# Club playing style?



## Jamisfoes (Dec 13, 2021)

Another tryout season question. Does a DOC typically dictate a certain playing style, direct vs possession? Or is it mostly left up to the coach? Which club is known for possession soccer in the youngers?


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## fjc8871 (Dec 13, 2021)

From what I have seen or experienced...clubs will adopt a playing style in their pitch or web info but it all goes out the window depending on if the coach wants to simply send it to the big forward.


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## Messi>CR7 (Dec 13, 2021)

For my daughter's age group, Beach plays the possession style more consistently than others.  Over the years we have played Beach/LA Galaxy South Bay's A, B, and C teams, and you could easily see they all follow the same style.  Again, I can only speak for one age group.  Not sure if the same style is being followed religiously across the entire club.

Playing possession style is much more typical (and necessary) for boys.  My boy's team started playing back to the goalie regularly at U8.  IIRC my daughter's team did not do that until U12.

Personally I've slowly come to the conclusion that aggression is more important than possession in girls' game.  We played an out-of-state ECNL team at the last Surf Cup.  At one time the other team connected 20 passes in a row.  We won 5-0.


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## Brav520 (Dec 13, 2021)

Just Win Baby!


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## LASTMAN14 (Dec 13, 2021)

B


Messi>CR7 said:


> For my daughter's age group, Beach plays the possession style more consistently than others.  Over the years we have played Beach/LA Galaxy South Bay's A, B, and C teams, and you could easily see they all follow the same style.  Again, I can only speak for one age group.  Not sure if the same style is being followed religiously across the entire club.
> 
> Playing possession style is much more typical (and necessary) for boys.  My boy's team started playing back to the goalie regularly at U8.  IIRC my daughter's team did not do that until U12.
> 
> Personally I've slowly come to the conclusion that aggression is more important than possession in girls' game.  We played an out-of-state ECNL team at the last Surf Cup.  At one time the other team connected 20 passes in a row.  We won 5-0.


Beach SB has inherited many of the coaching staff from LAGSB/LAG DA in its ranks. Therefore you will see a similiar style in many age groups with possession. At the Beach ECNL level it is very consitent as well.


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## Jamisfoes (Dec 13, 2021)

We had two defenders. One dribbles too much. The coach was always yelling at him to pass up the field. The other defender kicks the ball to the air as soon as he gets the ball almost as if he is afraid to hold on to the ball. Man, if the two would just balance out, we could start play possession. Kids just need time to figure it out.


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## espola (Dec 13, 2021)

Jamisfoes said:


> Another tryout season question. Does a DOC typically dictate a certain playing style, direct vs possession? Or is it mostly left up to the coach? Which club is known for possession soccer in the youngers?


The best teams can play both as the situation dictates or, even better, direct possession.


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## KJR (Dec 13, 2021)

Jamisfoes said:


> Another tryout season question. Does a DOC typically dictate a certain playing style, direct vs possession? Or is it mostly left up to the coach? Which club is known for possession soccer in the youngers?


Where, geographically, are you looking to train?


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## futboldad1 (Dec 13, 2021)

For Youngers across all leagues and areas in the Southwest I'd say these are the main more possession based clubs..... SD Surf, Rebels, SD Force, Real, Beach, Breakers, Tudela, Rising.... but at the highest levels as they get older just like in the EPL possession and direct are both used by the best teams, coaches and players often switching styles in the same game as the situation dictates....


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## dad4 (Dec 13, 2021)

If you want to know about playing style, go to a local tournament and watch a few games.  It will also tell you about the coaching style and how much playing time the bench players get.


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## Jamisfoes (Dec 13, 2021)

KJR said:


> Where, geographically, are you looking to train?


South Orange county areas


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## Jamisfoes (Dec 13, 2021)

futboldad1 said:


> For Youngers across all leagues and areas in the Southwest I'd say these are the main more possession based clubs..... SD Surf, Rebels, SD Force, Real, Beach, Breakers, Tudela, Rising.... but at the highest levels as they get older just like in the EPL possession and direct are both used by the best teams, coaches and players often switching styles in the same game as the situation dictates....


As I pose this question, I am thinking about my kid's development. Would I want him to be on a team that tries to lob passes to forwards all the time? Even though he is a forward. Or do I find him a team that teaches possession? I guess what I'm really asking is who is coaching the team. Is he a win now coach or a coach that is given time to develope his players? It's a club culture question as well.


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## MamaBear5 (Dec 13, 2021)

Jamisfoes said:


> As I pose this question, I am thinking about my kid's development. Would I want him to be on a team that tries to lob passes to forwards all the time? Even though he is a forward. Or do I find him a team that teaches possession? I guess what I'm really asking is who is coaching the team. Is he a win now coach or a coach that is given time to develope his players? It's a club culture question as well.


Even within a club there is going to be differences. Best thing you can do is watch the end of a practice when the team is scrimmaging...what is the style of play.


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## Eagle33 (Dec 13, 2021)

Easy way to see this is to look at youngers playing style and then olders at the same club. If it's consistent, you found yourself a winner.


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## Paul Spacey (Dec 13, 2021)

fjc8871 said:


> From what I have seen or experienced...clubs will adopt a playing style in their pitch or web info but it all goes out the window depending on if the coach wants to simply send it to the big forward.


This is basically it; we all know that.

Go and watch the team(s) and coach(es) in both practice and games; you’ll get your answer within 10 minutes.


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## futboldad1 (Dec 13, 2021)

Jamisfoes said:


> As I pose this question, I am thinking about my kid's development. Would I want him to be on a team that tries to lob passes to forwards all the time? Even though he is a forward. Or do I find him a team that teaches possession? I guess what I'm really asking is who is coaching the team. Is he a win now coach or a coach that is given time to develope his players? It's a club culture question as well.


This is subjective but I'd argue you want a team that look to get the ball to your kid up top but not by just booting it up there every time....patient movement of ball up the field with some long passes in there as well....development is key, your kid needs to be targeted but he shouldn't be battling versus three defenders they is on the ball



Paul Spacey said:


> This is basically it; we all know that.
> 
> Go and watch the team(s) and coach(es) in both practice and games; you’ll get your answer within 10 minutes.


This is totally true for training.....one caveat for games is the level of the team and especial their opponent....if you are playing against the top teams from SD Surf or Slammers it is going to be harder to control possession than in games versus their second or third teams.......


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## Messi>CR7 (Dec 13, 2021)

Jamisfoes said:


> We had two defenders. One dribbles too much. The coach was always yelling at him to pass up the field. The other defender kicks the ball to the air as soon as he gets the ball almost as if he is afraid to hold on to the ball. Man, if the two would just balance out, we could start play possession. Kids just need time to figure it out.


There is a distinction between playing direct and just booting it forward.  What @futboldad1 described above is what I would consider "direct".  What you described with your second defender is just bad soccer.  Unfortunately I have seen too many center backs do exactly just that.

There is nothing wrong if a team chooses to play more direct.  Possession style, when not done properly, can be equally ugly.  Lots of passing and possession without creating shots in the final 1/3.  Unfortunately 2021 FC Barcelona is one of such examples.


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## justneededaname (Dec 13, 2021)

Jamisfoes said:


> As I pose this question, I am thinking about my kid's development. Would I want him to be on a team that tries to lob passes to forwards all the time? Even though he is a forward. Or do I find him a team that teaches possession? I guess what I'm really asking is who is coaching the team. Is he a win now coach or a coach that is given time to develope his players? It's a club culture question as well.


I am not sure what age group you are at, but, if you are looking for a team that teaches possession, make sure they are talking about possessing the ball across the entire field. If the coach talks only about "building out of the back" and you have a 5th-7th grader who plays in the front 3, they will find practices extremely boring and games frustrating and they will want to leave the team or quit the sport. At least that was my boy's experience. Most possession teams that I see are great at moving the ball most of the way up the field, but have absolutely no idea what to do once they get into the final third.

Also, you don't want a club that is too strict in a club-wide approach and does not allow the coach flexibility to tweak the style to the roster.  So many people want to see all of the kids playing a Messi-era Barcelona style of soccer and they forget that team had some of the most elite players on the planet at the time. Your coach is dealing with average to above-average players most likely and that style may be out of reach for most of them.

To me, the single-most important trait to develop is confidence. And nothing kills confidence more than losing over and over with a coach that keeps telling you that they don't care about winning and they are going to keep doing the same thing over and over regardless of the results.


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## KJR (Dec 13, 2021)

Jamisfoes said:


> As I pose this question, I am thinking about my kid's development. Would I want him to be on a team that tries to lob passes to forwards all the time? Even though he is a forward. Or do I find him a team that teaches possession? I guess what I'm really asking is who is coaching the team. Is he a win now coach or a coach that is given time to develope his players? It's a club culture question as well.


