are the key ingredient to defining a system and a team shape. The coach uses this information to define the position and responsibility of each player. This is broken up into a variety of positions, initially based on the four prime horizontal levels of a team: forwards, midfielders, backs and goalkeepers.

      Within these levels, the responsibilities are divided vertically, usually central players and wing players. Even at each segment, there can be more horizontal or vertical divisions such as sweeper/stopper, defensive/offensive or left/right center midfielders, left/right or stretch/withdrawn forwards, etc.

       Initially, the coach can stay with the four prime areas. Molding and fine tuning the different positions in a shape and style will come later in the process.

       All coaches intuitively assess players abilities. Some even are more formal with charts and player ratings in certain areas. These assessments come from either well defined physical and timed tests or from training evaluation during exercises or play. It should be noted that this does not mean a player can't play in other positions, but the coach needs some idea of where he thinks certain players will play most of the time.

        Players must be assessed during games, as well as training session. Some players can surprised coaches.  A practice session and a match are two different environments and stimuli for the player. Most every player responds and reacts differently in a game. Though the term "game player" seems to belie the adage, "you play like you practice," the sad truth is, this type of player is usually just a lazy (unmotivated) practice player. On the other hand, players that respond well in practice may freeze up or become confused during the dynamics of a game. This player may perform well in the static and redundant exercises of a training session, but fail to carry it over to the game.

       All of this information is taken into consideration when defining and fine tuning a system. This is a constant and dynamic process and must be reviewed the entire season.

       The next post will discuss the different player abilities that may help a coach place these players in his system.

Coaching with Style - Player Abilities Content
(segment 3)

• Speed - long distance, straight ahead running - short distance, cuts, stops and go
• Quickness--reaction to ball and player
• Distribution skills - dominant foot - passing accuracy and power - vision, awareness - quick release - minimal touch ability
• Defensive skills - attitude - "passive" aggressiveness - tackling ability
• Communicating skills
• Kicking--distance and accuracy - straight ahead - angled (crossing) - dominant foot
• Shooting - dominant foot - attitude - accuracy and power
• Heading - accuracy and power - timing - attitude
• Ball possession (in traffic) - dribbling - shielding - creative or conservative
• Strength/size
• Movement tendencies - ball watcher/stander - towards ball - away from ball or away from crowds
• Thinker/reactor
  
  
• Next, we will try to match the skills and abilities to specific positions.

Coaching with Style - Position Characteristics
(Segment 4)

• Forwards/Strikers
  These players should have a decent combination of short distance speed and quickness, shooting and heading abilities and dribbling skills. These players should be able to go long periods without touching a ball, yet become very goal oriented when the opportunity presents itself.  Usually, one or two of the team's best athletes are in this position. These players need to be more reactive than cognitive--the opportunities are too short-lived for much thought. They should be very aggressive and perhaps
  selfish in nature.
  
• Center Midfielders
  Iin most systems, these players are the core to the team. They did need to play defense and provide immediate support to the attack. A coach should want players that have very good field vision and awareness. Good passing and distribution skills are mandatory, but a desire to pass and play within a team system is just as important. These players cannot be timid in traffic. Some combination of strength and quickness is useful--this could be achieved with two different players in a two center halfback system. The ability to maintain ball possession, via dribbling, shielding and passing are also required skills. Speed is normally not a necessity in many systems for this position (especially if the system has more than one center halfback), but a high work rate and good endurance is certainly needed. Because of the frequency of ball touches, the best soccer athlete may be asked to man this position.
  
• Wing Midfielders (and Forwards)
  This is a good spot for players that do not like to play in traffic where the opponent pressure is less. Wing players that have great straight ahead speed can cause other teams problems. Dribbling skills at speed are more often a requirement than close-in dribbling. Wing players that have the ability to cross the ball with distance and accuracy can allow a team to develop an attacking style from the wings. Wing players need to be able to recover on defense. Sometimes they are asked to balance a defense on the off-ball side by recovering back and picking up attacking players at the far post.
  
• Fullbacks
  Backs should be strong and have a passive aggressive nature. Though this sounds oxymoronic, a back needs to be very controlled at times and then very strong and aggressive in the man-to-man, 50-50 ball battles. Because of the self-checking nature of the other team's attackers, a coach can sometimes get away with using players that have little speed and quickness. In other cases, at higher playing levels, it is very necessary that a fullback have good quickness, average short distance speed and decent kicking skills. Players that are below average in speed can make up for this with good game knowledge and positioning. Exceptional dribbling skills are not a major requirement in this position. Fullbacks do need to be good communicators, constantly directing and offering information to teammates.
  
