by Greg Bach
The player you choose to handle the sweeper responsibilities must be a jack of all trades. He should be fast, confident, steady under pressure, and have a firm grasp of the style of play you’re employing. The sweeper’s main job is to control the back area of the field and coordinate the defensive unit. So when an opposing player is racing down the left side of the field, he has to slide over in that direction to serve as an extra layer of defensive support in the event that the player maneuvers past the left fullback. Besides serving as the defensive anchor while the opposing team is on the attack, he has to have the skills to boot clearing kicks when the ball gets close to the goal or to use headers to knock the ball out of danger if the situation calls for it. He’s also responsible for working in conjunction with you in setting up the defensive alignments for corner and free kicks.
The stopper provides additional support to the defensive unit. Her basic responsibility is to clear balls out of her area before the opposing team can strike. Any mistakes made by this player can result in a good scoring chance by the opposing team, particularly if the sweeper is forced to provide assistance to one of the two fullbacks.
Figure 16-1: The popular 4-3-3 formation should be easy for your team to employ.
Midfielders: The left and right midfielders do a large amount of running, because they step up when the team is on the attack and must race back on defense to lend support to the fullbacks along the outer edges of the field. The center midfielder has a smorgasbord of responsibilities. Most notably, he’s vying for loose balls in the middle of the field all game long. The more successful he is at outdueling opposing players for the ball, the more offensive chances he generates for his team.
Forwards: The center forward probably takes the bulk of the team’s shots on goal, so players who have the ability to take accurate shots from a variety of distances and angles are best suited for this position. The outside forwards are the playmakers of the unit; they have the job of continually looking to move the ball down the sides of the field and looking to create scoring opportunities for either themselves or the center forward.
4-4-2 formation
This style of play is even more defense oriented than the 4-3-3 we mention in the previous section, because one of the forwards steps back to the midfield, while you retain the four defenders (see Figure 16-2). This system works if you have players who have good tactical skills and can easily adapt to switching back and forth between the midfield and forward positions. It’s also an effective system to use for squaring off against an explosive offense, because the bulk of your players are situated in the midfield area. Even if your team isn’t creating a lot of scoring opportunities, maintaining possession limits the number of offensive chances the other team enjoys.
Defenders: In this setup, the defenders form somewhat of a diamond shape in front of the goal, with the sweeper directly in front of the goal, the two fullbacks off to each side, and the stopper several yards ahead. The sweeper’s focus usually isn’t on any single player but strictly to oversee the play coming toward her and to move side to side to lend support to quash the opposing team’s goal-scoring chances. The stopper is generally entrusted with marking the opponent’s center forward or center midfielder. The fullbacks are responsible for derailing attacks taking place on their half of the field.
Midfielders: The four midfielders in this alignment are staggered across the playing field. Simply spreading them out across the field in a straight line allows the opposing team to easily negotiate past them. The outside midfielders do large amounts of running as they join the attack and move down the field. They’re also expected to provide strong defensive support when the opponent has possession of the ball.
Forwards: These players’ scoring opportunities are limited most of the time, simply because with this style of play, they can’t rely on having a lot of available players for assistance in joining the attack. The youngsters handling these positions run considerable distances, but if they’re speedy and excellent ball handlers, they may be able to create scoring chances for themselves.
4-5-1 formation
This system of play (see Figure 16-3) isn’t used a lot in the youth soccer ranks, but it can be an effective approach to use occasionally in an effort to slow an offensive team that turned in a strong first half that produced a lot of good scoring opportunities.
Figure 16-2: The defenders, midfielders, and forwards get into position for the 4-4-2.
Figure 16-3: The 4-5-1 formation is rarely used in youth soccer.
Clearing Strategies
Soccer is a complex game, but when you peel away the outer layers, you see that the team that spends more of the game on the opponent’s end of the field than on its own is generally going to produce more goals and wins. So a team’s ability to extricate itself from trouble by effectively clearing the ball out of the area in front of its goal is crucial to its success.
Clearing out is simply kicking the ball away from your own net, preferably aiming it toward the sidelines rather than the middle of the field, to clear away the chances for the opposing team to get shots on goal. Fending off the opponent’s attack doesn’t require magical moves or Houdini-like maneuvers from your players. Simply teaching the kids some basic clearing principles involving your goalie and the sidelines should be enough to help them move the ball out of danger and begin mounting an attack of their own.
Clearing to goalie
During the heat of competition, when your team is under attack and struggling to clear the ball out of its own end of the field, players can easily forget that their goalie can be a huge asset in helping bail them out of trouble. For example, if your stopper has possession of the ball but is limited in where he can dribble upfield due to all the attacking players in the vicinity, he can turn to the goalie. And if your fullback has possession of the ball, but all her passing options to teammates moving toward the midfield area are cut off, she can turn to the goalie.
