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SOCCERCOACHING No. 31 February / March 2009

International

Josif Ilic, Qingdao Jonoon FC

Coverciano: celebrated 50 years of excellence

Peter Hoekstra, FC Groningen U13

Youth education at Shakhtar Donetsk

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Contents 4

JOSIF ILIC, QINGDAO JONOON FOOTBALL CLUB HEAD COACH

From the Editor

HARRY SINKGRAVEN, SC HEERENVEEN WOMEN'S COACH

Dear subscribers,

Welcome to the first issue of 2009!

YOUTH EDUCATION AT SHAKHTAR DONETSK

ORGANIZATION OF THE 4-4-2 PART 3

YOUTH TRAINING SESSIONS

PETER HOEKSTRA TECHNIQUE COACH U13 FC GRONINGEN

SAQ速 TRAINING IN FOOTBALL

FIFA RESEARCH ON ARTIFICIAL TURF

COVERCIANO: CELEBRATED 50 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

COLUMN PAUL COOPER

This new year marks the end of our re-occurring feature 'Training Sessions from around the World'. But where one door closes another one opens and this year we will fill the gap left behind by our global training sessions and fill it with a new, but similar section called 'Youth training sessions'. This section will feature training sessions designed specifically for youth from all ages and all levels. SoccerCoachingInternational is known for its articles, interviews and exercises from the World's best, but we also realize that while we continue to focus on the top, we should never forget the grassroots. These players and coaches lay the groundwork for the future stars, whether it be on a recreational, competitive or professional level. All players and all coaches deserve the tools, information and means to become the best they can and want to be. So while the magazine will continue to feature interviews, articles and exercises from the World's best teams and coaches either at the adult or youth level, we will also continue to provide you with content from the grassroots and amateur levels. The website will therefore become even more important this year, as it will be home to a growing database of articles, exercises and training sessions from all levels and all corners of the world. Now that you know what's in store for 2009, let focus on this first issue. An issue with another debut; an article from China. We interviewed Josif Ilic, head coach of Qingdao Jonoon football club. The club competes in the Chinese Super League and Illic talked to us about coaching in China, the level of play and player mentality. From China back the Netherlands where we interviewed Harry Sinkgraven, head coach of the SC Heereveen women's team. The women's competition in the Netherlands is currently in its second season and Sinkgraven talked to us about the level of play and to transition from coaching men to coaching women. From the women of Heereveen to a youth academy in the Ukraine were we spend a few days to learn about the youth education programme of Ukrainian first division club Shakhtar Donetsk. This issue also features the long awaited third and final part of Christian Lavers' series on the 4-4-2; an article on SAQ速 Training in football; a FIFA research study on artificial grass, and the icing on the cake, an interview with Andy Roxburgh UEFA's technical director, on Coverciano the Italian FA's technical centre, which celebrated 50 years of excellence late last year. All in all another great, international issue! But, as you know, SoccerCoachingInternational is more than just a magazine, its the complete soccer coaching experience, so don't forget to visit our website for more articles and exercises! Yours in soccer,

Maaike Denkers Managing Editor SCI

Josif Ilic, Qingdao Jonoon football

â&#x20AC;&#x153;How to find your own

No. 31 February/March 2009

club head coach:

way?”

Qingdao Jonoon football club was founded on 31st December, 1993. The club has been competing in the Chinese Super League since its establishment in 2004. Qingdao Jonoon has five youth teams from U11 - U19, which supply many talented players to the club and are its solid foundation. Several excellent players have been supplied to the Chinese National Team, as well as the Olympic Team, which has made an outstanding contribution to the development of Chinese football. The Club and the city are located in Shandung Province. This past summer when Josif Ilic took the position of Head Coach, FC Qingdao Jonoon were in 14th position in the Super League, with an average of 1.500 spectators for home matches. At the end of competition club was fighting for 6th position, with an average of 12.000 spectators at every home match. A great success achieved by coach Josif Ilic and his staff, including assistant coach Guo. By: Dusan Petrovic “Every successful coach has his own vision on football. He must be an artist, an architect, painter or composer. He must try to build a strong and beautiful building from many small parts. He must try to compose a great piece of music from many different notes. What I am trying to say is that coaching is a very difficult job and there is never an end to improvement. A coach is always at the beginning of his work. New ideas, new players, new opponents, new ambitions, new clubs. How do you improve the play? How do you make modifications? How do you find the way to perfection and a successful result? There are no two roads that are the same, and likewise there are no two visions or philosophies that are the same. Every successful coach has his own road. He is a lonely traveler." "Simple, rational, fast and active movement during play in both directions is my vision and main philosophy. This building should be built with good materials: good players – an ideal combination of intellect, power, speed and technique; good team organization and system, which will reflect all qualities on the field and make for a good final result and satisfaction for all spectators and football fans.”

No. 31 February/March 2009

Football in China “I have only been working in China for six months. Football in China is very well organized. The working conditions are great, which is an important base for the quality of work. Players' professionalism and discipline both during training sessions and matches are at a very high level. Football players from China have good technique, but they have a lot of problems, which should be fixed if they want better results at international level. The main problem is the mentality. Players from China still think of training and matches as fun, and as such their focus is on fun. They must change their focus to work and the results of that work. Football officials in China try to change that by bringing in a lot of foreign coaches and players to the clubs on one side, and with the education of Chinese coaches and players abroad on the other side. This is a good direction, but I think that it is also very important to improve the youth development at football schools. With good work at these football schools they should try to change the mentality of youth player’s right at the beginning. For me this is one of the most important ways to improve football in China and to rise to a higher level on the international scene.”

"The system is only the starting phase of every match, which can change and modify in the next moment or after only a few minutes into a match. So we must distinguish between the form and the essential base of every play on the field. Situations during the match are constantly changing and the system of play must be the way every player in every moment reacts to these changes. We need fast and effective reactions to changes that take place during a match to have the best position at all times during the match, and this is the key of success. Every coach has his basic and starting system, a vision of every match with all possibilities and transformations during the play. But the coach cannot anticipate everything before the match. Players are a very important part in this stage. The level of intellectual power of every player and their ability to think fast and change their play and transformation is the main point in a match, which makes the difference between winners and losers. My usual starting system is 4:4:2, which can modify during the play in other systems, like 3:4:3, 2:4:4 or 4:5:1. I usually use one very elastic starting system which I prepare well during trainings, including all its modifications.”

System

Work

“The system of play is the form and an essential at every football match. When we talk about a formation of a team during the match, then we are talking about the strategy that the team will use during that match. When we talk about the positioning of every player at the beginning of the match, how spectators can see them on the field, then we are referring to the system of play."

“Trust and mutual respect are the basis for good cooperation, and good quality work, which can in turn bring good result. Coach and players (together with coaching staff) are one team. They are pushing in the same direction towards a common goal – a good and successful final result. Only together we can reach that goal. Having the same vision is also very important.

No. 31 February/March 2009

Because that coach must show and explain to his players what his plan and vision is, first verbally and subsequently in the training process. Only if we show maximum and good cooperation in the training sessions our work is going to be successful. When I came to China, I was confronted with a team that had no spirit nor character for competition. Players were playing the matches like they would play on the beach, just for fun. First I spoke to them and tried to explain that this way of playing is not productive and with small changes we can achieve good results. I explained to them that they must change their habits and their approach to the matches. In the beginning I had a little bit of quiet resistance from most of the players. It was very difficult to change long term habits which were deeply embedded in almost every player on my team. But after a while the players began to accept the new style of work. After five months of hard work they could see that with this new approach their work has resulted in success in the competition. Now, during the training sessions and matches every player has the desire to change his mentality. Satisfaction about the results of all that hard work is a great motivator to push further forward and a great aid for players and coaching staff to move their limits to a higher level.”

of the opponent. The coach, along with his coaching staff, must prepare his team before the match. They must analyze the opponents, find good solutions which can help the players to find the best solutions on the field during the match. That does not mean they have to change their system of play and playing characteristics. It simply means they have to modify a few things inside the system to prevent the opponent from using their qualities and to show the best play on the field. Modifications of a system of a team with many very skillful players are usually smaller and the changes from match to match are minimal.”

Psychology “A very important part in team preparation is psychological preparation during the training process and before a match. Many well organized teams use experts such as sport psychologists, but I think that a coach must also play an important part in that process. A coach has contact with players every day during training, and he can see the changes in players' moods and mentality. Because of that the coach easily responds whenever he sees something negative, he can talk to the player to find out what is wrong. A coach must also work on a good atmosphere within his team and must know how to build it.”

Match preparation “Every opponent is different. And as such, every match is different and asks for special preparation. Big teams have their own system, which they use in almost every match. But, these teams must also sometimes use a different approach in their preparation for a match, as the match depends on the quality and playing style

“Surroundings can have a positive or a negative influence on players and on the team spirit. This influence is bigger on teams from small towns and lower levels of competition. Furthermore, the surroundings' influence is bigger on lower quality players who are not concentrated on training and competition. Strong mentality

No. 31 February/March 2009

Josif Ilic Date of birth: 31/08/50 Nationality: Serbian

Objective Seeking to provide top-quality support to achieve the set goals.

Education Highest Diploma of the Yugoslav Football Association FIFA and UEFA Certificates

Playing Career FC Backa FC Vojvodina

Coaching Career Managed FC Becej a First Division Club where we qualified to the premiership division. In the next premiership season we reached the semi-finals of the Yugoslav Cup Competition which proved to be an enormous success for the club The greatest satisfaction in my career and results earned me an offer from the Maltese Football Association to take charge of their Senior National Team. I led the Maltese National Team through the following qualifications: *European Championship Competition held in Belgium and the Netherlands *World Championship in Japan and Korea

is a very important segment of the basic qualities of every player and only players who are mentally on a high level and who are psychologically well prepared can obtain good results in training and matches. High quality players, who are also mentally well prepared, have set their goals and know how that goal can be achieved in a successful manner. In any case the coach must know how mentally strong his players are. He must know the negative and positive aspects of every player's character and must use the positive aspects to his advantage and try to rid of the negative aspects to the best of his ability. Dialogue and a good atmosphere in the team can build strong spirit and can neutralize the influences from the surroundings most effectively.”

