Principles of PlaySystems of Play

Styles of Play

“Understanding these concepts are the building blocks of effective coaching”

Principles of Play• Underlying concepts and ideas that are fundamental to

effective football and successful team play

• Not to be confused with systems of play 4 4 2, 4 3 3 etc

• Principles of play are the same in any system of play

• Understanding the principles of play is the foundation for teaching the game.

• If your players understand the principles of play

• Combined with good technique they will be able to play any system and style as determined by the coach

Principles of Play

• What do you understand by the term “Principles of Play?”

• What are the principles of play that underpin successful team play?

-Attacking.

-Defending.

Mike HudsonSoccer Nova Scotia

Attacking Principle 1 - Penetration

• When in possession of the ball, the first attacker should ask himself, “Can I score?”. If the answer is yes, he will shoot and penetrate the defense by shooting. If he cannot score, he will look to make a pass which will penetrate the defense. If this is not on, he will then attempt to penetrate by dribbling or running.

Penetration

The player on the ball recognizes the opportunity to penetrate the back linewith a through ball that gets the left-sided attacker in behind the defense.

Attacking Principle 2 – Support

• In order to maintain possession of the ball, the first attacker will need good support from the second and third attacker(s).

• Simply put, the second and third attackers must provide forward backward and sideways options to the first attacker (player on the ball).

The attackers have moved into good positions to offer support or optionsto the player on the ball

Attacking Principle 3 – Width

• In order to stretch the opponent’s defensive shape, attackers will use the width of the field to tempt them away from covering the dangerous area in front of goal

The attackers are employing the principle of width, which has caused the defenders to be concerned about the wide players, and have now becomestretched laterally or side to side. This causes too much lateral space between the defenders, which can be exploited with penetration betweenthe defenders.

Attacking Principle 4 – Mobility

• Attackers will make runs into different areas of the field in order to draw defenders out of their positions, trying to unbalance the defense

Mike HudsonSoccer Nova Scotia

The wide midfielder has come to the ball, dragging the right back out of position, while the centre forward runs across the top of the box, drawing the left central defender inside. The defense has now become unbalancedbecause of this mobility, and the left back finds space to penetrate.

Attacking Principle 5 – Vertical Stretching

• Attackers will try to stretch the space between defensive lines, by playing as deep as possible and off the shoulder of the last defender. The intention is to stretch the opponent vertically.

• Vertical stretching can also be achieved by players behind the ball dropping off to create space ahead of themselves.

The central midfielder has preserved space for himself by staying back andis therefore able to receive a lay-off from his team mate. The centre forwards,by playing on the shoulder of the last defender have created space betweenthe back line and the midfield line, into which they can come to receive theball. The space to play has been created by stretching the opponent Vertically from back to front.

Attacking Principle 6 – Improvisation/Creativity/Surprise

• Attackers will try to break down defenses by employing the element of surprise. Tools such as back-heels, overhead kicks, diving headers, feints and fakes are all used for this purpose.

Defending Principle 1 – Pressure/Delay

• To prevent the first attacker penetrating by the previously mentioned methods, the first defender must apply pressure to the ball, or delay the penetration by preventing the shot, pass or dribble.

To prevent the through ball being played, the right-sided central defenderhas closed down the ball carrier, and is applying the principle of delay,causing the ball holder to play sideways and in front of the defense.

Defending Principle 2 – Cover/Support/Depth in Defense

• To negate the options provided for the first attacker, the second defenders must give cover to the first defender

• This means that the second defenders will cut off passing lanes and will be ready to take the loose ball as the first attacker tries to get past the first defender.

Mike HudsonSoccer Nova Scotia

The midfield defenders are providing cover and support to the player who is closing down the ball holder, while the back line is providing depth inDefense, canceling out the good support seen in the previous slide.

Defending Principle 3 – Concentration

• To avoid being stretched, the defenders will tend to concentrate their numbers in the dangerous area in front of goal.

• They will get into this area by means of recovery runs which will tend to get them between the ball and the goal.

Mike HudsonSoccer Nova Scotia

Despite the width created by the wide players, the defenders have chosenRecover and to concentrate themselves in the danger area, refusing to allow themselves to be stretched laterally. If the ball is played wide, the wide defenders will close the space as the ball travels to the wide player.

Defending Principle 4 – Balance

• In order to retain defensive balance or shape, the third defenders will balance off the weak side of the attack, and will pass off runners if possible. Alternatively, they may track and have someone else maintain defensive balance by taking their place.

