How does your team practice building out of the back?

[jrcaesar]

What amazes me is that as club parents, we often think how crazy competitive soccer is but if you look at how the rec leagues are - I feel like that's actually where things really tend to get out of hand - parent coaches with ego issues coaching kids to win at all costs, teaching bad habits, no club policies on parents not coaching/yelling from the sidelines, etc... Those parents don't have kids who put in 2-4 days a week of hard work to become better players - it's just weekend entertainment.

This is a good point. But it can be cleaned up if the AYSO Area or Regional leaders want it done. As a referee who works AYSO Tournaments in L.A. and O.C., this issue doesn't actually vary from coach to coach but from Region (and Area) to Region -- some Regions represent the game very well, while other sidelines and parents create chaos. It's the Regional leaders who could clean this up if they committed to do so.

 

[Sheriff Joe]

What age? Shooting is overrated

No, it is not.

 

[rainbow_unicorn]

No, it is not.

The play leading up to a goal is 99% of the game. I'd rather have a team where nobody knows how to shoot but can do everything else and walk the ball into the goal as opposed to a team of great shooters but don't know how to do anything else.

 

[Supermodel56]

The play leading up to a goal is 99% of the game. I'd rather have a team where nobody knows how to shoot but can do everything else and walk the ball into the goal as opposed to a team of great shooters but don't know how to do anything else.

Agree completely. It doesn't matter how good your strikers are if you can't get them the ball...

 

[Bananacorner]

I recommend lots of rondos in the beginning of practice as you are waiting for everyone to show up. Instead of all the kids shooting on goal for 10-15 minutes, have rondos going.

 

[Anomaly]

Passing patterns help with everything. It helps with the technique of a pass, weight of a pass, different turns, picking up your head, thinking quickly and efficiently, etc. Mix that with general possession drills, or rondo as Bananacorner said, and you're golden.

Kids can never be too young to start watching professional matches on TV, but consider analyzing film once they get older. If they can watch other teams build out of the back, they can start seeing for themselves why a player would play this pass instead of that one, play a ball to the left back instead of the right based on the other team's positioning, see why a ball played here would help with the development of play more-so than a ball played there would, etc. Get them thinking young and early and they'll be miles ahead of most.

 

[jrcaesar]

The play leading up to a goal is 99% of the game. I'd rather have a team where nobody knows how to shoot but can do everything else and walk the ball into the goal as opposed to a team of great shooters but don't know how to do anything else.

You are describing my son's 05 team: Winning at possession, but can't put enough shots on frame.

 

[ajaffe]

I have no idea what this means...

You have them set up in defensive shape, move into their basic offensive shape, and repeat movements based on where the ball is. Over and over again. Then you can get more in depth in regards to which phase of the buildup you are working on, which sets of runs need to be made and to exactly what spots, and when to make those specific movements.

When they grasp the recognition of where to go based on where possession is won, where to go in the early phases of buildup when the back 4 are in possession, and when to get to those spots, then you can move on. Until then, lots and lots of repetition at increasing intensity.

Building out of the back is like a dance, you have to choreograph it so the players know exactly what spots to get to based on the moments on the field.

 

[Sheriff Joe]

The play leading up to a goal is 99% of the game. I'd rather have a team where nobody knows how to shoot but can do everything else and walk the ball into the goal as opposed to a team of great shooters but don't know how to do anything else.

How many of those team have you witnessed? I have not seen one.
A great big part of soccer is winning, again, enough with the beautiful game BS, this is not Europe.
It is great to see a few passes put together, but nothing like a shot in the top corner from outside the 18.
My Daughters team plays out of the back most of the time so I have seen both sides.
What position does your Daughter play?

 

[timbuck]

You have them set up in defensive shape, move into their basic offensive shape, and repeat movements based on where the ball is. Over and over again. Then you can get more in depth in regards to which phase of the buildup you are working on, which sets of runs need to be made and to exactly what spots, and when to make those specific movements.

When they grasp the recognition of where to go based on where possession is won, where to go in the early phases of buildup when the back 4 are in possession, and when to get to those spots, then you can move on. Until then, lots and lots of repetition at increasing intensity.

Building out of the back is like a dance, you have to choreograph it so the players know exactly what spots to get to based on the moments on the field.