Special tasks “The philosophy and vision of a coach provides the anatomy and physiology of the team. A coach who has a clear vision of his team and playing style also should have a clear picture of his players' psychological and physical characteristics for every position. Every playing position on the field brings tasks and asks special qualities for that position. When a coach is unable, for whatever reason, to place the best players in every position on the field he must make the right choice and choose the best players for every position from the selection he has available. This is sometimes

No. 31 February/March 2009

very difficult, as in some situations the team does not have the players capable of playing his system and playing style.” “In modern football at the highest level, special tasks for some players are rarer than in the past period. Nowadays a team with high performances and good players will use the entire team in their tactical play to obstruct the opponent's playing system and best players. I only use special tasks during the match with set pieces. Team work and tactical play, together with a good system and well prepared players at all levels are the best way to neutralize the opponent.”

Coaching staff “The head coach is responsible for the management and good results of his team. But he can not work alone and the cooperation with assistants and coaching staff is very important. Because of this importance he also has the authority to make decisions and to select his assistants. Doctors, masseurs, psychologists, trainers-specialists and head coach assistances are very important for quality work and successful results. Together with the players we are all one team, in which every person has the obligation to work to the best of his ability. The coaching staff together with club officials bring optimal conditions to the team and because of this their work is very important.”

5v5 Organization: -

Two 39 x 32m areas 5 v 5, one half of the field, 5 v 5 on the other half of the field Trainer has all the balls â&#x20AC;&#x201C; free play Duration: 2 x 4-6 minutes (2 minute recovery)

Coaching: - Possession play - Holding the ball - Carrying the ball

Variations: -

Man to man pressing 6-8 passes = 1 point (opponent must take the ball, not only touch) Change number of players Increase/decrease playing area

5+1 v 5 Organization: - 39 x 32m field separate on 2 parts - 5+1 v 5 (6+1 v 6), (4+1 v 4) on every half of the field - All balls are with trainer, free play - 2 x 8 minutes (2 minutes recovery)

Progression: - In space A, red team plays on possession and the green team tries to win the ball and pass the ball to their teammates in space B, where the green team plays on possession and the red team tries to steal the ball and pass the ball to their teammates in space A - One player from the team in

possession can help his team on the other side â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this way the team in possession always has one player more (5+1 v 5) - When the team in possession lose the ball they must immediately pressure the other team with the objective to keep the ball in their space (coaching: change mentality during the play) - Maximum 3 touches of the ball

Variations: -

Man to man defense 12-15 passes = 1 point Change number of players Change playing area

5+1 v 5 Organization: -

50 x 40m field 2 standard goals with goalkeeper and 4 small goals without goalkeepers 11 v 11, 10 v 10, 9 v 9, 8 v 8 â&#x20AC;Ś Maximum 3 touches of the ball Trainer has all balls, free play

Coaching: - Changing positions - Transition: from defense phase to offense - One touch goal = 2 points

Variations: -

Man to man defense Change number of players Change playing area Goal after winning the ball and 5 completed passes = 2 points

No. 31 February/March 2009

Harry Sinkgraven, SC Heerenveen women's coach:

“Let the players evaluate the situations on the field” Harry Sinkgraven started his career as a player at third division club ACV.. Former head coach Hans Westerhof knew that he was a good player and he proved he value for the team. After winning the amateur championship Sinkgraven joined Westerhof in a transfer to FC Groningen. In this period Sinkgraven suffered a big injury, but ended up playing 36 competition games for FC Groningen. After FC Groningen Sinkgraven played for Cambuur Leeuwarden and FC Zwolle. "When I was 35, I switch from playing to coaching and started to work as an assistant coach at FC Zwolle. After FC Zwolle, I joined Foppe de Haan as head coach of the Indonesian U23s. Subsequently I transferred to FC Groningen for about four months and later SC Heerenveen for about two months. After this I became involved with the women's team at SC Heerenveen”. By: Mischa Visser 10

No. 31 February/March 2009

"I have the highest coaching license in the Netherlands and I wanted to coach a men's team. When SC Heerenveen approached me for the women's coaching position, I had to think about it for a while. I asked myself the question is becoming a coach of a women's football team good for my career? I took this step, because it involved setting up an entirely new organization. Women's football was new and SC Heerenveen is a club with lots of opportunities, so I eventually came to the conclusion that this was going to be a great challenge. I had 22 women from different clubs. I had no idea how good these players were. For me the step to women's football was like entering unknown territory. Still to date there are a lot of thing that need to be done, but really this is a process that never stops."

Comparison women's football ''To compare women's football to men is unfair. Men are quicker and stronger than women. But if you want to compare us with men, then we are at the same level as the third division U17s. If we practice against the U17s, there is a big chance that the match ends in a draw. In those matches you see that the boys are quicker and faster than us. This means that we are better in other aspects. Because we are training a lot, we can focus on the team tactical aspects. In general our organization of the team is good. In the past we trained

"During training I often play a question and answer game" against third division U17 teams and most of the time we lost. The strength and quickness of the boys makes the difference in those matches. Once we played a match against a U17 team. We lost this match 6-1, but we didn't played bad at all. Regardless, every ball that ended up behind our defense, was a goal. Our players couldn't keep up with the speed of the strikers. On the other hand we had a couple of good chances too, but the

defenders were just too fast, so it was hard for us to find the back of the net. This doesn't mean the women didn't play well, it simply meant that they fell short on the deciding moments. Generally these moments arise when there is too much space, as speed becomes increasingly important then. The 120 best women play in the Dutch women's competition in the Netherlands and personally I though that their technical skills were more defined".

Week planning Thursday

Match

Friday

Training

Recovery

Saturday

Day-off

Substitutes will play a match against an amateur team

Sunday

Training

Conditioning, the players who played on Saturday will do a recovery training

Monday

Day-off

Tuesday

Training

Coordination, agility and speed Team tactics

Wednesday

Training

Quick feet, speed frequency Finishing and team tactics Set plays No. 31 February/March 2009

Organization

"The women had a hard time with this "The first couple of weeks of the season we defensive strategy at first, but they are played with three forwards. After a few used to it now. As a coach you can choose weeks I talked to the players and especially to play with three defenders against two the wingers told me that they had a hard attackers. If you play with a 3 defender time to find the open space. When to go system the organization is much clearer. deep, when to come into the bal and Using this zone defense system with 4 defender means movement off the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Comparing men's football you need to ball proved to be very hard for the to women's football is the same coach a lot. The big advantage wingers. On a of this way of particular moment as comparing apples to pearsâ&#x20AC;? playing is our game was too static. So we focused on this during our whenever you gain possession your training sessions. The first 5 weeks or so we wingbacks are free. Against a three trained and played with 3 forwards, but the forward system the players where used to players were continuing to have a hard time play with a stopper and a sweeper. with this and we decided to switch to a However, a good opponent will be given the system with two forward. Eight of our players chance to move the ball quickly, which will came from the same amateur team and exhaust the sweeper, as she will were used to playing with 2 forwards, so it continuously be covering the other was a smooth transition. In a system with defenders. This is the reason why we play two forward it is easier for the attackers to with two central defenders on a line. The find the open spaces during possession. central defender on the ball side always These spaces, on both sidelines emerge has to cover the wingback, the other because of the positioning on the field. central defender needs to defend the Unfortunately because this there are less opponent's striker (see figure 2)." triangles on the pitch, which makes position play a lot harder." Midfield "On midfield we always play in a diamond and you can choose to play with wingers or Defense "Regarding defense, I always want to play with more central midfielders. I prefer to with four defenders. Whether the opponent play with wingers and a more central has two or three attackers doesn't make a midfielder. The midfielder plays central, difference for us. If an opponent plays with and the winger keeps the field wide. I think two attackers our two central defenders play in position provides a good balance in the on their forwards and our wingbacks will play team. Our left wingback is pretty offensive, in the zone. Our wingback on the side of the that's why we play with a more central ball will cover the opponent's right midfielder, midfielder on the left and a winger on the on the other side our wingback will shift right (see figure 3)." inside to provide cover (see figure 1)."

Figure 1

Figure 2 No. 31 February/March 2009

Figure 3

1-4-4-2 against 1-4-3-3 "If the opponent plays 1-4-4-2, with a defensive midfielder and their left wingback gains possession, we have our defensive midfielder mark the opponent's right midfielder. Our right midfielder marks the opponent's left wingback (see figure 4). If the opponent plays with a attacking midfielder, then our number '10' will take over the right center position on midfield and our right midfielder will mark the opponent's left wingback (see figure 5). In those situations our entire team has to shift to the side of the ball. Most opponents play against us with three defenders."

Figure 4

Figure 5 No. 31 February/March 2009

training was very intense, while the players think the training was easy or vice versa. I refer to these forms quite a bit, as it is a good way to keep track of the players. When a certain player states she is not feeling very fit a couple of sessions in a row, there is often something going on. I will talk to the player to find out what is going on and to see if I can help to fix her problem. I also believe this system helps us to keep injuries to a minimum."

Think for themselves "As a coach it is very easy to tell your players to do things. What I want to achieve is that my players evaluate the situations on the field by themselves. And that they solve the problems they are confronted with. I believe this is much more effective than telling them what to do and how to solve things all the time. During training session I often play a question and answer game. I ask the players for a solution to a particular football situation. Also my pre-match and post-match talks are often in the form of questions. I want my players to think about how to pressure, cover and defend in certain situations".

Future "In the second half of the season we like to train an extra day a week, so we will include the Monday. We want to use the Mondays for players from the region to join our training sessions. Next season we want to intensify our working relationship with an amateur club in the region. Our goal is to let the substitutes of SC Heerenveen and Oranje Nassau (the amateur club- ed.) train together on the Friday night. This training will be the preparation for the amateur match on Saturday. This way all our players play at least 1 match a week."

Shuttle run test "In terms of conditioning we work together with the university of Groningen. Once every six weeks a shuttle run test takes place. With this test they measure the conditional progress of the players with the aid of heart rate monitors. From these results we can gather important information about the physical condition of our players. The heart rate at the second measurement should be lower than at the first measurement. The drop in the heart rate is, however, dependent on the accents we use in our training sessions. With extensive duration training the overall heart rate should drop linearly. But if we do a lot of interval training, you will witness drop-peaks in the heart rate. We compare the training and heart rate results to see if we can discover a particular trend. We are doing this as a group and on an individual basis. Every time the players do a shuttle run test, they have to complete a couple of forms, kind of like a stress monitor. The answers to these questions help us gather more information. The women are very disciplined when completing these forms."

