49: Grow Coach Newsletter
Football Coaches: Develop your Coaching Craft.
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Here is What to Expect:
Coaching Craft: Mastering Football Core Skills
Full 60-Minute Practice: Finding the Spare Player
Coach Project: Design a practice
“The key to success is constant awareness—scanning the pitch to know where teammates and opponents are.”- Pep Guardiola
"Master Football’s Core Skills: Unlock Pitch Success"
Football is more than just speed and skill. The real game-changer is mastering the six core capabilities. Ready to take your game to the next level?
Success doesn’t just come from raw talent—it’s the result of mastering key skills that allow players to make quick, informed decisions. The FA’s six core capabilities—scanning, timing, movement, positioning, deception, and technique—serve as a framework for analysing every action on the football pitch.
Whether you're tackling, dribbling, or passing, these capabilities work in harmony to maximise performance.
The Importance of Scanning in Football
Scanning the field is a crucial skill in football that allows players to make informed decisions and gain an advantage over their opponents.
Scanning is all about "looking around" to take in the surroundings and build a picture of what's happening on the pitch. This information can then be used to inform their next action.
When players scan effectively, they can:
Identify the location of the ball, teammates, opponents, and open space. This awareness enables them to make better decisions about their movement, positioning, and passing options.
A midfielder who scans before receiving the ball can see which teammates are open and in a good position to receive a pass, allowing them to move the ball and maintain possession quickly.
Anticipate threats and opportunities. By scanning the field, players can see developing plays and react accordingly. A defender who scans can track the movement of attacking players and anticipate potential runs, putting them in a better position to intercept passes or make a tackle.
Choose the right moment to act. Timing is essential in football, and scanning provides players with the information they need to time their actions effectively. For instance, an attacker who scans can see when a teammate is about to cross the ball and time their run into the box to get on the end of the cross.
Overall, scanning is a fundamental skill that helps players make better decisions on the pitch. By constantly observing their surroundings, players can react to situations more effectively and gain a competitive edge.
The Interconnectedness of the 6 Capabilities in a Successful Tackle...
Focusing specifically on scanning, timing, and positioning, these three capabilities are particularly crucial for executing a successful tackle.
Scanning: Before attempting a tackle, a defender must scan the field effectively. This involves quickly assessing the situation and gathering crucial information.
They need to know where the ball is, where the attacker is going, the attacker's speed, where their teammates are, and where the open spaces are.
This information helps the defender anticipate the attacker's next move and decide on the best course of action.
Positioning: Based on the information gathered through scanning, the defender needs to position themselves strategically. This could involve:
Getting into a position that cuts off the attacker's passing options.
Positioning their body to force the attacker wide, towards the sideline, and away from dangerous areas.
Maintaining a safe distance to avoid being easily dribbled past, while being close enough to react when the opportunity to tackle arises.
Timing: Once the defender is in a good position, they must wait for the right moment to make the tackle. This requires patience and the ability to read the play. A successful tackle often hinges on timing.
If the defender lunges too early, the attacker can easily dribble past. If they wait too long, the attacker might have already passed the ball or taken a shot.
The triggers for a well-timed tackle could be:
When the attacker takes a heavy touch, giving the defender a brief window to win the ball.
When the attacker is off-balance or has their back to the defender.
In summary, scanning provides the defenders with the necessary information to position themselves effectively, and then timing dictates the precise moment to execute the tackle. All three capabilities must work in sync to increase the chances of a successful tackle.
The Interplay of the 6 Capabilities and a Dribble
Scanning, timing, and positioning are critical for a successful dribble, especially when combined with deception.
Scanning: Before and during a dribble, the player must continuously scan the environment. They need to be aware of:
Opponent Location and Movement: Understanding where defenders are, how they are moving, and their distance helps the dribbler identify potential challenges and spaces to exploit.
Teammate Positioning: Identifying teammates allows the dribbler to anticipate potential passing options if the dribble becomes unsustainable or a better opportunity arises.
Space Availability: Recognising available spaces helps the dribbler decide where to move when to change direction, and how to best utilise their dribbling skills to manoeuvre through tight areas.
Positioning: Based on the information gathered through scanning, the player positions their body strategically to:
Shield the Ball: Using their body as a barrier between the ball and the opponent makes it difficult for the defender to dispossess them.
Maintain Balance: A good dribbling stance with a low centre of gravity allows for quick changes in direction and speed, making it harder for the opponent to anticipate their next move.
Create Space: By subtly shifting their body weight or using small touches, the dribbler can create just enough space to manoeuvre past the defender.
Timing: The success of a dribble often relies on precise timing. This could involve:
Exploiting Opponent Mistakes: If a defender is off-balance or out of position, a quick change of pace or direction can allow the dribbler to get past them.
Sudden Acceleration or Deceleration: Changing speed unexpectedly can throw off a defender's timing, creating opportunities for the dribbler to exploit.
Timing of a Skill Move: Executing a step-over, feint, or other skill move at the right moment can leave the defender flat-footed and open up space for the dribbler.