• Sweeper
  This position is similar to the fullback characteristics, however, there are certain differences. This player needs above average short distance and long distance speed, good kicking technique, a very good understanding of the team shape, and good communication skills. He needs to be able direct the players in front of him and run down through balls and breakaway attackers. Since he is support to the players in front of him, he must be able to pick up dribblers as they get past their marks or track down unmarked attackers as they make off-ball runs on goal. Often the sweeper is the first or second best athlete on the team and one of the fastest. This player must be a thinker with decent reaction time.
  
• Stopper
  This position requires a combination of sweeper, fullback and center half characteristics. The stopper often has some free rein, must be able to distribute the ball, win balls in traffic and get back to pick up unmarked attackers. At times, the stopper needs to recover into the sweeper
  position (deep center) if the sweeper is pulled out.
  
• Goalkeeper
  The first criteria is have very good hands--that is, the ability to catch a ball at all heights and angles. These players have to have quick feet and a healthy dose of fearlessness with going after a ball with an attacker coming in hard. Having strength and good size, specifically height, is a given. The goalkeeper must have great vision and awareness. The quicker this player can react, the better. The more experience a player has at this position, the better he should be at dealing with the different situations.
  
  In the fifth segment, we will discuss how a coach can start mapping his
  players to a position.

Categorizing Players (part 1)
<Segment 5>

       As the coach is identifying his players skills, he should be calculating where those skills can do the team the best good with respect to the general field positions and his desired or preferred system of play. Before a style and system can put in place, the coach needs to categorize the players into preferred positions. Initially, this categorizing is based upon skill levels and cognitive assessments. At this point, nothing is set in stone. It is only a vehicle in which to lay a foundation for the team's field organization.

       One approach is to generically group the players in each of the major playing levels (forwards, midfielders, etc.) or into specific positions of importance. For instance, the coach may want to decide initially upon who he thinks will play at GK, sweeper, center halfback and/or central forward. Some players fall naturally into a coach's concept of what skills he wants to see in those positions. There may be some players that as so uni-dimensional, they would have problems playing in any but a specific position.

       Normally, most players fall into a multi-position grouping. A coach should
mentally (or physically) note and prioritize as many positions for each player as possible. Some players may be enigmas to the coach, not really standing out at any positions or may even be detrimental (in the coach's mind) in all positions. Segment 6 of this series will offer an approach to categorizing the remaining players based upon their negative or missing skills.

Categorizing Players (Part 2)
(Segment 7)

       In the previous segment, several players were found to fit in certain positions due to their skills matching the position. However, a coach must also consider what abilities a player does not possess as well. Following is a list of player characterizes that are generally thought to be negative.  The positions listed next to the attribute are prioritized in order as the position to consider assigning a player that has that negative attribute.

Legend:
B - fullback
CM - center midfielder
F - forward
W - wing midfielder (or forward)

Consider these positions when a player is:

Slow of foot--CM, B, W
Not quick--W, CM, B
Poor passer--F, B, W
Poor/weak kicker--CM, B
Poor header--W, CM, F
Poor dribbler--B, W, F
Lacks movement--B, F, W
No defensive skills--F, W, CM
Timid, non-aggressive--W, F, B
Slow reaction (thinks before reacting)--CM, B, W

       Again, there is nothing scientific or objective about the above list. In fact, many of these subjective assignments can not be supported and are not intended to be. They are only meant to be an initial guide. A coach must take into account his system and what skills he needs in each position for it to work. For instance, in some systems, a slow center midfielder would be detrimental to that teams style of play. However, the coach may not have a choice if the player does not seem to fit in other position. Perhaps, the style of play needs to be altered?

       Playing skills is not the only factor in categorizing players and playing positions. A coach also has to include a player's attitude in his decision making. In order for a coach to get the most out of a player, he must try to sell the player on the position the coach intends to play him. Sometimes a coach may have to compromise a little if he feels he can get the most out of a player by giving him some time at the player's desired position. Playing time and playing position are potentially the two most contentious interactions between a player and the coach.

       Unfortunately, many times it's the negative player attitudes or lack of skill that is often the coach's final determining factor--where can this ability do the team the least harm? Even though a coach may want to maintain as positive an attitude as possible about all of his players, the simple fact is that negative assets are as much a part of player assessment as the positive ones.

       In segment 8, we will discuss laying the framework of the formation and putting the system into place.

Coaching with Style - Framework
(Segment 8)

       Now that the coach has some idea of where (most) all of the players can best serve the team, he can start to lay the framework for the team formation(s). One method is to decide on the best players he can field, regardless of their prime position. This list of players may be a few players short as the final selections are yet to be determined. The coach now can see what areas of the field he would like to see these players. He can either force these players into his preconceived formation or look to adapt the formation around these players. To develop a shape and style based upon the players, the coach should not make any final decisions at this point.

       Another method is to group all players at each level. Some names should appear multiple times if there are several positions in which they can play. The coach starts to get an idea of what the team formation needs to look like by moving the names around into the different areas into the different shapes.

      The first method is best if the coach is looking for a starting lineup that he plans to stay with for the season. The second method would be useful for a coach that has to (or wants to) give adequate playing time to all players.

       Many coaches seem to prefer building their structure starting from the back. Other coaches like build the central (or primary) positions at each level first, then fill in the other spots.

       As an example, using method one, he may have identified nine players that he most wants on the field; e.g., a goalkeeper, 2 backs, 5 halfbacks and a forward. If the coach would prefer a 4-3-3 formation, he will need to move 2 of the halfbacks to either the back or forward positions, then find two of the other players to fill those vacant positions. The other option is consider a different shape. If the two backs are sweeper types, a 2-3-2-3 shape is an option. Or if at least 3 decent backs can be identified, a 3-5-2 shape may be the answer.

       At this point, the coach has to look at some of the players secondary positions. If he hasn't identified a full team, he needs to speculate on the other players, using their prime positions to help determine how the field positions start to layout.

       A coach may have certain absolutes. For example, a coach may want 4 backs; or he may feel that 3 forwards are necessary; or that one center halfback is enough. If a coach has experience with one shape, he may do well not to deviate too much if he is too uncomfortable with the new formation. However, a coach should not be afraid to experiment a little if he feels the players dictate a change. All these factors go into the decision making.

        By this time a base framework should be in place, or at least a couple of options have been identified. The final shape needs to be delayed until the style of play is determined. Even if the coach has determined a shape from the start, there may be style changes that can be applied to give the formation a slightly different look.

       Starting in segment 9, the final pieces of the puzzle are laid into place?

Coaching with Style - Defensive Style
(Segment 9)

 
       Given a base formation or team shape, the coach now needs to start determining style of play. The defensive style will be the first consideration. Although there are countless variations and combinations, there are two basic defensive styles, man-to-man and zone. Questions the coach should ask himself include:

• man-to-man or zone or combination
• number of back players
• sweeper and/or stopper position
• high pressure or low pressure or combination depending on time and ball position
• number of half backs and their recovery function--do the wing halves balance out the shape in the back or are the center halves to fill the gaps or do they just play in front of the backs
  

       Given the following situations, how do the players react as individuals and a team; i.e., what is the team shape when the ball is in a certain position, what type of pressure is applied (heavy or delayed), where to channel the ball (wide or towards middle), etc.: 

• ball wide and deep (near the goalline)
• ball wide and even with the 18
• ball wide midway in the defensive half
• ball wide at the halfway
• ball wide into the attacking half
• ball wide inside the 18
• ball central and deep (near the goalline)
• ball central and even with the 18
• ball central midway in the defensive half
• ball central at the halfway
• ball central into the attacking half
• ball central inside the 18
  
  Next consider how the team defense will mark or cover players without the ball that are:
  
• in front of the ball
• square to the ball
• behind the ball
• near ball
• well off ball
• making runs on goal
• overlap on the wing
• overlap or run through in the center
• checking to ball from the front
  
  Other things a coach needs to consider in his defensive system:
  
• how to handle the front runners, be it 1, 2, or 3 (or more?!)
• what to do if the other team overloads one side
• attacking play down the wings
• attacking play down the middle
• indirect play (possession or buildup through combination of drops and forward passing)
• direct play (quick and immediate forward penetration)
• when and how to compress the team away from the defending goal off-side trapping
• communication; what to say, when to say it, who says it
• the defensive role of the forward players
• high or low pressure; when and where
• role of the GK; does he have responsibility to cover any area outside of the penalty area
• double team opportunities; who, where
  

       Not all situations can be handled gracefully by any one shape. The coach must decide what he thinks will cover the situations his team will be faced with that season and lay that foundation in. The coach should have some reconceived idea of how he can alter his system if the other team's style is not suitable for his team's defensive system. He should be able to answer the question, "Coach, which man do I mark when...?"
       Once the coach decides his defensive shape, the defensive system can be tweaked by taking advantage of certain players abilities or by covering up other players liabilities. Coaches should be careful about how granular this fine tuning gets as other players with different abilities may have to fill these roles.

       In segment 10, some examples of shapes and defensive systems within that shape will be discussed.