Fit "Before every training session the players have to complete a form to let us know how fit they feel. They have to rate their level of fitness on a scale of 0-20, so we know what shape they are in. A 20 means they are super fit, a 0 means they are exhausted. This helps us determine their level of fitness before the training. At the end of the session they have to complete another form rating the intensity of the training, again on a scale of 0-20. A 20 being extremely intense, 12 intense, 10 slightly intense and 0 not intense. So why do we do this? The coaching staff may think a

No. 31 February/March 2009

About fifty years ago men's football turned professional in Holland. Currently, women's football is semi-professional and still needs some time to professionalize. I believe we have to embrace women's football more. Amateur clubs should train more with the girls teams and spend a lot of time on the technical skills. If this doesn't happen, women's football will not get better. This means that every year new players will come to the professional football clubs with insufficient skills and without the experience of training four or five times a week.

Training session: finding the forward in the space Together with the attacking midfielder whenever the left midfielder has possession.

Step 1: Passing to the striker, turning and finishing on goal Coaching: - Eye contact - Hard passes - Short turns

Step 2: Deep crossing striker

Coaching: - Striker has to come 'in' the ball, movement off the ball to ensure the path of the ball to the striker is open

Step 3: Deep crossing striker and midfielder Same as in step 2, only add a midfielder who also goes deep. Coaching: - Communication; know where the other player is going

No. 31 February/March 2009

Youth education at Shakhtar Donetsk

Almost 3 years ago Henk van Stee and Patrick van Leeuwen – at the time working for the youth academy of Feyenoord Rotterdam – were appointed to take over the youth education at Shakhtar Donetsk. Last summer Henk van Stee joined De Graafschap as a head coach, but Van Leeuwen stayed to keep on working in the same way. SoccerCoachingInternational paid a visit to Shakhtar Donetsk to take a closer look on how to start a top education programme in Europe. In this first episode director Patrick van Leeuwen will discuss the first steps taken to start a top academy. By: Paul van Veen

“Taking the right steps” “In 2005 the club decided that they had to improve their youth education programme, and not only invest in ‘new’ players. Via a headhunting company they started to look to appoint a new head of youth education and out of 20 candidates they selected Henk van Stee. Henk appointed me as his assistant. At Feyenoord we had been working together on plans for the U8s to U19s. That’s what we are also trying to do here. Compared to The Netherlands there is more money available here to do things that can help improve the players. When we started they worked with teams, but not with a clear plan.”

No. 31 February/March 2009

Intention “The intention of the club was to create within 3 years an education plan which can last for a long period. For example Henk and I have written a book about education, which can be used for many years to come. This way, when I leave the club, the structure will remain. When the club decides to appoint a different foreigner, then he can work with the same schedule, and just change some details. I think the club will decide after these 3 years that the current Ukrainian trainers have got enough of the basics to follow this structure for some years.”

Divided “The education is divided into a junior and professional academy. The junior academy consists of 6 teams from U8s to U13s. Within this academy mostly players from the region are represented, however in the Ukraine this isn’t always the case. Because the country is so large, they don’t make a problem with travelling 100 kilometres. However, almost every player of the academy lives in a 60 kilometres radius of Donetsk.

Institution “Starting at the U14s, the professional academy, we scout and approach players from all over the country. Then it is possible that a player lived 1.500 kilometres from Donetsk. At the age of fourteen, each players lives at the club. Children and their parents aren’t having any difficulties leaving their homes at such a young age and living at their club. Here they have all the right facilities and nutrition; it’s all taken care of. Next to that, the parents know that they are having a good education besides the football.”

Plan "When we arrived here, we noticed that each trainer made his own plan and tried to come up with his own tactics and style of play. After observing for a few weeks, we said, earlier than expected, that everyone should play using the same tactic. That system is 1:4:3:3 with a defensive midfielder just in front of the defence, the well known Dutch system, although the Dutch system often uses an attacking midfielder instead of a defensive midfielder. The culture here is more for playing a midfielder, and you shouldn't make too many changes right away. The choice of one system gives you a structure and organisation in a match you can hang on to. In the first matches we often saw that the players were running forward and backwards all the time. Now players get a clear task in defending, midfield and attack. That worked well, without much tactical information the trainers got more structure in a match. Just because they played in this system."

Next step Football schools “Besides the academies Shakhtar has started 6 football schools. In each corner of Donetsk we’ve started a school in which 100 children attend: from the U6s to the U13. Furthermore we have schools at 20 kilometres and 60 kilometres from Donetsk. With these football schools we play a competition with 7 teams, in which the team of Shakhtar are one year younger than the other teams. It’s in fact a good standard amateur club, but it’s owned by Shakhtar. We give them all the facilities; they get clothes, new balls, etc. At each football school they train with the same principles and the same vision.”

Style “Also the style of play is the same. We think it's very important for players to take the right steps. With the U5s, U6s and U7s we play 5 v 5. The U8s and U9s play 8 v 8. The U10s play 9 v 9 and we start with 11 v 11 at U11s. The 8 v 8 and 9 v 9 is also based on the 11 v 11. There we also play with 3 strikers and you can recognize the system by the numbering. These numbers are also recognizable in training. When we say the number 2 has to play the ball to the number 9, all the players know what you mean. Even young players seem to pick this up very quickly."

Now, two years after our arrival, we are ready to take the next step in our style of play. Sometime ago we changed our style of play in the junior academy from a defensive midfielder to an attacking midfielder, but now we have also made this change at the professional academy. Because of the defensive midfielder we had too many players behind the ball. The initiative was gone, the four defenders played in one line. The defensive midfielder came to pick up the ball to much, so we wanted to see more initiative at the back. We pointed out that if we started playing with an attacking midfielder, there should be more space available in front of the central defenders and that we want these defenders to take the initiative. Slowly we saw more players starting to dribble, we saw more initiative and besides that we thought that the midfielders had some difficulties in seeing the right moment to join the attack. There was some doubt between the midfielders: ‘can I join the attack or is it your turn?’ We had some problems to give them this tactical information, so we thought: let's make it easier. For the direct support of the central striker we have chosen one midfielder. Besides that we are forcing the defenders to defend forward when an opponent is in the space behind the attacking midfielder, with a defensive midfielder the defenders always had the choice to wait and walk backwards."

No. 31 February/March 2009

Different

During the week

"In my vision we have tried different things that should lead to choices of players and initiative. There is more space for the players, they have to think, they have to make a choice and they cannot defend by walking backwards because there is nobody left in front of the defenders. That process is now starting to grow, we see after three months that there is more support for the striker and there are more players in front of goal. We see initiative from the back, so it has been working well. This way we can be more dominant in the game. They are allowed to make mistakes, which will be useful later on because they are learning from it.

"During the week I look at training and try to look at the individual and technical development, but on Saturdays I look at the team performance. Then I focus on the style of play, that it is performed well, more than the individual performance. Off course I watch this performance, but especially the reaction from the coach. We don't want the initiative from the players to be overruled by the coaching. So during matches I focus more on the style of play to judge whether the coach has been working well during training. If they have prepared themselves in the right way for the match and if he doesn't make strange tactical choices?"

Improvement

Coaches meeting

"Because that is what's going to be the difference. They must improve. They have a culture here that's focussed on results. That culture has lead to a defensive way of playing with no room for flexibility. Now they see that this can work, and as coaches we should take the next step in this. They shouldn't make up any information about the system if they don't know it, but we have to work together to achieve this.

"The things I've noticed we discuss during the coaches meeting. Each Monday at 11 o'clock all the coaches at the professional academy meet and each coach will discuss his match, often with the help of a drawing board. In the beginning these were very short discussions, but now they talk longer about their team. After their review I will start asking them questions about things I've noticed during the match or I am complementing them when they have noticed something good. Also I will discuss some common points

Pointers "I try to teach them that they are focussing on 3 to 5 pointers in their style in which they are educating the players. For instance, pointing out in the match review that they want to see more wing play. That they point that out strongly. In certain positions you want to see some action in possession or loss of possession. That shouldn't be more than 5 points. They have to make sure that these things work. They coach the players, and speak to the players during, and after the match. I don't point out 3 to 5 points which I want to see, but I want the coach to come up with these point himself."

Process "That's a fantastic process to monitor. To constantly observe if they have understood it or not. And to see things that you have discussed, come back in training and matches. The most problems the coaches have is to give the players the initiative, to let them make mistakes, to accept it and not interfere after just one mistake. The coaches have to trust that they have paid enough attention during training to know that the players will make the right choices during the match. Players have to make choices and sometimes they will make the wrong ones, but the players will learn from this. So they are allowed to make mistakes." Just like the style of play with 5 v 5, with the youngest age category, it is also important to have the right build up in the exercises. Below you will find an example of how Shakhtar has built up an exercise that can be used from the U8 to U13 by increasing the level of difficulty each year. This was used to make sure that trainers weren't using difficult exercises with the youngest group. Trainers often want to use difficult drills for the age of the players. To show it in a drill is often easier. The assignment and information is the same, only the drills change by age group.

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U8: 4 v 1

- 4 v 1 possession play - The 4 try to keep possession, 1 player defends the ball in the middle - When the 4 lose possession, change the defender - When the ball in the middle is shot of his cap, the player has to defend an extra time (MAAIKE DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T U NDERSTAND THIS SENTENCE!) - Change the organization so everyone is playing

U10/U11: 4 v 2

- 4 v 2 possession play - The 4 try to keep possession, the 2 try to intercept the ball and then to score in one of the goals - After 5 interceptions/goals switch the defenders - Change the organization so everyone is playing - Limit the number of touches

U9: 3 v 1

- 3 v 1 possession play - The 3 try to keep possession, 1 player defends the ball in the middle - When the 3 lose possession, change the defender - When the ball in the middle is shot of his cap, the player has to defend an extra time(MAAIKE DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T U NDERSTAND THIS SENTENCE!) - Change the organization so everyone is playing

U12: 5 v 3

- 5 v 3 possession play - The 5 try to keep possession, the 3 try to intercept the ball and then to score in one of the goals - After 5 interceptions/goals switch the defenders - Change the organization so everyone is playing - Limit the number of touches

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Organization of the 4-4-2 part 3:

"Attacking Concepts in

Part one of this series on the 4-4-2 addressed midfield organization and the characteristics of midfield players, while part two discussed defensive organization and concepts in a 4-4-2. This third and final installment in the series will address attacking shape and concepts, and the continued evolution of the system in attack. By: Christian Lavers

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a 4-4-2"

When played properly, the 4-4-2 system provides great fluidity and attacking variety, allowing many different players to get forward. At the heart of the system, however, and the key determinant in its attacking success is the individual ability of the two forwards and their positional relationships with each other.