Deception: To further enhance the effectiveness of their dribble, a player can incorporate deceptive techniques.
Body Feints: Using subtle shifts in body weight or eye movement can mislead the defender, making them anticipate a move in one direction while the dribbler goes in another.
False Touches: Pretending to touch the ball in one direction before quickly moving it in another can wrong-foot the defender, creating an opening for the dribbler.
In conclusion, a successful dribble in football is rarely solely about skill; it's about the effective interplay of scanning, positioning, timing, and deception. The player constantly gathers information, positions themselves strategically reacts with precise timing, and incorporates deception to outwit their opponent and maintain possession of the ball.
“Football is about timing and positioning, anticipating the game before it unfolds." - Jürgen Klopp
Full Practice: Finding the Spare Player
Fast Passing Patterns | Combining to Escape Pressure
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Develop technique using a range of fast passing patterns
Set-Up:
On a half a pitch or approximately 40 by 30-yard space. Players work through three different passing patterns, ⚫️s work through the following passing patterns ⬇️
How to Play:
1️⃣ Back foot Receiving: Players just pass and follow around the sequence of players.
2️⃣ Set and Slide: When the ball is with central players they set back to the passer.
3️⃣ Wrapped around the Corner: On wide areas pass around the corner, receive the ball back and pass back to the receiver.
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: Against the clock, players can beat the previous score, fastest round of players start the game element 1-0 up.
👨🏫 Review: Ball speed, timing of movement, quality of the pass.
🚫 Restriction: If players don’t get around in a set time they have to reset the passing pattern and go again.
3v3 + (2GKs)| Build Up Play | Find Spare Player to Score.
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Find the spare player under game-style pressure.
Set-Up:
40 by 30 space with larger goals at each end and a GK 🟢. Create a 10-yard scoring zone (orange-shaded zone).
👕 Teams: ⚫️ Attacking team, building up play. 🔴 Pressing team, regaining and scoring
How to Play:
3 x ⚫️s vs 3 x 🔴s
The ⚫️s pass back to GK 🟢1️⃣.
The ⚫️s try to play out from the back into the orange-shaded zone and score in the larger goal vs 🟢GK2️⃣.
The 🔴s try to regain possession of the ball and score a goal against 🟢 GK 1️⃣.
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: ⚫️s get a 2nd ball ⚽️ if they score from their build up.
👨🏫 Review: Body position to turn and pass forward. Quality of Pass. The decision to run with the ball or pass it.
🚫 Restriction: 5 pass limit to get into the scoring zone.
Build up play | Find the Spare Player to Score.
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Play through the zones of the pitch to score.
Set-Up:
60 by 40 pitch with x 2 larger goals.
Section off the pitch so there is a 3v3 +1Gk 🟢 up to the orange dashed line and a 2v2 +🟢 Gk beyond it.
👕 Teams: ⚫️s are the build-up team trying to find the spare player. 🔴s are the pressing team trying to regain and score.
How to Play:
🟢1️⃣ starts the practice and plays out to ⚫️s who must work the ball beyond the dashed line to score.
One of the ⚫️s is allowed to join the attack once the ball has been played beyond the dashed line.
⚫️s are locked into a zone apart from one player who can join in to overload the section beyond the orange line.
🔴s are also locked in zones but if they win the ball they are free to go anywhere
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: Find the third player and score is worth double
👨🏫 Review: Decision-making to secure the ball, pass forward, around or backwards to build possession.
🚫 Restriction: The ⚫️ who passes beyond the orange dashed line cannot be the one to join in.
"Reading the game and knowing where the space and danger are makes all the difference." - Arsène Wenger
Coach Project: Scanning Focussed Practice
Objective:
By the end of this task, coaches will:
Understand how some of the FA's six core capabilities interconnect.
Develop practical methods to teach scanning, positioning, and timing during gameplay.
Apply these concepts in a session, focusing on decision-making and situational awareness for their players.
The Task: Build a Scanning-Focused Practice
Step 1: Plan a Scanning-Centric Session
Design a practice where players must consistently scan and make decisions.
2 Ball Scanning practice: One ball is received by the central player and the other ball is passed around the circle. The middle player must alternate between receiving the 2 footballs.
Step 2: Break Down the Interconnected Capabilities
Incorporate coaching points that tie scanning to positioning and timing. For example:
Positioning: Highlight how scanning helps players adjust their body and position to maintain balance or shield the ball.
Timing: Recognise the "trigger moments" (e.g., heavy touches, defensive gaps) to make precise movements or decisions.
Step 3: Apply and Reflect in Game-Like Scenarios
The transition from the practice to a possession game where scanning is the focal point.
Example - A 5v3 game with a rule that players score by finding a player in an empty zone after completing a set number of passes.
Observe and give feedback on players’ use of scanning and its impact on their positioning and timing.
Step 4: Post-Session Reflection
Ask players to reflect on how scanning influenced their performance. Questions could include:
How did scanning help you find space or avoid pressure?
What did you notice about your positioning after scanning more effectively?
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