I'm splitting off this thread, because I think it's a separate discussions Agreed. Now how do we train "Possession with a purpose"? Do we train it actively (hammer them with it)? Or get them to come to that conclusion on their own through activities and subtle reminders? Probably somewhere in between? Last night we played the "endzone game", because having seen them previously possess the ball insanely well, I wanted them to do that AND apply penetration to it. What I realized last night, that some of them still don't see "space". They see teammates and defenders but not the empty spaces (particularly empty space beyond the last defender) and how they can be useful. We played the endzone game in a 20x15 grid, 4v4, probably a little on the tight side. Played in 5 minute segments. I switched back and forth between direction-less and attacking the endzones hoping they would carry over. Toward the end of practice, I could see them forcing the play less (not so direct) but we still have some work. I think the we'll work toward redefining the "endzones" with cones to using static people and finally live defenders. Hopefully that makes sense to you guys.
This is a team tactics subject, but what is exactly meant by possession with a purpose is debateable. I think it simply is a criticism of poor tactical choices. So you need to break down positive statements of what you want to teach to get to the objective. If you are starting off with U12's and introducing them to team tactics, then you need to decide what to teach first. This is where the curriculum is supposed to provide a path. The computer I am at right now is too slow to download the curriculum so I will have to guess what it says. I would think that first you want the team to learn to possess with the purpose of penetrating the danger area for a quality shot. Possessing for the purpose of killing off a game ought to be a deferred topic. First all the players must be technically proficient. Obvious, but important. Second you have to have a system of play that supplies the framework (433). And you must have the organization: the backs must be pushed up high enough to support the attack. Sometimes possession style of play involves a high pressure defense as opposed to a delayed high pressure defense. I see no reason why both defenses cannot be taught initially. Third the players must be tactically proficient. They need to have the tactical understanding of the priniciples of play and small group tactics. They need to be able to communicate verbally and non-verbally, both to tell and to receive. Sometimes we say read the game. You read not only your opponents but your team mates in order to anticipate what is going to happen and decide what to do next. All the players need to understand how to support the first attacker by their runs and by showing for the ball. Not only how to do it, but when to do what. Again obvious, but necessary. Fourth and most importantly, they need to have the mentality. This is primarily the confidence in themselves, their team mates, and their coach that will allow them to risk trying to maintain possession while under pressure. Then when the players have all the tools I think you have to start with the individual's tactical decisions on the ball. Then address tactical decisions by players off the ball. This would be the first attacker showing patience in selecting from his or her various tactical choices. The final step is putting it all together as the team acting in unison. The team showing patience while attacking. For example retreating with the ball back to the middle third to draw the defense higher and open up space behind the opposing fullbacks. My point is that there are many bricks you need to lay to build this wall.
I'll respond more in-depth later, but I agree building the foundation in technical skills is the key. And we're doing that. The games we play just provide a context in which they use the skills they learn. Specifically, right now receiving bouncing and aerial balls are the technical skills we are perfecting. So far this season, we've spent about 3 weeks each on receiving ground balls, playing our first touch to penetrate or away from pressure, and inside of the foot/on the ground passing. The bouncing/aerial balls are our fourth and last "topic" for the season. Again it's just a game, so they get introduced to creating an end product with the end product having to be the main focus of the game/activity. Hope that makes sense.
Agree with all of the above. For a practical tool to use for getting them to look at space behind defenders talk to them about "the ball going through one hole/gate and the player through another." This is most clear with the last line of defenders and works well with the end zone game. You can start out using cones set 7-10 yards apart across the front of the end zone. They score by putting the ball between a set of cones ("gate") to a player running into the space through another "gate" -they can't be in the zone waiting. start out with no d in end zone This gets them looking at the space the player can run into and the opportunity to play into that space rather than the player running You can progress to the point where the cone gates are replaced by the last line of defenders defending the end zone and them defending a goal. Players get used to looking at the space between defenders and behind them and playing the ball through gaps to teammates making runs rather than trying to play the ball to a person I know that this does not address all the issues of this problem but I have found that work on this gets the players to look forward and, most importantly, begin to look at space rather than people
There is also a similar game, 4-box game that I've seen the USMNT play in training. Set up four boxes at each corner of a large grid. Same principle of scoring as the end zone game except it's multi-directional. Any team can score in any box, but I think this teaches the concept of switching and moving the ball away from pressure.
I use the box game, but add a couple of twists: 1. No player may be in the box at the time the ball is passed by a teammate, much like socfan60's "can't be in the zone waiting" for the end zone game. 2. To score, you must play the ball into the box to a teammate and then back out to another teammate (may be the the same player who passed the ball in). This encourages supporting runs. The second variation addresses more of elessar's topic. We want to play the ball as far up the pitch as possible, in the most dangerous spot possible--that is the purpose we are talking about--, but we also do not want to lose the ball--that is the possession piece. If we can't accomplish a long pass upfield and keep it, we play a shorter pass. If a shorter pass isn't on, we play wide instead of upfield. If we can't do that, we play backwards. We play the safer passes until a better option presents itself. Younger players don't evaluate the risk of losing possession well. They either don't see the hazards (defenders) or don't have the skill to execute what's in their heads. Adding variation 2 to the box game teaches that we aren't done with along penetrating pass. We need to follow with support to maintain possession in the new, more dangerous part of the field. The only penetration that doesn't, in the end, need support is penetration into the back of the opponent's net.
Sounds to me like a model of the middle third of the field, which would be an ideal setting for possession exercises. Think of going from box to box vertically as penetrating the midfield and box to box horizonally as switching fields. Placement of the target boxes gets the teams to use the entire width of the field.
I thought up another modification to the end zone/box games. Instead of playing 2v2 line soccer. It's 2v2 to end zones so you play your teammate in. Add a progression where there are goals and keeper and in the end zone. The keeper can come out and challenge the entry pass, to make it more realistic and gives the attacker a chance to work 1v1 against the keeper.
Or, try this. It works on using a target player as an intermediate step in possession before penetrating behind the defense. Play a SSG with end zones. At the start, each team has a target player in the end zone they are attacking. Score a point by passing in to that target player (variation: to score a point you must pass to the target and then they must pass back out of the end zone to a teammate). Progression: 1. Add a defending player in each end zone, whose job is to mark the target. 2. Add small goals 10-15 yards behind each end zone. After the ball gets played in to the target, both teams may send players in to the end zone and the attacking team goes to goal. If the defense wins it back, they take it into the central area. 3. Add full-size goals 20-25 yards behind each end zone. As #2, but now attacking a big goal with keepers. I used this one with my U15 girls this season. We play essentially a 4-4-1-1, with one forward playing deeper and checking back to receive the ball between the defense and midfield, then going forward from there (turn to goal herself, play in the other forward or drop-and-through to a midfielder). It was good enough to take us to a President's Cup state championship this past weekend.
ah, yes! I think I've done that by accident in the past . We played 4v4, with end zones, I had 4 extra players so I had them be targets in the end zone with a marker. To score you had to play into your target. I just did it to keep the "resting" players active, so I've never really gone back to it. But yeah, I see more of a purpose for it now.