Characteristic Roles of Forwards The stereotypical pairing of forwards in a traditional 4-4-2 is to have one target player that is physically strong, good in the air and that has the ability to hold up the ball with their back to goal (the “target forward”), and one quick, creative player that is a good dribbler who can make dynamic and incisive runs behind the defense (the “withdrawn forward”). This pairing is based on the idea that players with different abilities challenge defenses in different ways, and are therefore collectively more difficult to defend against. In recent years, Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry provide examples of great target forwards, while Dennis Bergkamp and Roberto Baggio are examples of great withdrawn forwards. While the pairing of two different types of players as attackers provides a good conceptual base for understanding the demands placed on forwards in a 4-4-2, the possibilities of attacking play in the system are far more varied. At its highest level, teams have begun to blend these different abilities in both forwards, with no player necessarily playing predominantly one or other of the roles. In the modern game, it is very difficult to have success as a forward without having a blend of both power and speed. Defenses have evolved to become more organized and compact, so that it is very difficult to create attacking chances without having the ability to both get behind the defense and also to win individual battles both on the ground and in the air. Forwards without both of these physical characteristics either overly depends on those around them to generate chances, or they have to compensate with exceptional technical ability. The struggle that Andriy Shevchenko had to score goals at Chelsea over the previous 2 years illustrate this principle: even a forward with great tactical awareness and high technical skill will find it difficult to consistently be dangerous without the speed to get behind defenses or the strength to go through them.

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As such, while selecting forwards with defined roles based on physical characteristics it is often sufficient to create attacking chances at lower levels of play, at higher levels the game demands more rounded forwards – physically, technically, and tactically.

Attacking Two Spaces In an overly simplistic sense, the key to effective attacking play is to make the defense defend both the space behind them (between the defensive line and the goalkeeper) and the space in front of them (between the defensive and midfield lines). An attack that only threatens one of these spaces is easily defended: a team that only looks to play behind the defense becomes very predictable, while a team that only plays in front of the defense quickly gets stifled by a lack of space. At lower levels of play, teams attempt to create this attacking balance by having their forwards play high against the defensive line and then make “complimentary runs” from this position. From these high starting positions, one forward will look to find gaps to run behind the defense, while the other will make runs back to the ball to receive it at their feet (diagram 1). This is the most simplistic version of the tactical concept of “complimentary

Diagram 1

runs” of forwards. Unfortunately, this basic concept is as sophisticated as many youth or collegiate teams in the United States ever become. In reality, due to the predictability of this basic movement, these teams are relying on athletic discrepancies, poor defending technique, and/or poor defensive organization to create goal-scoring chances.

Complimentary Runs As teams become more sophisticated, the variety of runs made by the forwards from these starting positions can significantly increase. For example, when there is little or no pressure on the player with the ball, the nearest forward may have time to curl away from the ball and look to run behind the defense while the far forward then checks back to the ball (diagram 2). This pairing of runs is more difficult to defend, as one forward moves in the opposite direction of the other forward, thereby imposing more communication demands on the defense. Another example, forwards may begin to make “dummy runs” to draw the defense into bad positions. For example, one forward may check back to the ball with no intention of actually receiving the ball, but instead only desiring to draw a defender out of the back line to create space to spin into and run behind the defense (diagram 3).

Diagram 2

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Diagram 3

“the hole” between the lines will have the ability to receive the ball and attack the defensive line on the dribble (see diagram 4). If a center back steps into the “hole” to mark and prevent this problem, the defense will be vulnerable in the space behind them -- the space vacated by the center back (see diagram 5). Finally, if a center midfielder drops back into this space, then the defensive team may be left numbers down in the middle of midfield (see diagram 6). Additionally, teams with only one player that plays high against the defensive line creates more options for other players to attack the defense from deeper positions across the field. In this sense, the defense is always kept guessing from where the next run behind the defense will come. This run is no longer only from the player high against the defensive line – but now it may come from the player in the hole, a wide midfielder, or another central midfielder. When there is interchange between the player currently playing as the target and the player currently playing in the hole, this problem is exacerbated even further.

Evolution of the Forward Position As the game has evolved over the past 20 years, the number of forwards that play high against the line has diminished, and the role of each forward in a 4-4-2 has become more varied. Instead of simply starting from and playing high against the line, forwards will consistently pull off of the defensive line into the space in front of the defense and behind the midfield. This movement creates questions for the defense about who (a back or a midfielder) will be responsible to mark the forward. At the same time, each forward has become more capable of playing both in front of and behind the defense – as “yesterday’s” roles of the target forward and the withdrawn forward have merged into one role. Quite simply, today’s forwards, (at the highest levels), have become more interchangeable; now blending both speed and power, with an increased range of technical skill and more varied tactical ideas. As illustrated below, these changes have made decision-making for defenders far more difficult.

Starting positions When the starting positions of the forwards become more varied, the defending team needs to decide how to defend the space between the backs and midfield. If no adjustment is made, the forward in

Diagram 4 Starting position

In this regard, today’s 4-4-2 would be more accurately described as a 4-4-1-1 or a 4-3-2-1, and it can often look like a 4-5-1. In the 2007-2008 season Manchester United begin using this interchange and positioning to great effect, with Carlos Tevez, Louis Saha, and Wayne Rooney all capable of playing either as a target or a withdrawn forward – and all constantly interchanging between these roles. The difficulty presented to defenses by the varied movement and all-around ability of these 3 players played a significant role in providing Christian Ronaldo with the space and opportunity to score as many goals as he did from a wide position.

Conclusion As stated in part one of this series, the 4-4-2 is a very flexible system with many different varieties. One team’s 4-4-2 will usually be very different from another’s. In fact, simply describing one team’s system of play as a 4-4-2 usually glosses over the intricacies that really define how the system is interpreted and played. Constructing the “best” version of the system is really about fitting the principles of play around the individual abilities of the players to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. To pick only two examples, within the 4-4-2 there are many different ways to create attacking width and many different ways to create attacking length – selecting the best option depends on the talent available.

Diagram 5 Back marking

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Diagram 6 Midfield marking

Youth Training Sessions

U13â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technique Training: 1v1 situations Last year we featured Training Sessions from around the World in this section, this year we have changed the theme to Youth Training Sessions. This regular section will feature complete youth training sessions, starting with an U13â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technique training session. Technique is what it is all about at this age group. As the U13s are the ideal age to further develop their basic techniques they already possess. Twelve and thirteen year olds are known for their willingness to learn and are always looking for new tricks. As an U13â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coach you have the task to take the opportunity to use the season to develop your players technically. The techniques they learn at this age will stay with them for the rest of their playing careers. Close to 100% of the training sessions at this age should be geared towards improving technique. But technique is a very broad topic. This time around we focus solely on improving the moves and actions to beat the opponent in 1v1 situations. We start with learning 'dry' moves to eventually progressing to training under pressure and creating match-like situations. Some coaches may argue that you train everything in match-like situations and we do not necessarily disagree with this approach, however there is more than one road leading to Rome and for the purpose of this session we have chosen to outline the entire process, which eventually leads to training and applying the learned techniques in match-like situations.

1 v 1 situations can be distinguished by 4 situations: 1. Having the opponent in front of you 2. Having the opponent at your back 3. Having the opponent to your side 4. Having the opponent diagonally behind you Every situation asks for different moves and we now show you 4 different moves step by step.

Opponent in front of you: The side-step

Step 1

Start with the ball by your foot and standing straight

Step 2

Move one foot to the side to put your opponent on the wrong foot

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Step 3

Step 4

Subsequently take the ball with Accelerate to loose your the outside your other foot to opponent beat your opponent

Opponent at your back: Turn away with the inside of your foot

Step 1

Step 2

A pass is played next to the player, who moves towards the ball

Step 3

He guards the ball from the opponent...

Step 4

... and takes the ball with the inside of his foot

Player continues to guard the ball from the opponent and turns with the ball into the direction of play

Opponent to your side: Overstep

Step 1

Player dribbles into the empty space

Step 2

Step 3

Player swings one foot over the ball

Step 4

Player turns around his axis...

Step 5

... and takes the ball after the turn with his other foot

Accelerate to loose your opponent

Opponent diagonally behind/beside you: Stop-turn

Step 1

Player dribbles next to his opponent with the outside of his foot and fakes shooting/crossing the ball

Step 2

Step 3

Instead the player puts his foot ... and rolls the ball backwards on the ball...

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Step 4

Player takes the ball after the turn with his left foot

U13 Technique Training 1.1 1 v 1 line football Organization: -

Various fields are set up to play 1v1 line football Work-rest ratio: 1.5/1.5 minutes During the rest period players do technical skills at low pace The player who won moves 1 field to the left, the one who lost moves to the right (up until they have reached the last field) - Which players are on the field to the left after 20 minutes?

3v3 with a goalkeeper, player and substitute Organization: - Two teams of 3 per organization. There is 1 goalkeeper, 1 substitute and 1 player per team. Teams rotate positions to ensure a good work-rest ratio - 3 games of 3 minutes each (starting with 0-0 every time). After 3 games change opponents - Who has the most point after 9 games?

6 v 6 line football Organization: - To end the training session we play 6v6 line football - Just like the previous 2 exercises you should stimulate your players to make moves

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U13 Technique Training 1.2 Dribbling game with moves Organization: - Every player has a ball and dribbles through the setup area where cones are positioned sporadically

Progression: - First: initiate move at the coach’s (interchangeably with right and left) - On coach’s sign cut the ball and accelerate (left and right) - On coach’s sign dribble to a cone and initiate a forward move (left and right) - On coach’s sign dribble to a cone and cut the ball

Finishing on two goals Organization: - Two areas are setup as illustrated - Within each area 1 player has all the balls, the other player is next to him without balls - Mark a square in front of the goal with 1 cone inside the square - A player without a ball gets a pass in front of him (in the area) where he must control the ball, dribble to the cone, make a move in front of the cone and shoot on goal - Players get their own ball, put it with the other balls and join the back of the queue

5v5 with goalkeepers in 2 areas Organization: - 5v5 with goalkeepers and a halfway line - Attacking team is only allowed to have 3 of the 5 players on the opponents half, defending team is allowed to have all players on their half - The 3 players do not have to be the same ones every time, this may change depending on the situation

Details: - This will create many overload situations, meaning that the attacking team must make a move in order to create scoring opportunities. When they are stuck they can always pass the ball back to their own half (2 defensive players) and start their attack again

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U13 Technique Training 1.3 Passing move in threes Organization: - 3 players per organization, 2 players (one of whom has a ball) positioned at 1 cone, the other (without ball) positioned at the other cone - The player with the ball passes to the player on the other side and accelerates to follow his ball - The receiving player controls the ball and passes the incoming player with a move (passive resistance) - After this move he immediately passes the ball to the player on the other side and accelerates to follow his ball - Etc.