In this instance, the defenders have observed the rules of balance, simply passing on, or tracking defenders, while maintaining zonal coverage in thearea that was previously available to be attacked

Defending Principle 5 – Compactness

• To counter this, defenders will try to compact the vertical distance allowed the attackers by pushing up their back and midfield lines towards the opponent’s goal, effectively reducing the on-side attacking space.

• This also has the effect of keeping small spaces between the defensive lines, making it difficult for the opponent to play through.

• The goalkeeper must be considered in this movement, having the job of reducing the space between himself and the last defender.

Mike HudsonSoccer Nova Scotia

In response to the lay-off pass, the brown players have pushed out towardsThe ball, negating the space that the central midfielder previously enjoyed. At the same time the back four have pushed up and reduced the spacebetween their midfield and back lines, leaving the strikers in an off-sideposition, and without much space to play in when they get back on side.

Defensive Principle 6 – Patience/Discipline/Restraint

• To avoid being “sold” by a creative mood, defenders will employ the principle of restraint or patience, waiting for the attacker to make a mistake, before attempting to win the ball.

Systems of play

“System is a regularly interacting or independent group of players forming a

unified whole”

Systems of play

• What do you understand when we talk about systems of play ?

• Simply the arrangement of players by a coach on the field in a pre-determined manner.

• 4 4 2, 3 5 2, 4 3 3, 4 5 1

• Or in small sided games Triangle, Diamond, 2 3 1

Systems of Play

• Factors to consider• Score goals, Prevent goals (Difficult to do

both at the same time)• Arrange players on the field with

specialists in each position GK, Defenders, Mid-fielders/wingers, strikers

• Players must know their roles and responsibilities of each position within that system.

Man United

4 4 2

Chelsea

4 5 1 or 4 3 3

3 5 2

Goalkeeper

WingerStriker

Man Marker

Sweeper

Stopper

Man Marker

Striker

Winger

Mid-fielder

Mid-fielder

Styles of Play

• It is the responsibility of the coach to choose what system will work best for his or her team.

• Once this has been done the players need to know and understand their roles and responsibilities on the field of play.

• The next step in the coaching is deciding what style of play your team will adopt.

Styles of Play

• Again this can be examined by looking at your team when attacking and defending.

• The choices you make will be determined by a number of factors

• Your philosophy of how soccer should be played• The required outcome of the game• The opposition (Relative to your teams

strengths)• The stage of the game (Containing or Chasing)• The weather and field conditions

Styles of Play - Attacking

• In attack there are three basic styles coaches adopt.

1. Direct Soccer

2. Possession Soccer

3. A mixture of the two

Style of Play - Defending

• Pressing – When – Where – How ?• Dropping off – Where to ?• Both styles require your team to recognise

the pressure on the ball – no pressure drop your lines – obtain pressure start to squeeze as a team. This concept of dropping and squeezing in relation to the changing climate around the ball is fundamental to successful defending

Style of Play - Defending• Dropping off – to get compact• Good teams when they lose the ball will drop off and tuck

in to get compact• Where do you want your team to start defending• Pressing the opposition without a compact defensive

shape will allow teams with good technique to play in the spaces between your defensive lines.

• Decide on a pre determined line of engagement for your team.

• Teach them in sessions how to drop off as a team and defend from that line.

• My teams usually engage the opposition about 10 yards over the half way line. But we do learn to press higher and drop off further dependant on stage of the game/opposition and weather conditions.

Style of Play Defending Pressing – When ?

• First few minutes of a game to unsettle a technically good team

• First few minutes of a game to steal the ball from a technically weak team.

• Late in the game when you are behind.

Style of Play Defending Pressing – Where ?

• All over field to win the ball back as early as possible.

• As high as you can to force opposition to play long.

• When your players think they can steal the ball to initiate the counter attack.

Style of Play Defending Pressing – How ?

• Press as a team to condense the field and force the opposition to play sideways and backward.

• Strong sided players tight – weak sided players splitting space

• If striker/winger initiates press all the team must react accordingly – if not good teams will play out using space left behind striker.

• Be wary that if your team is pressing high and you lose pressure on the ball – you are susceptible to the ball behind your back line

What does this all mean ?

• Regardless of system/style of play the principles will always remain the same.

• Successful football at all levels determined by one factor - technique

• “No technique, no Tactic”• Although it is important to start teaching your players

even at the younger ages the tactical side of the game. Do not lose sight of your role as coaches in the game.

• Teach your players to be able to pass, receive, dribble, run with the ball, shoot, head, tackle etc.

• Acquiring the fundamental building blocks of football is critical to the development of the player.