Yeah, but if your players can't collect a ball, make an accurate pass on the ground, or beat a player 1v1 - then you're not ready for choreographed patterns to be the core of your training.

 

[Bananacorner]

Yeah, but if your players can't collect a ball, make an accurate pass on the ground, or beat a player 1v1 - then you're not ready for choreographed patterns to be the core of your training.

Couldn't agree more. The reality is not all teams can play this way -- they just don't have the technical skill to make it happen. Clubs that play "pure" start at U9 focusing on this style, and the ones that refuse to compromise lose A LOT of games at U9, U10, U11 and even U12 U13. It is only when they mature and get to 11 v 11 that you start to see the rewards of the hard work.

 

[apmullaly]

Far more than beating a player 1v1, playing out of the back is about positioning, passing, receiving and movement. All players can learn this. Only here in the US is there a theory that you don't teach tactics until players are in their teens. 4v0, 4v1 and 5v2 rondos teach body position, angles, weight of pass, etc. All things that build on first touch, quality of pass and movement.

Rondos can be expanded or compressed to teach the skills desired. Basic patterns of playing from the back implement those rondos in different areas of the field. Let them play does not translate to possessing the ball. The goal of possession is to move the opponent so that your team can exploit a 1v1 or 2v1 overload. Players should learn to recognize the opportunity to make educated movements that drag the opponent where you want them so that a quick switch, wall pass, overlap, what have you opens an opportunity.

A team should have an identity. The coach should know how they want their team to play and then train the team accordingly. On my team I want the players to have the confidence and "tranquilo" to hold the ball, to play quick intelligent passes and then to ruthlessly open up the other team. If that means a series of passes through diamonds, or a long direct pass to a running forward (not aimlessly booting the ball and hoping we outrun the defense, it is the awareness of options that makes a quality soccer player. We worked on patterns out of the back and in the attack, not to create robots, but to provide a basic tactical framework to improvise from. Pattern recognition allows players to know how to react in certain moments, eliminating the processing time to make large scale decisions (macro) so they can apply microscale decisions at the immediate moment.

 

[LASTMAN14]

Far more than beating a player 1v1, playing out of the back is about positioning, passing, receiving and movement. All players can learn this. Only here in the US is there a theory that you don't teach tactics until players are in their teens. 4v0, 4v1 and 5v2 rondos teach body position, angles, weight of pass, etc. All things that build on first touch, quality of pass and movement.

Rondos can be expanded or compressed to teach the skills desired. Basic patterns of playing from the back implement those rondos in different areas of the field. Let them play does not translate to possessing the ball. The goal of possession is to move the opponent so that your team can exploit a 1v1 or 2v1 overload. Players should learn to recognize the opportunity to make educated movements that drag the opponent where you want them so that a quick switch, wall pass, overlap, what have you opens an opportunity.

A team should have an identity. The coach should know how they want their team to play and then train the team accordingly. On my team I want the players to have the confidence and "tranquilo" to hold the ball, to play quick intelligent passes and then to ruthlessly open up the other team. If that means a series of passes through diamonds, or a long direct pass to a running forward (not aimlessly booting the ball and hoping we outrun the defense, it is the awareness of options that makes a quality soccer player. We worked on patterns out of the back and in the attack, not to create robots, but to provide a basic tactical framework to improvise from. Pattern recognition allows players to know how to react in certain moments, eliminating the processing time to make large scale decisions (macro) so they can apply microscale decisions at the immediate moment.

Sounds like Barcelona via TFA.

 

[timbuck]

Far more than beating a player 1v1, playing out of the back is about positioning, passing, receiving and movement. All players can learn this. Only here in the US is there a theory that you don't teach tactics until players are in their teens. 4v0, 4v1 and 5v2 rondos teach body position, angles, weight of pass, etc. All things that build on first touch, quality of pass and movement.

Rondos can be expanded or compressed to teach the skills desired. Basic patterns of playing from the back implement those rondos in different areas of the field. Let them play does not translate to possessing the ball. The goal of possession is to move the opponent so that your team can exploit a 1v1 or 2v1 overload. Players should learn to recognize the opportunity to make educated movements that drag the opponent where you want them so that a quick switch, wall pass, overlap, what have you opens an opportunity.