A pass back to the goalie, also referred to as a safety pass, can bring the opponent’s attack to a halt. When the goalie has the ball, he can survey the field and look to deliver a pass to a teammate.
Reinforce to your players that they should use a safety pass only when opposing players have no chance of intercepting the ball. Also, although the pass back to the goalie should be firm, it shouldn’t be so hard that it actually challenges the youngster in the net to make a save from one of his own players.
Mastering this play takes a little time before youngsters are comfortable resorting to this type of pass during an actual game. They eventually learn, through their game experience, to remember to look behind them to utilize their goalie if that turns out to be the best option to derail the opponent’s attack.
Work with your goalies during scrimmages or any type of drills that you’re running to be vocal and let their teammates know that they’re available for the safety pass if they sense the team struggling to move the ball, and they don’t see any other options open downfield. Players often forget during the excitement of games that the goalie is there to help them, if needed. A simple verbal reminder from the goalie lets her teammates know that she’s ready to receive a safety pass. Communication among your players is a vital asset in stopping an offensive attack.
Clearing to sidelines
When your team is under pressure, one of the best escape routes to teach is playing the ball toward the sidelines, which involves the least amount of risk. Players, especially the relatively inexperienced ones, are always tempted to move the ball straight ahead, either dribbling or passing, and that usually moves them directly into trouble.
The center of the field represents the most dangerous territory to a defensive team looking to clear the ball. One poorly timed pass or turnover while dribbling can be costly. Always instruct your players to look to the nearest sideline for a teammate to clear the ball to. Even if the ball happens to be intercepted in that area, the opposing player doesn’t have nearly as many options to maneuver the ball as he does
if the ball is coughed up in the middle of the field. Good offenses find ways to get the ball into the middle of the field; good defenses work the ball to the sidelines.
As players begin learning to get the ball in the air, they’re gradually tempted when delivering clearing passes to simply kick the ball over the head of an oncoming opponent. This move can be problematic simply because it’s a risky play that can produce an immediate scoring opportunity for the opposing player if the ball isn’t put high enough in the air. Remind your players, especially your fullbacks and players positioned near the net, to try to pass the ball around opposing players to minimize the threat of turning the ball over in the vicinity of their own net.
Introducing New Defensive Skills
As your players begin getting comfortable with different playing styles, you can start introducing them to additional defensive tactics that they can employ. Helping them upgrade this area of their game allows them to enjoy more success in their 1-on-1 battles for the ball and also enhances the team’s overall play at the defensive end of the field.
Moving out
Moving out is a key defensive concept that plays on the offside rule that keeps opposing players from lingering near the goal awaiting a pass (see Chapter 3 for a complete onside/offside discussion). When the opposing team has the ball, an attacking player can advance toward the goal in only a couple of ways. He can move in when the ball is closer to the goal than the player is or when one of your defensive players (excluding your goalie) is closer to the goal than the offensive player. Teach your defensive players not to back in toward the goal and bunch up near the goalie. If your players are hovering around the goal, the opposing players can too. You want your fullbacks to focus on staying upfield, because that ensures that the forwards on the opposing team can’t advance farther than where they’re situated on the field without the ball. Keep in mind, though, that your defensive players must begin retreating as the ball approaches, because everyone can advance at least as far as the ball.
Offside trap
You can use the offside trap to gain possession of the ball (see Figure 16-4). Your defensive player, who’s downfield of the ball, runs beyond the attacking player on the opposing team. As soon as the attacker receives the ball, if no other players on your team are between the attacker and the goal (excluding the goalie, of course), the referee calls offside and awards the ball to your team for an indirect free kick. At the more advanced levels of youth soccer, or at least with a team that has many players who have been around the game for several years, this play is used often to stem an opponent’s attack and take possession of the ball. When attempting an offside trap, keep the following in mind:
Fullback awareness: If you signal your team to attempt the offside trap, make sure that all your fullbacks are aware of the situation. If all your defenders haven’t run past the opponent who receives the pass, he isn’t offside and suddenly has a golden scoring opportunity landing in his lap because your entire team wasn’t aware that the play was on.
Figure 16-4: If the offside trap isn’t successful, your opponent has an immediate advantage.
Dangerous: If your fullback is attempting to run past the opponent but is a step or two slow when the opponent receives the ball, your defense has put itself in a highly compromising position. The attacking player may have already been moving forward when he received the ball, and now he can either continue in on net or fire off a shot.