Tudela is all girls, so take us off the list. But the key to any player's development is developing not just their technical ability but their soccer brain: teaching them to process space and time on a field and make good decisions quickly. So watch training and see if it's just kids lines up running patterns; that's useful later but they need the other stuff first. Are they playing small sided games? Are they being encouraged to take people on, even if they lose the ball? Are they getting lots of touches every session? Your forward may end up a midfielder, or an outside back; better that they're developed wholly and not just used for goals and trophies because they're good at scoring now.

You're asking great questions, and it'll be hard to get answers because everyone says they're technical and possession-based, etc. But I'd be willing to look past won-loss records because there are clubs who put a premium on winning for youngers that may help recruiting but can come at the expense of development.


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## Jamisfoes (Dec 13, 2021)

justneededaname said:


> I am not sure what age group you are at, but, if you are looking for a team that teaches possession, make sure they are talking about possessing the ball across the entire field. If the coach talks only about "building out of the back" and you have a 5th-7th grader who plays in the front 3, they will find practices extremely boring and games frustrating and they will want to leave the team or quit the sport. At least that was my boy's experience. Most possession teams that I see are great at moving the ball most of the way up the field, but have absolutely no idea what to do once they get into the final third.
> 
> Also, you don't want a club that is too strict in a club-wide approach and does not allow the coach flexibility to tweak the style to the roster.  So many people want to see all of the kids playing a Messi-era Barcelona style of soccer and they forget that team had some of the most elite players on the planet at the time. Your coach is dealing with average to above-average players most likely and that style may be out of reach for most of them.
> 
> To me, the single-most important trait to develop is confidence. And nothing kills confidence more than losing over and over with a coach that keeps telling you that they don't care about winning and they are going to keep doing the same thing over and over regardless of the results.


Great insights! Thanks for sharing.


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## twoclubpapa (Dec 13, 2021)

Messi>CR7 said:


> There is nothing wrong if a team chooses to play more direct.  Possession style, when not done properly, can be equally ugly.  Lots of passing and possession without creating shots in the final 1/3.  Unfortunately 2021 FC Barcelona is one of such examples.


OFFTOPIC/ON
Agree about FC Barcelona.  I was at the FC Barcelona v Deportivo Alaves match six weeks ago and noted 80% possession by Barca with players passing up what looked like excellent opportunities for shots in the final 1/3 in favor of passing off to another player who many times lost the ball.


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## paytoplay (Dec 13, 2021)

twoclubpapa said:


> OFFTOPIC/ON
> Agree about FC Barcelona.  I was at the FC Barcelona v Deportivo Alaves match six weeks ago and noted 80% possession by Barca with players passing up what looked like excellent opportunities for shots in the final 1/3 in favor of passing off to another player who many times lost the ball.


Talk about a club in disarray. They don’t have the talent up front anymore. No GOAT. And Barca style of play has always been passing the ball too many times—aka tikataka.


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## Socal-Soccer-Dad (Dec 15, 2021)

Jamisfoes said:


> We had two defenders. One dribbles too much. The coach was always yelling at him to pass up the field. The other defender kicks the ball to the air as soon as he gets the ball almost as if he is afraid to hold on to the ball. Man, if the two would just balance out, we could start play possession. Kids just need time to figure it out.


Hmmm, is your kid on my kid's team???


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## Socal-Soccer-Dad (Dec 15, 2021)

Tikitaka can be beautiful. Counter attack style can also be beautiful. I've always regarded coaches who are able to work with what they've got and win. Zig when others zag and zag when others zig. But pros are only concerned with winning so there is no dilemma there (though I think the best of the best coaches are able to develop players while also winning)...

Harder in youth as the primary goal should be to develop players... but coaches have to win to keep their jobs... and parents demand winning or they'll move their kids... It's a tough business. 

In the end, no coach or club knows or cares for your kid more than you. As parents, we will certainly make mistakes but what else can we do but try our best and help our kids have fun but also develop into the best version of themselves...


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## RedDevilDad (Dec 15, 2021)

Jamisfoes said:


> Another tryout season question. Does a DOC typically dictate a certain playing style, direct vs possession? Or is it mostly left up to the coach? Which club is known for possession soccer in the youngers?


My little Messi's club DOC dictates a style of play.  Every team plays that formation and style... every player adjusts to the club, not the other way around.  It can be a source of tension as players learn to adjust.  It also suits as well once the teams begins to click as we often move players up and down across age groups.


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## crush (Dec 15, 2021)

paytoplay said:


> Talk about a club in disarray. They don’t have the talent up front anymore. No GOAT. And Barca style of play has always been passing the ball too many times—aka tikataka.


