AoG- Circulation Passing and Timed Far-Post Run

AoG- Playing the Flanks

4-3-3 Tactics

http://www.elitesoccerconditioning.com/4-3-3/433basics.htm

http://worldsoccer.about.com/od/skillsandtactics/a/4-3-3.htm

http://www.soccerinteractive.com/common/articles.aspx?id=34&tag=84

Sidelines » Glens Falls boys soccer full of mudders, Indians bounce top seed in Class A tournament (Photo Gallery)

Sidelines » Glens Falls boys soccer full of mudders, Indians bounce top seed in Class A tournament (Photo Gallery)

Stopping a Speedy Striker

Scoring Off Crosses

Playing Direct

Dealing with Disappointment

Tactical Soccer Situations Test

Try taking the NSCAA Tactical Situations Tests. See how well you can answer these visual/tactical questions!

http://www.nscaa.com/quiz.php

Michael Carrick: Protecting the Back Four

Michael Carrick's tips for playing the holding/defensive midfielder position:

Michael Carrick: Protecting the back four | Technique | FourFourTwo Performance

Don Goodman: Split the Defence

Don Goodman: Split the defence | Pro Tips | FourFourTwo Performance

Attacking from the Wings

Free Kicks

Wayne Rooney on Success in Soccer

Wayne Rooney is relishing playing the lead role in United's attack - and he's being backed by Reds fans to crack the 30-goal barrier for the first time in his career.

The in-form 24-year-old front man is the Premier League's clear leading scorer with 20 goals, and another strike against Arsenal on Sunday took his tally in all competitions to 22.

Rooney has been solely focused on playing through the middle this season, where Sir Alex feels he is at his most potent. Whereas in the past, Rooney has been selfless and played wide left, he's now in his preferred role.

"My favourite position is playing forward," he says. "I’ve been used out wide or in midfield now and again in the past, but as a forward I feel I can influence the game a lot more. Thankfully the manager has played me there all season."

There are 14 league games remaining this season, with the potential for a further eight matches in the Carling Cup and Champions League, leaving plenty of opportunity for Rooney to break the 30-goal barrier.

United fans certainly have faith in him achieving it. In a ManUtd.com poll, 76% of our readers reckon Rooney will pass that total, with a third of those fans confident
he'll get more than 35 goals.

Rooney has revealed the secret behind his tally increase this term - and it's down to developing his predatory instincts in the box, and not shying away from the hard work of practice.

"I've started scoring more goals inside the six-yard box, which I've not really done a lot in previous years," he says. "I’ve been working on trying to improve my movement in the box and creating space to get my shot off. It's all starting to pay off.

"We do shooting practice with the team, but then after the session I’ll go and work on things myself.

"Sometimes people don’t realise how hard it is to practice every day. It’s hard to constantly put the work in to improve your game. But if you want to get the rewards from it, you have to do it. The best players always practice to get better. That’s what I’ve done since as far back as I can remember. I've played football every day for most of my life. It’s something I really enjoy doing."