Left or right gate? Organization: - Players are lined up with a ball down the field - 2 defenders, substituting each other - A player with a ball dribbles towards a defender and tries to beat him. He has to dribble through the left gate or through the right gate - The defender tries to stop him with full resistance - The defender is not allowed to defend behind the gates - After the player has dribbled through a gate he is allowed to finish on goal - Change defenders after 3 minutes

Variation: - Easier: Attacker has to shoot through one of the gates - More difficult: Attacker is not allowed to move backwards, ball must always move forwards

6 v 6 with overload situation Organization: - A game of 6v6 with goalkeepers - When team A scores, they will get 1 point, but one of their players has to leave the game creating a 5 v 6 situation - Team B cannot score any points in this situation, but when team A scores again with one player down they do not only get another point, they have to sit out another player, creating a 4 v 6 situation - When team B scores (in the 5 v 6 situation) they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get a point, but they do create another 6 v 6 situation and now both teams can score again - The players who are temporarily sitting out have to stay active by doing skills on the sideline

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U13 Technique Training 1.4 Crossing game Organization: - Two organizations whereby 2 players are positioned in the middle with a ball and the other players are positioned on the line with a ball

Progression: - On the coachâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signal the players with a ball try to dribble across the middle area and beat the players in that area - The players in the middle try to steal the ball (by kicing it away) - After 6 crossings change defenders

World Cup Organization: - 3 defenders, 1 in every area - The other players are positioned with a ball about 5 meters from the first area

Progression: - The players with a ball try to beat the defenders and shoot on goal - The defenders try to kick the ball out of their area, but are not allowed to leave their area - When the defender succeeds in kicking the ball out of his area, the attacker will become the defender and the defender will get the ball and join the back of the attackersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; line. - In the 3rd area the attacker must try to shoot on goal. When the attacker shoots wide or over the goal without the goalkeeper touching it, he will become the defender and the defender will be allowed to get the ball and join the back of the attackersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; line - High pace, so when the first attacker has reached area 2 the next attacker starts - U13 players love this exercise!

6 v 6 match Organization: - 6 v 6 with goalkeepers - Normal rules, motivate players to use their passing moves and try to keep the excitement at a high level

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Peter Hoekstra Technique Coach U13

FC Groningen

"A player has to control one or two movements perfectly " You do not often see the classic left winger anymore in soccer. Perhaps Peter Hoekstra was one of the last classic wingers. Peter Hoekstra former player at PSV Eindhoven, Ajax Amsterdam and FC Groningen, played for the Dutch national team in the mid nineties, but didn't make the big break through due to injuries. As a Coach Peter really loves the Coerver method, he knows what the method is all about. Hoekstra: "It's more than just cutting and turning. Technique training has got a lot more involved". But you do not want to push it too far. It isn't about how many movements you master and it's definitely not about the exercises alone. It is all about how to apply the technique during a match." Hoekstra coaches the entire youth system at FC Groningen, but he also decided to coach the U13s as well. "I have coached the U13s now for four years and I have really enjoyed it. This is the ideal age to develop their technique." Text: Hans Slender

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"On Wednesday afternoon the boys come to our soccer school. I am also involved with the school. Technique training is very important during these sessions. If a player is definitely going to be selected, then this player is placed in the U13s squad and technique training is the first thing playerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face. At the U13s age the development of technique is the central point. With the older groups such as the U21s, U18s and U16s the emphasis is also on other aspects of the game. But I am also involved with these teams once or twice a week. It requires a lot of repetition to get the technique right for a professional soccer player. It shouldn't be the case that at U13s, we are putting that much effort into technique training and that later on nothing is being done with it. Technique training should be constant during the complete youth education. If you do not work on it every week, the level reduces. The fine touch will disappear. Technique is something you have to repeat and has to be fine tuned over and over again."

Complexity

A fast player in the first meters doesn't have to possess a passing move" Twists With the U13s group we handle four principles: basis technique, coaching, movement without the ball and mentality. This is something you see in every exercise." Hoekstra uses a lot of passing and kicking exercises with technical elements involved. Sometimes with passive defense and eventually exercises with full defense. His exercises are slightly different than the standard exercises (see exercise 1). His exercises have a lot of different twists. "The most important thing is the explosive nature of the implementation. Often I see passing- and kicking exercises where you have to pass from A to B. Players do not get better from that kind of exercise. I think it's important that players ask for the ball explosively and can accelerate after controlling the ball. The implementation is quite explosively, but there are some resting moments in my exercises. The exercises are: technique of passing and kicking, controlling the ball, movement without the ball, cutting and turning, getting past the opponent, movement after passing the ball and being two footed. All issues which are important in soccer. "

Variations If you see Peter Hoekstra working with the U13s of FC Groningen during training sessions two things are stick out. Apart from the quick tempo in exercises there is a lot of variation in them. In approximately 20 minutes several exercises are performed and all in different variations. Hoekstra: "Actually the variation is not that big, because I believe in the power of repetition. Most of the exercises are familiar to the boys, which is good for the organisation of the exercise. Within the

exercise there is a lot of variation. The variation is important because this way you cover a lot of different techniques. On exercise 1 the emphasize is on passing and controlling the ball and of course the continuation of the move. By extending the distance the accent is on speeding up and passing from a dribble. Then there is a player in the middle, who from a pre-move in a correct way has to ask for the ball and must take care to correctly continue the move. Nothing much changes for the organisation, but the players are challenged a lot."

In the most recent programmes of Coerver, the exercises are quite complex, with a lot of different movements in one exercise. Hoekstra would rather keep it simple. "The most important is that the implementation is good, and that they learn from the exercise. With a complex exercise, I think, there is too much attention on the shape and not enough on the implementation of the exercise." An example Hoekstra uses is an exercise for being two footed. "I think being two footed is an underestimated phenomenon. It is so important in soccer nowadays. How often do you see a mid fielder receive the ball from the right and control it with his right foot (see diagram 1). If he wants to find the space, he first has to turn around his axis . If he initially controls the ball with his left foot he can find the space immediately with his right foot. I train this move in a simple triangle exercise with which on every one of the three positions the ball has to be controlled by the back foot. A lot of clubs leave two footed issue up to the players. Some players do train on this but others donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. I think it's too important to let the players decide if they train this or not. Something so simple, has to be paid more attention of. Therefore players from FC Groningen are required to train on two being footed, even before training."

Coerver and movements "I am a big fan of the Coerver method, but I think you have to be critical. I think it isn't useful to teach kids dozens of moves. It is about the perfection of a movement. Every player has a certain move which suits him. Every one is different. With us, every player has to master two cutting movements, one short pass movement and one long pass movement. A player can have a preference for cutting with the inside or outside of the foot, turning with the toes or behind the standing foot. A player also must be able to do it from a standing start or after controlling the ball or a move to pass their opponent. I always used the inside-outside move. Fake slightly inside and accelerate outward. A fast player in the first meters doesn't have to possess a passing move. A player like Overmars taps the ball past the defender and accelerates and gets round him quite easily. Furthermore players must have a move at full speed which begins further away from the defender. Here players frequently use the scissorsor the drag move. They must be able to do these moves both inside and outside out.

Diagram 1: Receiving open with the far foot

Diagram 2: Simple triangle drill, receive with the far foot, pass with the other foot

No. 31 February/March 2009

come towards the ball to be free to receive the ball. It's all about the moment. From the moment the defender gives the pass, the striker has to make the pre-move. Then the ball can be passed at once to Diagram 3: Third player already moving the deep (see diagram 3). Often you see that the third man is too late, because of this the tempo is slowed in attack. The action after the pass is also very important. How often do you see a "it's important that players ask player running after the ball? If the space for the ball explosively and can is small, after a pass in the deep you have accelerate after controlling the ball" to do a few steps Diagram 4: Move through after a pass back (see diagram 4). This way you keep having a larger space circulate that well. "That is part of the and you are always open to receive the development and I have to accept that. Barcelona "I often look at the highest level. If you look ball. These kind of things are easy to These small players do not have the power to in the game over a large distance. at mid-fielders from Barcelona they always repeat in passing- and kicking exercises." Therefore the spaces are often too small control the ball with an open body. and the game a bit disorganized. Therefore the ball tempo is very high. Position play Players from Barcelona always know where In a competition most of the time against to seek the space. Everyone knows how to older players who use their physical skills, At clubs such as Ajax and Feyenoord there make a pre-move, but it often goes wrong FC Groningen U13 is doing quite well, is so much talent you see that players with the implementation. Not just shortly although the technique is not always visible know how to circulate the ball. For example going deep and then running towards the in matches. The spaces are often not big we have six or seven talented players and ball, but also vice versa. A winger can also enough and the ball does not always the other players are clearly at a lower level. Therefore often a combination doesn't work out the way it is supposed to. "The link between talent and mentality is

a decisive factor"

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On the other hand players from FC Groningen know what it is to fight. The resistance of the boys is very high. I therefore stick with my opinion that technique training is the starting point with boys of this age. If I play small sided games, I always do this in a match situation, because I always want to keep the direction in the game. To work on possession and passing width, that doesn't mean anything for these boys. They have to develop their technique in all possible situations and every day, wanting to improve. The energy shouldn't go to these secondary issues. The link between talent and mentality is a decisive factor and I think we are doing that pretty well here at FC Groningen."

Passing- and kicking exercise in three variations Variation A: -

Four discs in a square, two balls, at every disc 2 or 3 players Cross the ball, controlling the ball with the back foot Running straight forward and connecting with the ball Note: Body position, controlling the ball and speed of passing

Variation B: - Distance is twice as large - Controlling the ball and speeding up. Up to half speed dribbling and crossing the ball - Running straight forward and connecting with the ball

Variation C: - The player in the middle shows for the ball - Good body position, cross the ball - Running straight forward and connecting with the ball

Technique in threes Organization: - The two players have possession and begin their move towards the third player - The third player controls the ball, accelerates and passes the ball to the new third player - The new third players begins the exercise over again.

Examples: - 2x toe taps and turning, placing the ball for the other foot and then repeat. This must all be done from a standing position and after three or four times accelerate, dribbling the ball and passing to another player - The same can be done with cutting the ball behind the standing foot or other techniques - In a zigzag cut and turn and than pass to the other player - Practicing a passing movement and then pass to the other player

Three defenders on a line Organization: - Three defenders on a line, they aren't allowed to move either forwards or backwards - The striker tries to pass the ball with speed, past the defenders and to the player on the other side - When the defender collects the ball, he can try to pass to the other defenders in the opposite direction - The striker who loses the ball becomes a defender

Challenges: - At full speed use long movements, defender who collects the ball uses short movements and accelerates - The striker who is to receive the ball finds the open space in the corner, therefore players who have to pass the ball have to look up before they can pass the ball - A variation is that the striker receives a cross in the direction he is running

No. 31 February/March 2009

速

S A Q Tr a i n i n g i n f o o t b a l l

Speed, agility and q

Most activity in football last approximately 5-6 seconds and for about 25 yards in distance. Football involves a start-stop process, which utilises fast twitch muscle fibres and a focus towards the anaerobic energy system. The SAQ速 (speed, agility and quickness) training system developed in the UK can make the vital difference between winning and losing E.g. a player exploding through a defensive gap, checking, turning and side-stepping to mesmerise defenders and make a winning strike on goal.

No. 31 February/March 2009

quickness

“My experience with SAQ® fundamentally changed the way I looked at my training. The SAQ® Programme is without doubt one of the reasons I still maintain my current position in the premier league at nearly 37 years old. With continued use I feel able to continue my career well into my 40’s.” David James - Goalkeeper, Portsmouth FC, England

Sports and Activity Competent Movement Automatic, explosive movement is what is used by an elite player to wrong foot an opponent and explode into a gap created or occupy an indefensible position. It is the sequence of actions a player will make to cut back to receive a ball, step inside and then turn to accelerate down the pitch. Through continuous, but precise, repetition the neuromuscular link between intention and action is imprinted. Players of all sports can learn to react explosively, whatever their sport, activity or playing position or experience level. With on-going SAQ® training it is possible to gradually re-train the neuro-muscular system, to re-programme and remove limits to a player’s performance. Give messages from the brain a clearer path to the muscles and the result will be an instinctively quicker football player. SAQ® is structured by a system a progressive sequence of training ‘phases’. Called the ‘Continuum’ it gives coaches a natural confidence in delivery. Players are guaranteed to see improvements in their explosive, multi-directional speed, agility and quickness, acceleration/ deceleration, quality and speed of response control as they progress. A brief description follows:

Breno working with SAQ® founder, Alan Pearson at Bayern Munich

The ability to accelerate and decelerate in all directions with speed and precision is fundamental to athletic performance. The ability to change direction without loss of balance, strength, speed or body control characterizes the athletic excellence that sportspersons yearn to possess and spectators yearn to see. This article will outline these qualities and how they can be dramatically improved through the SAQ® International training system.

Dynamic-Flex® Warming-up on the move is absolutely central to SAQ® training principles. No static stretching feature immediately prior to dynamic performance, be it training or a match. Dynamic-Flex® is now established as the professional’s choice in the modern game.

Mechanics Characterized by different sizes of ‘V’ Hurdle, the Mechanics phase precisely concentrates on optimising linear and lateral mechanics. There are an enormous number of possible drills that can be conducted with ‘V’ Hurdles, from basic to more complex and position specific so that variety is never an issue. Balls can be incorporated but, as with all SAQ® training, until a player has mastered the basic drills they should not progress.

No. 31 February/March 2009

Innervation Case study This ‘phase’ is well loved by both coach and player. It focuses on The success of the SAQ® Programme is evident (see below) activating the neural pathways to ‘fire’ muscles quickly and with following its introduction during pre-season at Norwich City F.C. accuracy. This is done by using Fast Foot® ladders, ladder forms The comparison is between the first home league game of last with rungs spaced ideally through which footwork drills are season when 3 points were at stake, 25.000 supporters were per formed. Starting with simple drills, progressing to more present and performance bonuses were payable. complex ones the licensed SAQ® Trainer has the power to finely tune a player’s Norwich City F.C Performance evaluation movement. Distance/Time Distance/Time % Change Performances Recorded (Aug. 07) (Aug. 08) post SAQ® Accumulation of potential In football, skills are not isolated but clustered together e.g. run for 20 yards, decelerate, fast foot change of direction, jump, turn, side-step. In simple terms this phase combines principles and elements of the Mechanics and Innervation phases. It adds to them with the development of other skills such as balance and does so in a functional manner, literally accumulating potential to perform.

High intensity distance covered Distance covered sprints Distance covered high speed runs Number of high intensity activities Average Recovery Time

8.8 km

11.1 km

26% increase

2.1 km

3.2 km

52% increase

6.7 km

7.9 km

18% increase

1160 km

1602 km

38.1% increase

49 secs

45 secs

reduced by 8.1%

Performances recorded by ProZone Explosion Matches assessed: Norwich City vs Sheffield Wed (Aug. 07) to Norwich City vs Colchester (Aug. 08) Quickness of movement is radically improved, using functional tools like the Viper Belt (padded belt The players were simply unable to run at a higher intensity. with latex resistance cord), the Sidestepper (resistance between the ankles) and the Sonic Chute (a running parachute). Fast twitch The improved stats were per formed in the final friendly of the nerve fibres are recruited and players feel the effects immediately. 2008 season against Colchester where the crowd was only 7000 With the guidance of their SAQ® Trainer they can continue to safely and the only incentive was team selection. outperform players using outdated tecniques.

Expression of potential Moving on to more game-like, random play with plenty of opportunities for the SAQ® Trainer to test players’ abilities and for players themselves to see how they are progressing. Cool Down Most easily described as Dynamic Flex® in reverse, concluding with some held stretches.

No. 31 February/March 2009

Further details about SAQ® Awards, SAQ® Equipment and the ® SAQ I-Diploma distance learning course for international students can be found at

www.saqinternational.com

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vakblad voor de moderne voetbaltrainer

trainers MAGAZINE

No.

A complete soccer coaching experience

FIFA Research on Artificial turf

"New results shed light on turf discussion"

Despite artificial grass being accepted for various competitions for almost four years, many players facing a match on this particular surface raise the same two questions before entering the field; ‘Am I going to get more injuries?’ and ‘Is the game played in the same way as I am used to?’ New FIFA figures provide answers to both those questions. By: Guy Oldenkotte

No. 31 February/March 2009

The ghastly and painful injuries players suffered from making sliding tackles on artificial grass in the 80’s luckily usually healed pretty quickly. But 20 years down the line artificial grass is still carrying the scar of being labelled as ‘dangerous’ and a contributing factor to injuries. FIFA is confronted regularly by people who vividly remember the ‘dark days’ when many teams decided to use the artificial grass used for hockey for training purposes at times their own field was unavailable. Abrasions or burn wounds after sliding tackles, stiff or torn muscles and ligaments due to the different surface and even broken limbs thanks to the solidness of the surface; many have seen it all. The positive approach FIFA now shows to artificial grass systems leaves many coaches and managers confused. The active approach by FIFA to stimulate more federations and teams to install such a field is often met with scepticism. Very few people will, however, admit that their decision to use the surface in the 1980’s was wrong. They mainly used artificial grass fields designed for hockey. Since hockey and soccer both have completely different game characteristics they require a different surface. The fact that the artificial grass industry quickly recognized the potential and developed systems designed for soccer still does not make many people change their negative views.

Time to analyse Artificial grass ‘smells’, it is ‘responsible for broken washing machines due to the rubber granulate’, it is ‘a cancer risk’, ‘pollutes the soil underneath’, ‘attributes to the ambient temperature’, ‘contributes to global warming’ and ‘takes the charm away of a rainy Saturday afternoon match’ are just some of the complaints voiced every so often. The artificial grass industry has managed to refute every allegation. But until now responding to allegations that claim that ‘artificial grass is responsible for a higher injury rate’ or that ‘artificial grass changes the game’ proved, in the absence of scientific research, to be difficult. For FIFA this was the main reason to study these claims.

The FIFA U17 World Cup in Peru was the first event that was played on football turf entirely.

With over 130 fields of the highest standards and thousands of accepted standards installed globally, various competition, EUFA Cup and Champions League matches, the U17 World Cup event in Peru as well as part of the Canada U20 World Cup event played on the surface, FIFA finally had enough opportunity to analyse. “We assigned ProZone to do a comparative performance analysis of games played on artificial grass and natural grass,” Nigel Fletcher of FIFA says. “ProZone is specialized in providing match statistics and game analysis and is therefore in a better position to do the research.” According to Fletcher the conclusion is clear; “There is little difference in the incidence, nature and causes of injuries on artificial grass and the game does not change significantly.” The outcome of the study and the confidence FIFA has in the quality of the artificial grass products means that FIFA from now on talks about ‘football turf’ instead of ‘artificial turf’.

No. 31 February/March 2009

Single camera source footage ProZone’s conclusion is based on match analysis as far back as September 2005. The company used footage of a single camera to plot and analyse each ‘event’ of players that played the full 90 minutes. A major input was generated when ProZone started to analyse the matches of Heracles Almelo and FC Utrecht, both playing in the Dutch Premier League. The field in Almelo is made of football turf while FC Utrecht has a natural grass surface. To avoid home team bias or learned effects resulting from habitual play on their home soil influencing the conclusion, only the data of the away-team was analysed from those matches.

Preventing injuries also required input from coaches and managers. As it takes up to six weeks for a human body to adapt to a surface, training on football turf while playing on natural grass could result in (minor) muscular pains or injuries. The fact that some football turf systems can be hot to play on during summer could mean players ending up with blisters or swollen feet. Rescheduling matches to more convenient times or using irrigation to cool the field down would certainly reduce the impact of the heat.

Long way to go

At the end of the season ProZone had plotted on-the-ball actions of 464 players who, sometimes, had 2000-2500 ‘events’ per match. “The results show that the effective playing time was not affected by the surface,” Fletcher points out. On both surfaces the ball was played 55% of the time.”Dribbles, passes, tackles and touches per possession per player were also almost identical on grass and football turf.”

The result of the study is re-assuring for FIFA, but Fletcher has no doubt the Football Association still has a long way to go to convince the international community that football turf is an appropriate alternative. “Let there be no doubt; in an ideal world where a perfect surface could be guaranteed all year long, top quality natural grass would be FIFA’s preference,” he says. “The reality is however that in too many places either the climate, geographical or social conditions do not allow a perfect natural grass surface all year round. Therefore we suggest football turf as an alternative.”

So was there no difference at all? The study in the Netherlands showed a higher frequency of passes attempted and received on football turf but FIFA believes that this may also have be linked to the standard of the respective home team opponents. Football turf also seemed to encourage a higher incidence of attacking play. This could perhaps be explained by the improvement in passing as football turf offers a flat and predictable surface unlike natural grass where the ball roll and ball bounce can be different per area. Also, variations of play, Fletcher believes, are linked to the standard of the home teams as well as the competition.

The reality is that football turf will eventually be the surface of choice in the future. Many games in youth competitions are already being played on the surface and it is only a matter of time before natural grass surfaces become as exclusive as football turf currently is. But for FIFA the change is not happening quick enough. The game is still attracting an increasing number of players internationally, often without being able to provide enough surfaces. Fletcher has now embarked upon an international campaign to provide information through seminars and conferences. “It is important that people will hear it from the horse’s mouth.”

Top clubs all over the world use football turf for training purposes

Football turf is now accepted for matches in any competition, providing the field is certified by FIFA.

Similar injury rate When it comes to injuries Eric Harrison, an independent consultant but closely linked to FIFA, emphasizes that the injury rate does not show significant difference either. “There is very little difference in the incidence, nature and cause of injuries observed during games play on football turf and those played on natural grass,” he says. Harrison’s findings did not come from the ProZone analysis but were taken from various other studies around the world. “Medical research is an ongoing study done by various institutions. One that is particularly in-depth is the study conducted by UCL University in the US. They studied 52 teams for 5 seasons in a row and they concluded that 4 500 injuries were reported out of 600 000 exposures. A very low number I would say.” For Harrison an injury is only accepted as an injury when it results in an absence from training or a match.

No. 31 February/March 2009

Improved quality standards By continuously evaluating the quality standards (see text box) FIFA pushes artificial grass manufacturers and installation companies to continue the quest for the best system available. It must be said; despite the numerous systems available, artificial grass systems are far from being ‘ultimately developed’. “The FIFA quality benchmarks were set by testing over 100 natural grass fields globally in their best condition and at the best time of the year. Football turf fields must be able to produce the same characteristics all year long,” Fletcher explains. Despite the high criteria, which many natural grass fields do not meet, FIFA intends to introduce another criterion this year. “FIFA Two Star certified fields will have to comply with more stringent criteria for bio-metric performances. Inclusion of these criteria will ensure that clubs and municipalities will know better how long a field could

FIFA Two-Star quality criteria In order to ensure a good quality pitch FIFA introduced a standard four years ago. Over 100 fields globally in their best condition and at the best time of the year were taken as a bench mark. FIFA Two-Star approved fields have to be tested annually by a FIFA approved testing institute before a match is allowed to be played on the surface. The field needs to meet the following requirements: Vertical ball rebound: Angle ball rebound:

The players of the future won’t know any better since they play most of their games already on football turf.

last (providing maintenance programmes have been adhered to) and what the impact will be on the players’,” Fletcher points out.

Positive approach With football turf systems required to meet more stringent requirements than the average natural turf field and research showing that the surface itself has little impact on the injury rate or quality of the game, Fletcher believes that a different approach by soccer coaches could further contribute to the end-result of the game. “It is important that the mental preparation before a match is positive to overcome fear,” he says referring to the fear many coaches and managers unknowingly transmit when preparing their team prior to a match on football turf. The matches played in Canada during the FIFA U20 World Cup showed the players of the future no longer fear the surface. The players appeared equally – if not more- prepared to challenge for the ball on football turf by making sliding tackles, something many people still dare not to do on football turf.

Ball roll: Shock absorption: Vertical deformation: Rotational resistance: Linear friction – Stud deceleration value: Linear friction – Stud slide value: Skin – surface friction: Skin abrasion:

0.60 – 0.85 m 45% - 60% (under dry conditions) 45% - 80% (under wet conditions) 4–8m 60% - 70% 4mm – 8mm 30Nm -45Nm 3.0g – 5.5g 130 – 210 0.35 – 0.75 +/- 30%

The ProZone study indicates that offensive teams can use a football turf pitch to their advantage. “As key influencers in the game, managers, coaches and some players are instrumental in communicating the potential impact of football tur f.” Coaches could therefore use the surface certainly to their advantage. A study in the Netherlands several years ago showed that teams that were informed before hand about the characteristics of football turf pitches, combined with the positive approach of their management team, proved to be more successful. While the number of pitches installed is still increasing getting prepared at an early stage might show some results soon after.

Example of possession regains by a team playing on football turf

Example of possession regains by a team playing on natural grass

Example of penalty area entries attempted in a match by an away team on natural grass in a match

Example of penalty area entries attempted in a match by an away team on Football Turf No. 31 February/March 2009

Coverciano: celebrated 50 years

Andy Roxburgh, Uefaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s director, talks about the technical centre 42

No. 31 February/March 2009

of excellence

Should England or Ireland win the World Cup in South Africa in 2010, it will be celebrated in one quiet corner of Tuscany with almost the same gusto as a win by the holders, Italy. It was at Coverciano, in the foothills of the Apennines, just outside Florence, that Fabio Capello, Giovanni Trapattoni and Marcello Lippi – the coaches of the three countries’ national teams – began the learning process that would take them to the top of their profession. In November, that seat of learning – the technical centre of the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio, the Italian FA – celebrated its 50th birthday. By: Frank Dunne

When Italy lifted the World Cup trophy in Spain in 1982, one of the tutors at Coverciano, Lelio Antoniotti, turned to Andy Roxburgh, then the technical director of the Scottish FA, and said: “We didn’t win this by accident, we won it by design.” Former Scotland coach Roxburgh, now Uefa’s technical director, tutored at Coverciano in the 1970s. He talked to Soccer Coaching International about the place with a mixture of nostalgia and reverence. “One of my students was a young guy called Arrigo Sacchi, whom nobody had heard of at the time. I remember doing a session with him about British-style pressing football. Of course, he then went on to take that to another level [with AC Milan and Italy].”

No. 31 February/March 2009

technical Italian FA’s

The centre – which has come to be known by the name of its neighbourhood, Coverciano – opened on 6 November 1958 and from then on its qualifications have been compulsory for professional coaches in Italy. The rigorous preparation provided by Coverciano was the platform for Italy to develop into Europe’s dominant football nation. Italy has since won two World Cups and a European Championship, and has been a runner-up in both competitions. The U21s have won five of the last nine editions of the European Championship and the Women’s U19s, coached by Corrado Corradini, are currently European champions.

Roxburgh, who also tutored Capello, said: “If you think about the guys who have come out of there – like Sacchi, Capello, and Lippi – what first comes to mind is that they are all thinkers. Coverciano is a place that provokes thinking.” Coverciano is sometimes called a ‘university of football’ but, for Roxburgh, it would be wrong to describe it as an academic environment. “The teaching is very practical, out on the pitch. You could call it applied theory. The course covers all the basics but the fact that everyone comes together in one centre is vitally important because it is the exchange of ideas which is stimulating and exciting for young coaches.” It was a point that Lippi himself had made in Gianluca Vialli’s excellent book, The Italian Job, before leading Italy to a fourth World Cup success in Germany in 2006: “That’s what I found truly important about Coverciano, the exchange of ideas between myself and my colleagues. We would talk about everything – psychology, tactics, training methods. It was a constant evolution which helped me out tremendously. The more I think about it, what I hold dear is not just the course in itself, it was the atmosphere around it, the challenging, thought-provoking environment. Coverciano does not give you truths it gives you possibilities.” Like the English FA’s appointment of Capello, after England’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008, the creation of Coverciano was the reaction to a crisis. Under the legendary commissario tecnico Vittorio Pozzo, Italy had won the World Cup in 1934 and 1938 and an Olympic Gold in Berlin in 1936. In 1949, as international football was returning to normality after the war, a plane carrying the all-conquering Torino team crashed into the hillside at Superga, just outside Turin, killing 31 people, including 10 players from the Azzurri squad. Italy’s momentum crashed with it. At the 1950 and 1954 World Cup finals, the team failed to get beyond the group stages and in 1958 did not even qualify for the finals – being eliminated by Northern Ireland. Copyright: UEFA

The FA president, Ottorino Barassi, resigned and Bruno Zauli, the secretary of Italian Olympic Committee, was appointed emergency commissioner. In just under a year, Zauli oversaw a radical transformation

No. 31 February/March 2009

of Italian football, separating off the 36-team professional league, Lega Calcio, from semipro, amateur and youth football, bringing the referees’ association under the control of the FA, and creating two new departments: the technical centre at Coverciano and the youth and schools sector. The first fruits of this revolution were enjoyed 10 years later when Italy won the 1968 European Championship on home soil. Unlike the English FA’s former centre of excellence at Lilleshall, which was abandoned in 1999, or the French FA’s highly-regarded centre at Clairefontaine, Coverciano is not an academy for young players. It is, first and foremost, where coaches are developed. Roxburgh believes that in seeing the need for such a centre long before anyone else, Italy had given itself an important head start. “The advantage that Italy had over other countries was that for a very long time coaching was seen as a profession there. You were expected to get properly educated and then do an apprenticeship before you could be a top coach. Italy and Germany were the first countries to think along these lines. For years in England, when famous players hung their boots up they considered it their right to go straight into coaching a big team. In England there was no culture of training to be a coach. The attitude was, ‘the badge isn’t compulsory, so why bother?’ ”

"Coverciano is used to prepare Italy’s national teams before major tournaments”

Since 2003 – under Uefa pressure – the badge has been compulsory in the Premier League, something which has changed the culture among former players drastically, according to Roxburgh. “The new generation of coaches – the Roy Keanes – accept that it is necessary to obtain the pro licence. But what’s happening in England is very much a reaction to Uefa leadership.” England has a €1 billion national stadium but still has no technical centre. Italy has no national stadium – national team matches are played in club stadiums around the peninsula – but has had Coverciano for half a century. If and when the English FA finally opens its planned technical centre in Burton-on-Trent, it will be hoping that it can one day produce an English coach capable of winning the World Cup, rather than importing one from abroad. If the FA is still looking for a blueprint for how to achieve that, it can be found in a quiet corner of Tuscany.

No. 31 February/March 2009

One of the most frequently asked questions I am asked is, “how do I prepare my team for 11v11?” It becomes a big worry for grass roots coaches and bedroom lights are being switched on and off during the night across the land as coaches agonise about what to do and how to do it. But don’t worry it need not be a painful experience. By Paul Cooper

At what age? Most European countries don’t start the full eleven a side game until the ages of U12 – U14s but it in England the vast majority of leagues play 11v11 at U11s. There are a few exceptions with some leagues allowing both seven a side or nine a side. The leagues decide this and I think may be it is time for the FA to sanction this until U13s. It would be interesting to know whether a couple more seasons of smaller sided games would actually prepare players better for 11v11 later on. Certainly they would have far more touches and decisions to make if they did, which would help them with whatever format they are playing. The children in England are still at primary school when they begin the ‘proper’ game and for me that is too early, but as that is the reality we need to help the players make that transition from the seven a side game.

Formation Coaches work themselves up into a frenzy about what formation they should play. Should they play the traditional 4-4-2 or 4-33, but if they play 4-3-3 should they have the three in the middle as a triangle with the point in front of the defence or supporting the attack? Or should they try the new trendy 4-2-3-1, and should the 4-5-1 become a 4-3-3 when we attack? Or why don’t I get nostalgic and play the classic German 3-5-2 with a sweeper or even go back to 2-3-5 and the W formation. Well if it is confusing for us as coaches, what must it be like for the children?

Anyone for

Stepping up a-side

When do you start preparing? You start preparing for 11v11 right at the youngest ages. I don’t mean that you should play eleven a side at this age and drill them night and day on the off side rule. The building blocks for the game will help them adapt and the best thing we as coaches can do to prepare them is by making sure they have good technique and insight and have had a chance to experience different positions in the seven a side game.

Small sided games Children love to play small sided games as it motivates them to come to training and helps them fall in love with this wonderful game. They experience what it is like to play in a match as they are attacking, defending, passing, dribbling, tackling and shooting, all the elements of the game. The more they play in these games the more decision making experience they have. Warm ups should all be with a ball each so that children can have at least five hundred touches and motivate them to go away and practise at home, on their own, with friends and family. Then they are not just relying on the one training session and one match a week for their technique.

No. 31 February/March 2009

If you analyse an 11v11 match when it gets to the age groups that play ninety minutes for a game. The ball is out of play for roughly 30 minutes so playing time is restricted to sixty minutes. If each player has roughly the same time on the ball, and I am not including substitutes, each player has less than three minutes. But remember they have another 57 minutes making decisions off the ball, so small sided games are crucial to develop this. Also small sided games can be conditioned to bring out different topics such as finishing on goal, movement off the ball, defending from the front, keeping possession, winning the ball back quickly, vision and a whole host of others topics.

Playing in different positions

elevenses?

This is key during these mini soccer, 7 a side years. The classic case is the goal keeper. A lad wants to go in goal at a young age and rarely plays out field. Sometimes keepers ask a couple of years later, “Can I play out on the pitch now, I am bored with being a goalie?” and they are unprepared. A keeper touches the ball more with his feet than with his hands. If they have been coached to be a footballer first (which is why the Dutch don’t have keepers in 4v4) they will be comfortable with the ball at their feet which is crucial for modern keepers as they become more and more part of the outfield team.

to the eleven game

This will help with build up play from the back in the 11 a side game and a good kicking technique. Both short and long. Also they can act as a sweeper and intercept balls outside the area before the attack can find momentum. You will save hundreds of goals this way over a few years by them just being alert and comfortable coming out of the box. In a previous issue last year in Soccer Coaching International, a brilliant interview with Gordon Strachan he made this great observation about players being pigeon holed too early into one position.

“If I had a say in it, I would let people rotate positions a lot. If I need a right back, you’ll get a young player who has played there his whole life. He always had the pitch on his left, so he has no experience or vision if the ball comes from the other side. I believe they should play in different positions. Just like volleyball, where they change all the time. Play ten minutes and then change positions. That way everybody gets a part of everything. That guy who plays right back, should know how a striker plays. He should be able to deal with an opponent from the other side. That player has not developed vision on his right side. They don’t know what it is like to come this way. They don’t know what it is like to come towards the goal, play a 1-2. They all have the mentality of a right back. This happens with all the players. They never played anywhere else since they were 8, so the striker does not understand what the midfield player wants. Players should understand every position on every part of the pitch and that will help them in the future.”

Keep it simple Don’t bother too much about off sides and formations, think long term. The best you can do is let your players dip their toe in the water and work things out for themselves. Let them just experience the big game and take things step by step.

No. 31 February/March 2009

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What is SoccerCoachingInternational? The core of the SoccerCoachingInternational product is the magazine. As a subscriber you will receive 6 magazines a year. Every issue is packed with information for professional to grassroots coaches. We try to find a good balance of text, diagrams and of course we don't forget the exercises. SoccerCoachingInternational is however more than just a magazine. It’s the complete soccer coaching experience! The website www.soccercoachinginternational.com is visited by coaches across the world; from Japan to Hawaii and from South Africa to Norway. The website consists of multiple country specific websites, along with an international website, which all facilitate to do the need of local as well as worldwide soccer coaching communities. Through SoccerCoachingInternational our subscribers are able to exchange thoughts, obtain relevant coaching information and discuss the ins and outs of the game with each other. We really believe in a website-magazine combination and feel this combination provides a truly unique product. Every article in the magazine has an article code and when this article code is entered on our website, you will find more information on the article, coach, topic or club and/or have the opportunity to discuss this with your peers across the world. However, our website is more than just a means in which to obtain extra information on the articles featured in our magazine, our website also features: • Exercise Database • Video Exercises • Exercise Editor • International Exercise Database • A discussion forum • Poll • Latest news • Shop (7,5% discount for subscribers!)

NEW! *Free for subscribers Members Area The Members Area consists of bonus material from articles published in the magazine (if available), additional articles not published in the magazine, templates, glossary of terms, non-coaching articles and much more! We will be adding new inclusions on a weekly basis!

COMING SOON! *Free for subscribers Player Tracking System Our in-house R&D department is constantly working on new innovations. One of these new innovations is the Player Tracking System. This system allows our subscribers to track training attendance, game data and evaluate their players.

What can you do with the Player Tracking System? - Add a team - Add a player - Insert training data - Add a game - Add evaluation criteria - Evaluate players - View statistics Club subscription Up to this point SCI offered clubs or other interested parties discounted collective subscription rates. Our R&D department has now developed a Club Subscription, for clubs who want all their coaches to work with the same system. Clubs gives all their coaches access to www.soccercoachinginternational.com and use this system to develop your own club database. The coaching director can assign specific exercises to each coach, or allow them to pick exercises themselves (pre-selected by the coaching director or coaches themselves). On top of that the Player Tracking System can be implemented on club level, allowing coaches to view attendance, statistics and progresses of other teams and players within their clubs.

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TELL A FRIEND and receive a SCI GIFT PACK When you tell a friend or colleague about SCI and they subscribe you receive a FREE SCI GIFT PACK, which includes: - 3 past issue of SCI - SCI notepad and pen - Small Sided Games Book Your Name: Subscription number: SCI - _ _ _ _ _ Address: City:

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SCI WEBSITE ! THE SOCCERCOACHINGINTERNATIONAL WEBSITE HAS BEEN RE-STYLED AND A LOT OF NEW THINGS HAVE BEEN ADDED. - See the latest additions to the online archive and exercise database on the homepage - Temporary free video feature on our homepage (new video every week) - Games (Guess who & Where is the ball) - Watch our product demo (find out what SCI is all about) - Visit our FAQ section to find answers to all your questions about our website and magazine - Send us feedback and requests - Tell a friend - Magazine archive (with page flip function)

EDITORIAL

No. 31 – February / March 2009 SoccerCoachingInternational is a magazine for soccer coaches all over the world from the publisher of TrainersMagazine, the Dutch magazine for soccer coaches. The Magazine will be released six times a year. Chief editor Paul van Veen Beatrixlaan 21, 2811 LZ REEUWIJK THE NETHERLANDS E-mail: paul@soccercoachinginternational.com Publisher Sportfacilities & Media BV Visiting address: Steynlaan 19 B-D ZEIST THE NETHERLANDS Postal address: P.O. Box 952, 3700 AZ ZEIST THE NETHERLANDS E-mail: info@soccercoachinginternational.com Phone: +31 (0)30 697 7710 Fax: +31 (0)30 697 7720 Project Manager Floris Schmitz f.schmitz@sportfacilities.com Managing Editor and Translations Maaike Denkers maaike@soccercoachinginternational.com Graphic Design Anton Gouverneur / Tania Dimitrova studio@sportfacilities.com

Editorial Staff Andrew Blight, Paul Cooper, Guilherme Costa, Maaike Denkers, Tania Dimitrova, Frank Dunne, Anton Gouverneur, Tom van den Heiligenberg, Bobby Homeyer, Christian Lavers, Angus Nicol, Guy Oldenkotte, Dusan Petrovic, Hans Slender, Paul van Veen, Rien van Wolfswinkel Photographers: Tom van den Heiligenberg Jan Soek Subscription Rates You can subscribe to this magazine through its website: www.soccercoachinginternational.com. The subscription rate are as follows: US and CND subscribers: $49,95 for the first year ($59,95 for years thereafter) UK subscribers: £28,50 for the first year (£33,95 for years thereafter) Subscribers from the rest of the world: € 49,95 for the first year (€ 59,90 for years thereafter) You will receive six magazines per year and access to all subscriber features on the website. This publication is purchased with the understanding that information presented is from many sources for which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the publisher as to accuracy, originality or completeness. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering product endorsements or providing instruction as a substitue for appropriate training by qualified sources. SoccerCoachingInternational assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Copyright All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

ISSN 1571 - 8794

No. 31 February/March 2009

Give Us Back Our Game Magazine W inter edition 2009 ! W O N t u o e n i z a Working with mixed abilities ag Small sided games M

G How to organise a GUBOG event O B Rugby Game Sense U G Voices from the playground

The optimal learning environment for youth football