Body Lean
At TST we connect Body lean techniques to 'fluid inside touches'.
In words, it is when a player gets both feet outside the ball, and then leans back into the ball to set up an inisde touch.
[Note; Some players will step first (centered ball approach). This is a different technique].
Feet Outside : Lean back in
Set up an Inside Touch
The theory is that from this position it is possible to go both ways, and so impossible for the defender to know which one it is unitl the last second. The defender must lean with the attackers lean or else he will be in trouble if the attacker simpy accelerates off the inside touch. The defender must see this (have the head up) and account for this. If the defender leans, then when the attackers fakes and explodes the other way, the defender will be a split second behind (following a balance readjustment). The key to this is the body shape into the ball, and the ability to watch and react to the defender whilst coming into the ball to set up an 'Inside touch'.
Body lean vs Step first
A very basic exercise
Another very basic exercise
Basic Body Lean Techs using a variety of different cone setups
(BL) 1 Touch Inside
(BL) Inside Inside
AV Body Lean Inside
[BL] Inisde shuffle Inside step
BL Roll Across
(BL) Inside Inside
The key to these patterns is to incorporate a Body lean into an inisde touch using FFPs.
There is no end to the pattern combinations and how the cones are set up up makes a big difference re difficulty.
A player can Body lean into any inside touch :
- I
- DD
- II
- IstepO (+ variations - see below)
Or body lean in the middle of an Outside step Inisde
Use a Body Lean and the appearance of an imminent Inside Touch to fake on the inside touch
There is a long list of slightly different 'body lean into a fake Inside' techniques that do slightly different things; As an FFP we use the Inisde Step Outside. This is on the list below. The full list below is group by time it takes to execute the technique. This is critical as sometime a skill needs to be done quickly, where as other times it may need to last a little longer.
Body Lean :
Step across the front of the ball (step Outside)
Body Lean :
Step over the ball (step Outside)
Body Lean :
Roll over the ball (step Outside)
Body Lean :
Step across the back of the ball (step Outside)
Body Lean :
Inside step Outside
Body Lean :
Stab step Outside
Body Lean :
Inside hop Outside (reverse elastico)
Body Lean :
Inisde Hover hop Outside
It is also possible to combine 2 different body lean techs
It is also possible to combine body lean fakes with Outside fakes (to make a double fake)
This will be looked at as a separate topic
Tech Game
- Use aggressive body shapes when on the ball which forces defenders to react
- Attack the space either side of the defender (not the defender themselves) - this forces defender to move (to defend the space)
- Watch the defender to see if he is leaning (or not) and react accordingly
- Watch the defender to see which way his feet are pointing
- Watch the defender to time movement when the defender's feet aren't set
- Get the distances between the attacker and defender right (cant be too close or far away)
- Don't force 1v1s - know when to bail out and start again
Any aggressive 1v1 (when the attacker goes at the defender) exercises will work.
Basic aggressive 1v1 games
Cross the river ; XtR (max 3 player)
If the aim is to promote fluid running withe ball (includes setting up the body lean) Cross the River works (defs with a ball if beginners or no ball if more advanced) as long as players aren't allowed to stop and start using defensive 1v1 techniques.
But dont play XtR with more than 3 players.
We want as many players moving with the ball as possible, so teh games below might be better.
More games that promote running with the ball
3v2 overload into an aggressive attempt to break lines and attack an isolated defender
If you have space 2v2s or 3v3s where the pitch is split into 3 zones. One team keeps possession in zone 1 and gets pressed by 1 defender in the 2 v 2, or 2 defenders in the 3v3. This leaves 1 defender defending the middle third. 1 player in the team in possession must run with the ball from zone 1 to zone three.
Create a 3v2 in Zone 1. An attacker must run out of Z1 thru Z2 and attacker towards zone 3. D1 (in Zone 3) must stay in Z3 (loosely) and try to stop the attacker getting into Zone 3. If the attacker gets into Zone 3 - then he tries toscore. The 2 defenders in Zone 1 can track back and defend if they want to. At any point the attacker can abandon teh attack and go back to his teamamtes in zone 1. The attackers cannot leave Zone unti1 there are at least 2 defenders in the zone.
The above also works as a 2v2 : That is a 2v1 in Zone 1, into 1v1 in zone 3 to score