EVOLVING PLAYERS, EVOLVING COACHES

The women’s game on the international level has been improving steadily over the past several years. This brings with it the task of attempting to maintain our superiority in those areas of the game that have served as a strong foundation for our success in the past, namely our winning mentality and our athleticism. It also forces us to develop those areas of our game that remain our weaknesses, namely our technical proficiency and our “soccer savvy,” sometimes referred to as “soccer brain” or tactical effectiveness.

In short, we see a lack of creative, problem-solving players who are willing and competent to face the tactical demands of the game. How can coaches develop players into independent, critical thinkers?
Coaches need to match the evolving needs of modern players with evolving methodology that addresses these needs. We need to ask ourselves what type of player we want to produce. Do we want players that are:
• structured or instinctive?
• dependent on the coach or independent?
• obedient to instructions or able to solve problems?
• focused on the coach or on the game?
There is a huge need to develop players that:
• are instinctive
• are creative
• take initiative
• express their individuality
• are able to think independently
• understand options
• solve problems
• “own the games”
There are times during the game when player movements and patterns need to be highly structured and disciplined — for example, attacking and defending restarts. However, even in this case the players who succeed are often the ones who are able to improvise or do the unexpected. And because so much of this sport is unstructured and constantly changing, players have to be creative problem solvers during free play moments. The coach’s methodology needs to reflect this element of the sport.

Coach-centered methodology
In coach-centered methodology, coaches often find themselves putting players through drills that require certain prescribed responses and solutions to problems.
• Focus is the coach.
• Coach creates exercises and directs session.
• Coach provides solutions.
• Coach tells players what to think.
Players learn primarily from feedback given by the coach. The focus is the coach’s expectations, and players execute the coach’s directions.

Player/game-centered methodology
The player- or game-centered coach quickly gets players into game situations that challenge them to arrive at a technical and tactical solution.
• Focus is the player.
• Coach creates a challenging game environment.
• Coach provides options.
• Coach asks players what they think.
• Coach develops players.
Players learn primarily from feedback given by the game. The focus is on playing, and thus on solving soccer problems.
The coach has five basic methods available for imparting information to players. We call these methods the “coach’s toolkit”:
• Allow the conditions of the game to coach the themes. Let the conditions of the game bring out a certain aspect or solution.
• Coach the individual within the flow of the game. Provide suggestions as play continues, or pull the player aside (e.g. “Sarah, can you get wider to give yourself more space?”).
• Coach the team as the game continues (e.g. “Can we step together to keep them under pressure? They’re locked in their own end!”).
• Coach at natural stoppages.
• Coach using the “freeze” method.

Games vs. drills
Game-centered training implies that the primary training environment is the game, as opposed to drill-type environments. Practice games are what players actually face during competition. They are 100% realistic. Therefore, players become better at transferring what they have learned in training to the game itself. The game experience takes up 100% of training time.
Many drills are not realistic, so players find it difficult to transfer what they learn in drill environments to the game itself. This is not to say that drills that closely replicate one aspect of the game should not be used in training. Dynamic, demanding drill environments used at the beginning of a practice session often prepare players to play the game by breaking down the complicated picture that the game presents into manageable pieces.

Continuous play
Continuous play in training reflects the real game. It also demands rhythm. Players cannot go all-out for an entire 90-minute stretch. They need to know how to control the rhythm of the game so they can last the entire time. Continuous play also demands focus. Players must stay focused for long periods of time, just as they do during the game.
To provide continuous play during training, coaches must coach “in the flow” of the game and not interrupt play with stoppages to make coaching points.
Feedback on the field provides players with immediate guidance. This feedback applies to the real game and is therefore directly beneficial to players. It also allows continuous play.
This approach allows the players to solve and “fix” their own problems. If the coach allows for continuous play, players are able to have practice regaining the game when things have broken down. They become better at being able to get from “plan ‘C’” back to “plan ‘A’”. If the coach is constantly “freezing” the action when things break down during play, the players never get the chance to practice this vital game skill, that of “fixing problems” when things have gone wrong.

The balanced approach
The above methods must be balanced and constantly evaluated with the end result in mind: What type of player are we trying to develop?
Each of these methods has its place in helping to develop young players. Neither method should be used to the exclusion of the other. Therefore, the most effective developmental model for young players includes a balanced approach that employs direction — for the purpose of clarity (demonstration), structure (rules) and discipline (behavior) — within an environment that also allows players to experience the game (repetition) and encourages experimentation (discovery) and trial and error (lessons). Information and guidance from a knowledgeable adult, delivered at appropriate times during practice and matches as well as off the field, can play a vital role in a player’s development.
When providing guidance to players, keep the following points in mind:
1 There should not be so much information that players get overloaded, nor should there be so little that players lack the necessary purpose to make decisions.
2 Instructions should make sense in terms of what’s happening on the field and should be based on the principles of soccer.
3 Players should be allowed some room to think for themselves, based on what’s happening on the field.
When teaching technique to younger players (U10 and U12), it can be beneficial to give them some amount of directed repetition, especially at the beginning of the session. The coach gives instructions throughout the repetitions of the different techniques and can provide specific examples of how to execute these techniques, through demonstrations and by allowing the players repeated opportunities to practice. This can be done in structured but active exercises involving lots of small groups and lots of movement — no lines or lectures. As you move into the second half of the session, players should then be given freedom to practice these techniques in a free-flowing game.

GAMES THAT TEACH
1 Flying changes
Setup
• Mark out a 40 x 25-yard field with centerline.
• Using cones, set up three goals on each endline.
• Divide players into two teams.
Sequence
• Teams play 3 v. 3; extra players wait behind the goals.
• If the ball leaves the attacking team’s half, the three attackers leave the field and are immediately replaced by the next three players.
• These three come on right away with a ball and try to quickly counterattack.
Variations
• Teams play 2 v. 2 on a smaller field.
• Set up just one goal on each endline.
Game teaches:
• Attack tactics: finding the free player, finding the free goal, counterattacking, recovering and defending after losing the ball
• Defense tactics: providing pressure, cover and balance; recognizing when to step aggressively and put attackers under pressure, and when to drop and delay the attack; taking away options; using zonal defending principles
• Technique: shooting, passing

2 Four-goal game
Setup
• Mark out a 40 x 40-yard field.
• Set up one goal on each sideline.
• Divide players into two teams.
Sequence
• Teams play 5 v. 5.
• Each team defends two goals and attacks the other two.
Variations
• Use two balls if more touches on the ball are wanted.
• Change the goals; teams have to attack and defend.
Game teaches:
• Supporting and unbalancing with width, depth and height of attack
• Switching the point of attack
• Channeling attackers when defending and putting them in positions where they are isolated
• Technique: shooting, passing, heading

3 Four-square game
Setup
• Field is half of a standard field.
• Mark out 10-yard squares in each corner of the field.
• Divide players into two teams.
Sequence
• Teams play 8 v. 8.
• Attackers score by passing the ball into one square and then out to a teammate.
• Each team can attack any of the four goals.
• Whichever team has the ball is on offense. The other team defends.
• It should be easy to keep possession because the defense has to worry about so many goals. Attackers should be patient and avoid unnecessary risks.
Variations
• Play with two balls to open the game up.
• Allow attackers to score by dribbling into and then out of the square.
• Scoring combinations must involve three different players.
• Limit players to two touches.
• Teams play 7 v. 7 plus two neutral players.
Game teaches:
• Maintaining balance on attack and defense (don’t bunch up around one goal)
• Looking to attack the goal that is open (learn to recognize where pressure is coming from)
• Defense tactics: creating opportunities to double-team opponents
• Technique: shooting, passing, receiving

4 Bread and butter
Setup
• Mark out a 30 x 45-yard field.
• Set up one goal on each endline.
• Divide players into three teams of four (A, B, C) and two neutral keepers.
Sequence
• Team A plays against Team B to score on one goal. Team C stands on the endline and supports both of the other teams.
• If Team A scores, they quickly try to attack the other goal, while Team B switches places with Team C.
• Supporting players are limited to one touch on the ball.
Game teaches:
• Attack tactics: after scoring a goal, looking to play quickly before the other team has a chance to come on and get organized
• Playing the ball to target players
• Principles of attacking and defending play
• Shooting mentality
• Goalkeeper: positioning, shot-blocking, distribution

5 End zone game
Setup
• Mark out a 30 x 50-yard field.
• Using cones, set up a seven-yard end zone at each end.
• Divide players into two teams of four.
Sequence
• Teams play 4 v. 4.
• Attackers score by getting the ball from one end zone to the other, either by passing or by dribbling.
• After scoring, they immediately attack the other goal.
• End zones can only be entered by the attacking team.
Game teaches:
• Principles of attacking and defending play
• Counterattacking
• Technique: passing, receiving, dribbling

6 Six-goal game
Setup
• Mark out a 30 x 25-yard field.
• Using cones, set up three goals on each endline.
• Divide players into two teams of four.
Sequence
• Teams play 4 v. 4.
• Each team defends three goals and attacks three.
• Use normal possession rules for balls that go out of bounds.
• Keep score.
Variations
• Teams play on four goals.
• No goals: Attackers score by dribbling over the endline or by stopping the ball on it.
• Field is longer than it is wide.
• Make teams bigger (up to 8 v. and increase field size accordingly.
Game teaches:
• Attacking: keeping possession of the ball, making defenders earn the ball instead of giving it to them, maintaining good width to unbalance the defense, quickly changing the point of attack
• Defending: zonal defending, keeping first defender balanced, avoiding lunging in, keeping the ball under pressure, covering goals first, providing good cover, keeping spaces between defenders tight, maintaining balance as a team
• Technique: shooting, passing