Key principles of possession

 Possession is a group exercise

At its most basic can 1 player pass to another player without the ball being intercepted.

Can the receiving player deal with pressure (first touch, ball moving) until he can pass to another/same player without it being intercepted.

It sounds simple ............

 

Importance of technique

At the core of possession is individual technique.

Players with poor technical ability  [ That is :

• Inaccurate passing
• Unintelligent passing
• Poor control / touch in general
• Poor first touch (relative to the problem / pressure)
• Poor touch when moving the ball
• Inefficient use of touches when on the ball (too many unnecessary touches)
• Ineffective use of touchers when on the ball (touches that achieve nothing)
• Poor footwork around the ball when moving it (means the feet are never in the right place)
• Poor balance when moving the ball
• Poor balance when setting up for the pass
• Playing with the head down
• Minimal checking and scanning
• Minimal thinking of what to do next, especially before the ball arrives
• Inability to process information leading to good decisions
• Inability to support the player on the ball
• Inability to manipulate time and space off the ball to maximise the passing line options
• Inability to use space to link passing lines into triangles
• Inability to recognise where the space is
• Inability to resist the urge to play back into congested areas (especially when it is the easiest option) ]
  

will always struggle to keep possesion for any extended period of time. Any attempts to keep possession will break down as soon as an indiviudal, who  does not have the technical ability necesaary to  maintain possession, has to play there part.

Team training will never develop indiviudal technique to the levels necessary. Players are in almost full control of this aspect of their development. If they do nothing at home (or elsewehere) then they will always be limited by the lack of technical ability, and this inadequacy becomes increasing exposed* as players get older.

 

*It is all relative; there are levels of football for all players. Players who struggle at one level, simply need to drop down to a lower level that suits their abilities better. We are not saying that practice at hoime is the be all and end all, but just that it is critical players understaan that they must match  their ambition with the level they play. Players who dont practice and dont aspire to play at a high level just need to match this to teh level they play, and there is nothing wrong with that. Football can be fun no matter what level you play. the ony time there is a negative is when a player is playing at the wrong level, and this can work in both directions.

 

Possession (and the game for that matter) is an exercise in

manipulating time and space to open up a passing line.

Utilising simple rules helps with this.

• Thinking ahead of the ball
• First touch to the biggest space you can see
• First touch away from pressure
• Open up to space when available with a back foot touch, protect when not
• Get the head up between touches
• A little toe touch to open up a passing angle
• Move off the ball so you can see the ball and ensure no defender is blocking the line etc

And in a nuthell

• Think ahead of the ball
• Use space and technique to deal with pressure
• Get the head up
• Manipulate Angles (both on and off the ball) through good movement and positioning
• Pass intelligently
• Think ahead of the ball

 

El Rondo

 

Team training provides players with the opportunity to solve problems (which isnt available when players practice at home). So team training needs to be about how to use the tool kit, where as practice outside training needs to be about developing the tool kit.

So Team trainng needs to be about solve problems. With this in mind Simple Rondo's are a great base;

One defender

• 4v1 : All points of the diamond are filled by a player : [easy unless it is one touch ]
• 3v1 : One points of the diamond is not filled by a player :  [ adding constraints adds difficulty ]
• 2v1 : Two points of the diamond are not filled by a player : [ requires good individuality ability on the ball ]

Two defenders ; Adds more problems

• 7v2 : [Introduces switching concepts]
• 4v2
• [4+1] v2 : [ Introduces concepts of breaking up a diamond into traingles/ better numbers ]

Three defenders

• 7v3 : Double diamond : [ Increasingly tests the lessons learnt above]
• [4+2] v3
• [4+1] v3

More defenders and players in possession set up in a diamond matrix

• 9v4
• 10v5
• 11v6 : [getting very close to the game]
• Can vary numbers and add constraints (who has what touches, who can pass to who) as necessary

Develop midfield movement

• [2v2] +4 (on outside) : [add constraints (as above) to make harder]
• [3v3] +6 (on outside)
• [3v3] +8 (on outside)

 

This means intelligence that is not system based or rule based. It is all about the manipulation of time and space in a structureless exercise or game.  Players just do what ever is necessary to maximise the moment.

Such games may be

• Multiple directional games
• Multiple goal games
• Manipulated goal based games
• Multiple directional and multiple goal games

EG;

 

 Games like this test general football intelligence.

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Week 1 recap

Usual warm up;

• Footwork (new Hopping -> IOI DB II -> stretch

• Tue: 2 square all session
• Wed : Mini 2 square + 5v5 with 5 goals (inside the pitch - multi-directional and non-stop)
• Thurs ; 3v3 - win serve by getting to an end, then it becomes directional with no passing in attacking end zone. Off side applies in end zone. Need to win serve if win possession or ball goes out. Then played 9v9 game - still quite scrappy - keeping possession is difficult in the tight space.