Referee factor: Youth soccer officials are out there doing the best they can for the kids and calling the game as fairly as they possibly can. But the offside trap is one of the tougher calls to make. You always take the chance that the referee may miss the call or simply deem that the team isn’t offside. In either case, the result is going to be an immediate advantage for the opponent. You may want to consider working with your players to raise their hands to get the referee’s attention when you’re attempting to use the offside trap so that the ref is aware of it — without giving away your intentions to the other team. Tell your team to keep playing whether the call is made or not. Regardless of what type of calls the officials make, your players should respect them at all times — even during those instances when calls don’t work out in your favor.
Sliding tackle
The sliding tackle is used by defenders who have been beaten by the attacking player and are in danger of giving up a good scoring opportunity. In many youth soccer leagues, slide tackling isn’t permitted because of the injury risk involved for both the attacking and defensive players. As we discuss in Chapter 2, get a handle on your league’s rules — you don’t want to devote practice time to a technique that isn’t allowed. In the more advanced levels of youth soccer, the sliding tackle is part of the game, and it’s one of those skills that need to be taught correctly to minimize the injury risk for your players.
In programs in which this type of tackle is allowed, your team should use it sparingly and call on it when no other defensive options are available. That’s because if a sliding tackle isn’t successful, the defensive team is at a real disadvantage: The defender who attempted the tackle is on the ground and has a difficult time recovering and helping out against the opponent’s attack. So the sliding tackle is not only one of the more difficult tackles to teach young players, but also one of the riskier ones to pull off during a game. While teaching youngsters this technique, stress the importance of making contact with the ball first; otherwise, a tripping penalty is likely to be called.
Take a look at how it’s done:
The approach: When the defender has been beaten or is trying to catch up to an attacking player dribbling downfield, he has to approach from the side (see Figure 16-5a). He has to be close to the player, or the attacking player can dribble out of range when he begins the sliding motion.
Sliding leg: As the defender nears the player, he drops his lower body and begins the sliding motion with the leg closer to the player (see Figure 16-5b).
Top leg: As the defender’s leg makes contact with the ground, he bends and tucks it underneath him while extending the top leg straight out (see Figure 16-5c).
Knock away: With the top leg, the defender knocks the ball away from the attacking player with as much force as he can generate so that the opponent isn’t able to track the ball down while he’s still lying on the ground (see Figure 16-5d).
Because the sliding tackle is one of the most difficult tackling techniques to master, start with a stationary ball. Have the kids run up alongside the ball, perform the slide, and make contact with the ball. Learning to gauge when to begin the slide against a moving player takes lots of practice and plenty of repetitions. So focus on proper sliding technique with just a ball, and when the players start progressing in that area, you can incorporate a moving offensive player into the drill.
Figure 16-5: The sliding tackle is an advanced defensive technique.
Chapter 17
Implementing Advanced Drills
In This Chapter
Working on conditioning with your youngsters
Coming up with drills to challenge your players
One of the best indicators that you’re doing a pretty good coaching job is team members who are gobbling up your instructions, putting your feedback to good use, and really developing as young players. Now, more than ever, is the ideal time to take full advantage of this momentum. Unveiling new — and even more challenging — drills is just what the kids need to propel them to higher levels of play, and you can find those drills in this chapter.
We also address the issue of conditioning — one of those topics that makes kids cringe and instantly puts horrible images in their heads of excruciating drills and nonstop running. Although conditioning is important in all youth sports, it arguably takes on even greater importance in soccer, where running is the foundation of the game. We shed some light on this topic and show you why it doesn’t have to have an unpleasant label attached to it.
Conditioning Your Players
Just how im
portant is conditioning in a sport like soccer? Well, think about it this way. A highly skilled player who hasn’t been properly conditioned and tires easily doesn’t enjoy the sport as much, and isn’t an asset to the team, if she’s gasping for air midway through the game and can’t chase balls or keep up with opposing players. Clearly, less-skilled players who have plenty of stamina, and are just as effective late in the second half of games as they are at the start of games, are more beneficial to the team over the long term and derive far more satisfaction from their participation.
Because soccer involves lots of continuous running mixed in with short bursts of high-intensity sprints, youngsters need a combination of aerobic and anaerobic fitness to perform at their maximum level all game long. Don’t worry — we’re not going to turn this section into a discussion that takes you back to your high school science-class days. We just give you a brief recap of the two, which you may already be familiar with:
Aerobic stamina refers to the level at which youngsters can take in and use oxygen. The stronger a youngster’s heart and lungs are, the longer he’s able to run up and down the field without tiring.
Anaerobic fitness pertains to how long a youngster can perform at high intensity, which includes sprinting after a ball.
Because the positions in soccer are so varied and require such diverse skills, the conditioning needs for each are quite different as well: