Hi there, I am a former collegiate Lacrosse coach and technologist somewhat new to the realm of soccer coaching. I'm working on a camera technology that automatically detects, tracks, and films soccer games. You wouldn't need a parent or videographer to operate it, it'd track and record automatically by analyzing the video stream. As part of the research process I'm trying to talk to innovating soccer coaches who use or want to use video to learn from and break down their teams practice and play. I'd love to hear from coaches here. Do you use video for anything? How do you find it lacking? When you're coaching in-game, what types of things do you pay attention to tactically? Feel free to post here or also DM me!
At the youngest ages, just like lacrosse, coaches look at technique. Later they look more at tactics. The difference is that technique focuses on individual players, while tactics focuses on groups of players. For technique, the focus is just on the individuals that you are training. For tactics, you focus on the general situation so all the visual cues (including opponents) are related. Not just the players near the ball.
When people send me videos of their kids playing to comment on. Here is what I tell them do not send me a highlight tape. Rather see 2 halves of their best games. Do not put it to music. I want to see a wider shot so don't just focus on the player. If possible I would like to hear their communication on the field. I want to see what they do after they touched the ball. Or what they do when they don't have the ball. I prefer watching a game from the back. Assistant watch the game further up. I said this a thousand times. I am only afraid of an opponents counter attack. You stop that our attack and defense should win most of our games. Watch from the back it is easier to see exposed space where an opponent can counter your team. If you see exposed space while your attacking it is much easier to close that space. Wait to after you lose the ball it might be to late to close that exposed space.
Funny when I go to see a player play in a game. I know whether I want him or not after watching him play after only 10 minutes.
Interesting. @nicklaino So when you say that you prefer to watch the game from the back, does that mean standing far back from the sideline? Or that you'd actually prefer to stand behind a goal (or see a camera angle from behind the goal) so that you can see the exposed space? @rca2, can you give me some examples of the technique that you look for in young players? e.g. certain body positioning or shooting form?
It will match the curriculum. By U10 pretty much every technique except heading should have been taught so you look for bad technique and weak skills. On the ball and off the ball. Good technique involves more than just how you touch the ball. Does the player look around? Does the player use his body well? Does the player accelerate for separation after a dribbling move? Various movement techniques (starting, stopping, jumping, turning) and defensive techniques. At younger ages most coaches concentrate on just first touch, striking and dribbling before moving on to other technical and tactical subjects. If you want something more specific, for striking I look for the 4 steps and in particular I am looking for a suitable plant foot placement, a natural flowing movement with a good weight shift in the hips, exploding through the ball and a follow through. I also look at the skill level. Is the player only using one foot? Is the player having problems with volleys or half volleys, balls moving in a specific direction or bouncing?