So true.  I like some passing plays and then go and try and score as many times as possible


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## espola (Dec 15, 2021)

RedDevilDad said:


> My little Messi's club DOC dictates a style of play.  Every team plays that formation and style... every player adjusts to the club, not the other way around.  It can be a source of tension as players learn to adjust.  It also suits as well once the teams begins to click as we often move players up and down across age groups.


Do they all use the same numbers for corner kick formations?


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## RedDevilDad (Dec 15, 2021)

espola said:


> Do they all use the same numbers for corner kick formations?


Yeah…. I have no idea.

But I did save 15% on my car insurance by switching to Geico.


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## crush (Dec 15, 2021)

My experience the last 11 years is each coach usually has his own style of play.  It's based on the players they have, moo.  My dd Surf coach Pauly was all about possession ((it was awesome and we won it all)) unless a big match was on the line like the time we played the top team in the country.  We played Deza Earthquakes team and we beat them by doing full court presses at different times throughout the match, to catch them off guard a little. We stayed back all the other times and played tough D.  Kind of of like a half court park the bus.  We did not try and match their possession for 80 minutes.  No way!!  If I were to be honest, Deza's two teams were the best at the passing game at the time.  Wear you down and make you chase them and then they kill you with speed when the chance comes. They took plenty of shots.   Our coaches ability to throw off this great team and coach was perfect and why he's a fantastic coach.  It rattled the EQ's and we won 2-0.  If we played them again, I'm sure they would have beat us 2-0.  My dd also played for the Socal Blues and Coach Bobak.  He allowed more freedom of expression and allowed the girls to go battle and let the game come to them.  He would facilitate a safe and great environment for the players and I appreciate that.  He put the players on the field and the formation and the players did the rest.  That team was physical, fast, big and we played direct.  Some of the losers we beat all the time called it kickball which was bull shit.  It was attack the opponent with no mercy and destroy them with no mercy until 8-0.  We won everything that year and gave up zero goals all season.  It was a record for the Blues that I believe still stands today.  We beat out Bakers for most consecutive shutouts.  Not sure if anyone beat that record.


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## Grace T. (Dec 16, 2021)

justneededaname said:


> To me, the single-most important trait to develop is confidence. And nothing kills confidence more than losing over and over with a coach that keeps telling you that they don't care about winning and they are going to keep doing the same thing over and over regardless of the results.


This is true. Losing every game kills confidence. Losing every game blows up the team. Losing every game turns things ugly as people start looking for scapegoats: the coach, the league, the refs, the goalkeeper, the striker, little Johnny back that is always beaten for a 1v1

The opposite is true though too: an obsession with doing anything you can to win, particularly at the younger ages, leads to a lot of detrimental effects:
-soccer is a game about mistakes. If neither team makes mistakes the score should end 0-0. But mistakes are how kids learn…there’s NO other way. If you don’t make mistakes you don’t learn
-coaches can take short cuts. We’ve all seen it. Asking the gk to punt every ball. Getting the big legged defender to goalkick it up field.  Having the really fast striker or winger just outrun the slower defender rather than outplay with passing and dribbling. The short cuts may produce wins. They don’t teach soccer
-it’s easier (if you can do it) to recruit already developed players than to develop your own players.  It helps if the players are just taller and closer to the age line
-it’s easier to coach them. It’s easier to run them in practice than to teach the a passing figure.

it’s why soccer is such an unforgiving game…for development it’s ideal to be on a team that’s in the middle of the bracket.  Too far gone and things begin to crumble. To high up and that’s wasted development as the team isn’t being challenged

you can have your soccer competitive, developmental or accessible (pick 2).


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## espola (Dec 16, 2021)

Grace T. said:


> -coaches can take short cuts. We’ve all seen it. Asking the gk to punt every ball. Getting the big legged defender to goalkick it up field.  Having the really fast striker or winger just outrun the slower defender rather than outplay with passing and dribbling. The short cuts may produce wins. They don’t teach soccer


What is it then?


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## dad4 (Dec 16, 2021)

espola said:


> What is it then?


My kid’s team plays _soccer_.  

Anyone more direct plays kickball.  Clearly they don’t know how to connect passes.

Anyone less direct is playing keep-away.  Those guys are all afraid of the goal.

Clear?


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## espola (Dec 16, 2021)

dad4 said:


> My kid’s team plays _soccer_.
> 
> Anyone more direct plays kickball.  Clearly they don’t know how to connect passes.
> 
> ...


I have heard this same speech spoken both seriously and sarcastically, so I can't tell which this is.

The worst coach my kids ever had (it's a long story) complained to the opposing coach because the other team beat us with a goal from a toe-poke kick.  "When they get older, they will find that doesn't work anymore!"


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