Winning Your Restarts

Many, many games are won or lost on restarts. The extent to which goals result directly from restarts remains an ongoing subject of debate, but research performed at the highest level of the game indicates that corner kicks, free kicks, and penalties produce nearly 30% of all goals. FIFA's official Technical Reports from eight recent championships provide the following data in support of this assertion: Tournament Goals from Corner Kicks Goals from Free Kicks Goals from Penalty Kicks Goals from All Restart Kicks Athens Olympics 2004 (Women) 5/55 (9.1%) 4/55 (7.3%) 2/55 (3.6%) 11/55 (20.0%) Athens Olympics 2004 (Men) 10/101 (9.9%) 6/101 (5.9%) 7/101 (6.9%) 23/101 (22.8%) WC 2003 USA (Women) 12/107 (11.2%) 19/107 (17.8%) 8/107 (7.5%) 39/107 (36.4%) WC 2002 Korea/Japan (Men) 16/161 (9.9%) 16/161 (9.9%) 13/161 (8.1%) 45/161 (28.0%) Sydney Olympics 2004 (Women) 3/42 (7.1%) 7/42 (16.7%) 4/42 (9.5%) 14/42 (33.3%) Sydney Olympics 2004 (Men) 3/103 (2.9%) 10/103 (9.7%) 12/103 (11.7%) 25/103 (24.3%) WC 1999 USA (Women) 12/123 (9.8%) 12/123 (9.8%) 7/123 (5.7%) 31/123 (25.2%) WC 1998 France (Men) 21/171 (12.3%) 22/171 (12.9%) 17/171 (9.9%) 60/171 (35.1%) TOTALS 82/863 (9.5%) 96/863 (11.1%) 70/863 (8.1%) 248/863 (28.7%) Source: FIFA Technical Study Group http://www.fifa.com/en/development/technicalsection/ What these statistics don't show is the impact all restarts (including throw-ins, goal kicks, and goalkeeper distributions) have on creating attacking chances and limiting defensive exposure. Even though your team may never score a goal directly from your own goal kick, failure to maintain possession following your goal kick could easily provide your opponent a chance to score against you in the run of play. With that said, we need to have a more precise understanding of what it means to "win your restarts". Where does a restart end and the run of play begin? In general, if your team had both the first and the second touches on the ball after it was put back in play, you can view that as a successful restart (the "first/second" rule). Any breakdown in possession or attacking execution beyond the second touch should be addressed as an error during the run of play. Of course, any restart that produces a goal for your team must be counted as a success as well! The corollary to this idea is that your restarts should be simple by design, requiring no more than two or three touches to execute. Make your approach more complex than this, and you introduce all the challenges and risks associated with free-flowing play. In addition, each situation has its own unique requirements for success, including the following points: Goal kicks and goalkeeper distribution. The main priority with these types of restarts is to not turn over possession in your defensive half of the field. Whether played long or short, these services must go directly to your own players. Receiving players must have good, close, supporting options within their line of sight before the ball arrives, and the first/second rule has special importance here. An ideal scenario calls for the receiving player to deliver a one-touch pass (often with a header or volley) to a nearby teammate who then settles the ball. This tactic works well because many defenses tend to focus their pressure on the first player (and the ball) and lose track of close supporting players in these situations. Throw-ins. Generally, teams that turn the ball over on their own throw-ins suffer from a lack of mobility. The thrower needs to have multiple runners as options, with some players running into open spaces and others checking back to the thrower. Other considerations here include the quality of the throw itself (aim for the receiver's feet to maximize his options) and of the receiver's first touch (which must be technically clean). Again, the first/second rule applies, with the thrower often available to receive a one-touch return pass from the initial receiver. Of course, if you have the option to use a very long throw-in, you'll want to play throw-ins in the attacking third similar to an attacking corner kick. Corner kicks. Attacking corners must start with a quality service. No team can afford to squander such a valuable attacking opportunity by striking the ball far beyond the target players or (worse yet) out-of-play behind the goal! In addition, your team must "finish the play" with a shot that either scores or goes out of play. There are few momentum killers worse than allowing a counterattack goal from your own attacking corner kick, so make sure your opponent doesn't get that chance. Even if your team's shot is less than ideal (very high or wide of the goal), finishing the play ensures that you have time to get numbers back defensively before play resumes. Further, you can't score if you don't shoot; an emphasis on finishing the play will encourage your players to turn half-chances into legitimate scoring sequences (and not keep waiting for a "perfect" opportunity that never comes). Free kicks. The priorities for direct and indirect free kicks vary across the thirds of the field. In the attacking third, your set piece must conclude by finishing the play (see above). In the middle third, you must maintain possession of the ball. In the defensive third, you'll want to change the point of attack as quickly and safely as possible (often, but not always, with a long service). When the chance presents itself, be sure to use a quick restart to catch the opposition when they are somewhat disorganized defensively. If you can't restart quickly, then take your time and ensure that you execute everything correctly. In this case, make sure you have the right people around the ball and the right players pushed into forward (target) positions, and do not put the ball back into play until you've allowed the referee to deal with any encroachment. As is the case for your attacking corner kicks, never allow your opponent to counter on your own free kick! Penalty kicks. Penalties should be "easy points" for your side, but experience proves they are far from automatic. To make the most of these opportunities, you must know who your best penalty-takers are before the match. Further, all of your players must distribute themselves across the top of the penalty area and rush into the area as soon as the shot is taken so they can put away any deflections. As the coach, you should think twice before allowing a player who has just been fouled to take the subsequent penalty. Even if that player is your best penalty-taker, the recent foul often will reduce his effectiveness from the spot. A minor injury can impede the shooter's normal mechanics, a hard fall can leave the player unfocused, and the emotional surge that accompanies a violent challenge could cause the player simply to overstrike the ball. Thus, your chances of converting may well be improved by giving the assignment to your next-best finisher in this circumstance.

Defensive Organization

The goal of collective defending is to reduce attacking options for your opponents, thus making their play more predictable and attacks less threatening, and increasing the opportunties for your team to regain possession of the ball. Importantly, an organized defense will reduce the number of times an opponent can penetrate into the penalty area with the ball and should nearly eliminate breakaway attacks by the opposition. Good defensive shape will allow your team to withstand tough stretches of any match, and will provide your players with a firm foundation they can use to counter any opponent, even one that is significantly stronger "on paper". By working as a unit, you can enhance the effectiveness of your players' individual defending abilities to gain more than the "sum of their parts".

Consider several structural components, as illustrated below:

• Compactness refers to the distance between the frontmost defenders and the back line of defenders. Players on the defensive team who are not ballside do not contribute to the team's compactness.
• Concentration refers to the horizontal spacing of the defensive players behind the ball. To increase concentration, defenders should "pinch in" toward the center to limit space in front of their goal.
• Density refers to the number of players per unit of area who are ballside and goalside within the defensive unit. Density increases as the team becomes more compact or more concentrated. You also can increase density by requiring more players to recover ballside and goalside when the team loses possession of the ball.
• Seams refer to the gaps between each ballside defensive player.

Of course, the defensive principles of pressure, cover, and balance must also be incorporated into your team's defensive posture. Pressure is especially important, as this is the cue that guides the positioning of all the other defenders. With tight pressure from the first defender, the rest of the team can become more compact because the first attacker will be less able to play long services to his teammates. In turn, increased compactness allows the defense to put even greater pressure on the ball, thus increasing their chances of forcing a turnover of possession.

Conversely, if the team is caught without good first defender pressure, the back line of defenders will likely need to drop off from the ball. This reduces compactness, but it also reduces the risk posed by a long service over the top or a penetrating pass through a seam. Here, the principle of immediate chase becomes critical, as the covering defenders can't step back up to increase compactness until a recovering teammate can press the ball.

Pressure from the first defender also signals which other defenders should drop into covering roles as second defenders. This adjustment by the second defenders limits space that could be exploited by a creative dribble, and also serves to tighten the seams among the defenders near the ball. Since a large seam can be split easily with a penetrating pass, your defense must constantly shift to reduce the size of these gaps.

The remaining members of the defensive unit provide balance by staying goalside of any runners off the ball. They must also work to limit defensive seams, though, by becoming more concentrated. Increased density will limit through pass and entry pass options, and will also reduce shooting lanes for the attackers.

Awareness and coordination of movement are vital, as the back line must continuously seek opportunities to become more compact and more concentrated without conceding penetrating chances to the opposition. Should the first attacker be able to play a ball that changes the point of attack, all the defenders must move while the ball is traveling so that they can get pressure on the ball as soon as (or before) it reaches its recipient.

Whenever possible, you want to keep the play in front of your defensive unit so that you never find yourself chasing a ball while facing your own goal (and, most likely, under pressure of an attacking player). Your defensive shape should force square or dropback passes by the opposition whenever possible, and prevent your opponent from ever gaining possession behind your back line. Your defense must react quickly to press the ball after each pass. Otherwise, a simple dropback pass might allow a long ball to be played over the top of a compact defensive unit that hasn't had time to drop off in anticipation of the new attacking threat.

Robert Parr

Passing on the Diagonals

Consider a player with the ball in the following game situation:

As illustrated, this player has three passing options available to him:

1. Play a square pass to teammate A.
2. Play a vertical pass to teammate B.
3. Play a diagonal pass to teammate C.
   

Given these options, which is the best choice?

The square pass to teammate A represents the worst option of the three. Because the ball travels horizontally relative to the playing field, this type of pass only changes one dimension of play (width), which causes minimal disruption to the defensive shape of the opposing team. In addition, this pass doesn't move the ball closer to the attacking team's goal, which means that scoring options are not improved.

Worst of all, square passes can easily be intercepted by an intermediate defender before they reach their intended recipient. When this happens, the opponent has a direct path to your own goal while two of your players are positioned very poorly to defend the counterattack. Note that all three players are in line with each other at the instant of interception, but the opponent has the shortest route to your goal and has the advantage of momentum going the same way. Your players must turn, accelerate, and take a longer path to chase down the breakaway, which places them at a distinct disadvantage.

Because square passes offer almost no attacking benefit, and because they represent a high defensive risk, they should be avoided as much as possible!

The forward vertical pass to teammate B is a somewhat improved choice. Assuming the receiving player moves toward the ball to control it, this pass offers much less opportunity for interception by the defense. It also moves the ball closer to the attacker's goal, which improves the attacking team's ability to score.

However, this combination still poses some shortcomings. Again, it only changes one dimension of play (depth), so the defending team can adjust easily to counteract the pass. The recipient must receive the ball while facing away from the goal, which limits his vision of the field and reduces his options to go to goal on the first touch. Further, the positioning of the supporting target player (and his associated defender) impedes the ability of the first attacker to dribble into space and toward goal, and also limits the first attacker's ability to see the goal and attempt to score directly off the dribble.

The diagonal pass to teammate C represents the best option of the three. This type of pass changes two dimensions of play (both width and depth), which forces a much greater adjustment by the defensive unit to restore pressure, cover, and balance. It moves the ball closer to the attacking goal, thus increasing scoring options. The receiving player can minimize the risk of interception by moving a step or two to meet the ball after it is played. In the event the defense does manage to intercept this pass, the passer is already goalside and thus positioned reasonably well to defend against any counterattack.

As another benefit, the diagonal pass allows the recipient to receive the ball on an angle, which makes it easier to play a first touch toward the goal while maximizing forward vision of the field. Finally, because the supporting forward player is positioned to one side, the first attacker retains the option to dribble into space toward the goal, which further complicates the opponent's defensive task.

For these reasons, passes along the diagonals will generally be the best choice. However, the real benefit comes when you are able to string multiple diagonal passes together in the same possession. To see one example of this, consider the original game scenario as revised in the illustration below:

Here, player B has taken a slightly wider position relative to the first attacker, which would permit a diagonal pass into player B if desired. Because the central defender must stay in place to protect against a penetrating dribble by the first attacker, this wider position also creates some separation between player B and the defender.

This attacking shape also makes it simple to play the ball into the space behind the defensive line with just two diagonal passes. These passes can be made with one touch each, which maximizes speed of play. Further, the diagonal path of the final service into the penalty area makes it harder for the goalkeeper to intercept before player B can reach the ball and attempt to finish.

Finally, you should recognize that diagonal passes do not always have to be played forward to be effective. For example, a forward checking back to the ball may want to "play the way he is facing" by giving a one-touch diagonal pass back to a supporting midfielder. Assuming this pass travels to a teammate on an "x" (and not a "+"), and if it traces a different path than the one it followed into the feet of the forward, it will likely be a well-chosen touch.

About the Author: The co-creator of SoccerROM, Robert Parr holds a USSF 'A' license and a USSF National Youth Coaching license. He is currently the Head Women's Soccer Coach at Georgia College & State University, and a member of the Georgia State Soccer Association Olympic Development Program Coaching Staff. From 1995-2002, Robert was the Director of Training for the American Soccer Club "Eagles" youth program in Austin, Texas. He also served as the South Texas Men's State Team Coach from 1996-1998, and a South Texas YSA State Staff Coach for both the Olympic Development Program (1991-1999) and the Coaching Education Program (1991-2002). From 1989 until 1995, Robert was the Head Coach of the University of Texas Men's Soccer Team, where he led the program to a National Collegiate Club Championship in 1990, three other National Tournament appearances, and an overall record of 80-25-16. You can reach Robert at robert@soccerrom.com.

Analyzing Your Team's Defensive Play

Read through and ask yourself whether or not we as a team, or you as an individual player can answer any of these questions with a "YES". If so, we have work to do!

As a first step toward mastering match analysis, you can divide the game into three main pieces -- defensive play, offensive play, and transition. Within each of these elements, you can then compile a list of questions or key coaching points to consider that will help identify your team's relative strengths and weaknesses. To illustrate this process of mental modeling, this article will focus on analyzing your team's defensive play.

The simplest way to understand your team's defensive effectiveness is to look at the types of opportunities that you are conceding to your opponents. As you observe the game, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are we allowing breakaways and 1v1s against our goalkeeper?
• Are we getting beaten 1v1 in the open field?
• Are we getting beaten by combination play in the open field?
• Are we allowing shots off crosses and flighted balls?
• Are we conceding dangerous set pieces (free kicks, corner kicks, and deep throw-ins)?
• Are we allowing chances at the far post?
  

In addition, you should evaluate your team's defensive effectiveness as a function of time and game conditions:

• Do you defend well early, but allow a large number of goals late in the half (or the game)?
• Do your field players perform differently depending on who you play as your goalkeeper?
• Does your team look disorganized in the early moments of each half?
• Do your players take unnecessary chances when the game situation calls for safety first?

About the Author- Robert Parr holds a USSF 'A' license and a USSF National Youth Coaching license. He is currently the Head Women's Soccer Coach at Georgia College & State University, and a member of the Georgia State Soccer Association Olympic Development Program Coaching Staff.

Analyzing Your Team's Attacking Play

Read through and ask yourself whether or not we as a team, or you as an individual player can answer any of these questions with a "YES". If so, we have work to do!

Simplicity is the key to real-time match analysis. If you can frame your assessment of the action in terms of a modest list of questions or checkpoints, then you can quickly identify the areas where your team is performing well and the other aspects that you should address in training.

First, consider the following questions that focus on individual attacking play:

• Do players have a clean and positive first touch?
• Are players maintaining proper vision of the field?
• Do players demonstrate creativity with the ball?
• Are players striking the ball with appropriate technique?
• Are players choosing the appropriate attacking options?
• Do players maintain their poise in front of the goal?

Next, look at how players are working away from the ball to support the attack:

• Are players running off the ball to provide penetrating and supporting options?
• Are players ahead of the ball checking back toward it, or just running away?
• Do supporting players communicate with their teammates?
  

Third, examine the overall effectiveness of your team's attacking efforts:

• Are we able to maintain possession of the ball after we win it?
• Are we able to penetrate the opposing team's defensive third of the field?
• Are we creating enough scoring chances?
• Are our attacking restarts organized and effective?

About the Author- Robert Parr holds a USSF 'A' license and a USSF National Youth Coaching license. He is currently the Head Women's Soccer Coach at Georgia College & State University, and a member of the Georgia State Soccer Association Olympic Development Program Coaching Staff.

Defending Responsibilities

Outside Back Responsibilities- These players are responsible fas marking backs and must be in good shape, physical players with good 1 v. 1 skills. The left back marks the right forward; while the right back on left forward.

Sweeper Responsibilities - The sweeper position is one of the most important positions on the field and should be manned accordingly. The sweeper is everyone's second defender. A sweeper needs to be smart, fast, skilled and very comfortable with his / her ability. Because they are the last line of defense they very rarely make offensive type runs. Their job is to control the back. They are the leader of the three defenders and it is their job to back the other two up at all times. He/she must be able to see the play of the opposing offense before it develops and thus anticipate where the ball is going. The sweeper must be extremely vocal with his/her defense letting them know what he/she sees, if they are out of position, and if they must pull up for an offside trap. If the opposing team is coming down the right side of the field the sweeper needs to be ready and able to back up his right fullback if he / she gets beat. The sweeper needs to do it all. He / she must be able to clear the ball, send the ball to open space for the forwards (generally aiming for the corner flags), clear balls out, control the other defenders, stop breakaways from happening as well as work with the goalie in setting up defensive situations such as corner kicks, free kicks etc. The sweeper is an extremely important player.

Stopper Responsibilities- The Stopper takes first attacking mid player which may be a striker/forward or it could be a central attacking mid. Speed is not a must here but one thing that is a must the ability to play consistently. This player must do things the same way constantly and not be sporadic. The stopper has one responsibility stop attacks from happening. He / She is to tackle the ball away from the opposing player and move the ball to either the open space of his / her midfielders. The stopper is not a playmaker or a showboat. He / she is the simplest player on the field and the first line of defense. Win possession of the ball and get it to another player on your team. Although limited in his / her tasks, the stopper is still an extremely important player.

Wing Midfielders- man-mark attacking wings the length of the field.