A team should have an identity. The coach should know how they want their team to play and then train the team accordingly. On my team I want the players to have the confidence and "tranquilo" to hold the ball, to play quick intelligent passes and then to ruthlessly open up the other team. If that means a series of passes through diamonds, or a long direct pass to a running forward (not aimlessly booting the ball and hoping we outrun the defense, it is the awareness of options that makes a quality soccer player. We worked on patterns out of the back and in the attack, not to create robots, but to provide a basic tactical framework to improvise from. Pattern recognition allows players to know how to react in certain moments, eliminating the processing time to make large scale decisions (macro) so they can apply microscale decisions at the immediate moment.

Part of the reason we don't teach tactics until older ages in the US is because kids aren't learning ball skills at home as part of their soccer culture. I bet 5 year olds in Spain/Brazil/etc learn stepovers before a coach ever gets a hold of them.

 

[Sheriff Joe]

Part of the reason we don't teach tactics until older ages in the US is because kids aren't learning ball skills at home as part of their soccer culture. I bet 5 year olds in Spain/Brazil/etc learn stepovers before a coach ever gets a hold of them.

I am sure you are correct, but the good out weighs the bad in my book.
Things are changing all the time.
I would bet most of the people coming to the US as young kids will lose much of their soccer culture as well, there are far more options here to distract their attention.

 

[MWN]

I'm sorry but this is encouraged in Arsenal FC, and may I add one of the most if not expensive clubs out there.

It's hard to to come by good coaching and seriousness about the sport.

@SuperNatural, as the father of an Arsenal Boys 2003 GK who is playing up on a 2002 team and has practiced with the DA team, I can emphatically state that I have not witnessed this, rather the opposite. I have seen my boys coaches chastise the kid when he punts a 50/50 ball or does a GK that is not targeted at a specific open player. Now, there are many coaches with every single club, some good, some bad and some great. I'm sure that your experience is different, but Arsenal at the highest levels emphasize playing out of the back. If a select few coaches don't follow the program, then bad on those coaches.

 

[mahrez]

Lots of practice on passing, receiving, movement on/off the ball, positioning, pocession drills.

Have to be committed to using all those things done in practice during the games no matter the situations. Evey one needs to buy in, all player's.

Takes time practicing just not 15 mins once or twice a week. Long term commitmint

 

[rainbow_unicorn]

Evey one needs to buy in, all player's.

Totally agree with this. All it takes is that one player that does not know how to pass (or is selfish) to consistently break down a team's buildup and rhythm.

How many of those team have you witnessed? I have not seen one.
A great big part of soccer is winning, again, enough with the beautiful game BS, this is not Europe.
It is great to see a few passes put together, but nothing like a shot in the top corner from outside the 18.

I can tell that a person has not really played the game themselves when they don't understand the concept of 99% of play being everything else other than shooting. What's more beautiful than an upper 90 shot? Seeing a team string together 5 passes in a row leading up to a tap-in goal. A fluid/dynamic team working together...that's the core of beautiful soccer.

 

[Sheriff Joe]

Totally agree with this. All it takes is that one player that does not know how to pass (or is selfish) to consistently break down a team's buildup and rhythm.


I can tell that a person has not really played the game themselves when they don't understand the concept of 99% of play being everything else other than shooting. What's more beautiful than an upper 90 shot? Seeing a team string together 5 passes in a row leading up to a tap-in goal. A fluid/dynamic team working together...that's the core of beautiful soccer.

I have played soccer myself and I am not totally disagreeing with you, but when they show the best goals of the year what do you see? Exactly. Not arguing, just sayin.

 

[Sheriff Joe]

Totally agree with this. All it takes is that one player that does not know how to pass (or is selfish) to consistently break down a team's buildup and rhythm.


I can tell that a person has not really played the game themselves when they don't understand the concept of 99% of play being everything else other than shooting. What's more beautiful than an upper 90 shot? Seeing a team string together 5 passes in a row leading up to a tap-in goal. A fluid/dynamic team working together...that's the core of beautiful soccer.

Let me know how many beautiful passes lead to beautiful tap in goals in this clip of the top 10 goals of the Premier League 2016.