COACHING THE POSSESSION BASED

GAME METHODOLOGY

Below is a simple overview of the methodology that I have relied upon based on all that I have learnt over the years.

  1. Youth development is all about individual skill development – everything else is irrelevant! Youth soccer is not a team sport; it is an individual sport. This is where you will face the biggest backlash and ultimately the success or failure of your approach depends on changing the mentality of parents, players, administrators, and coaches.
  2. Youth player development is focused on individual skill development 1v1 offensive and defensive skills, Horst Wein’s principles of FUNiño & adopting a possession based game methodology. See further below.
  3. What is the role of a coach? A facilitator or a dictator? We want coaches to facilitate the learning process and in doing so the coach is removing himself from the practices.

A possession based game methodology is the only way to develop youth soccer players, but it requires a high level of ball control, quick accurate passing, intelligence, and commitment to the principles by both parents and players because quite simply, it takes time to see the results.

Results are not the “be all and end all” but my role is to coach and improve each individual player within a team framework. I am hoping to develop individual skills, ball control, decision making and a sense for the game.

Positional soccer happens whether we are attacking (in possession of the ball) or defending and is a philosophy of keeping possession of the ball and understanding that as long as we are in possession of the ball, the opposition cannot score. It is both an attacking and a defensive philosophy because quite simply the team that has most possession over the course of a game ordinarily will create the most goal scoring opportunities and therefore there will be less pressure on their defense.

In practice it involves 5 basic concepts:

  1. POSSESSION of the ball.
  2. POSITIONING of individual players on the team.
  3. PRESSING of the ball for 5 seconds as soon as we lose it to win it back as high up the field as possible.
  4. COUNTER ATTACKING when possession is regained after 5 seconds &
  5. Team DEFENDING as a unit if the ball is not recovered within 5 seconds.

POSSESSION

  • Very good control
  • Very good passes
  • Controlled passing drills
  • One and two touches

We want to dominate possession, but possession means passing the ball. 

“I get the ball; I pass the ball”
Xavi (FC Barcelona)

The aim of this style of possession style of play is to increase the frequency at which the team has 3 v 1, 3 v 2, 4 v 1 situations – the extra man is obtained by passing in triangles. See the diagram below to see what I mean about creating triangles on the field because when we create passing triangles, we automatically set up 3v1 etc. situations.

This possession style involves quick touches of the ball, promoting passing the ball backwards in order to change the point of attack, playing in triangles, passing, moving for one another off the ball to give support, holding the ball under pressure, not kicking the ball away, playing out of pressure situations, understanding that the field has different zones and you play differently in each zone accordingly (defensive third, middle third and attacking third) and finally knowing that the strength of the team is that of the whole team and not any individual position or player. 

POSITIONING

  • Players understand their own positioning on the field.
  • Players taught about their body shape relative to the field, the opponent, and the ball.
  • Players taught how to move their body.

Each position on the field is not played in isolation when in possession; positional combinations carry a great weight of importance. During the course of a game the positions don’t change but the individuals in the positions may change. Therefore, a single player may find themselves  playing in several different positions and this interchangeability and adaptability will come naturally through the shorter passing play that evolves from the triangles that we want to encourage and given time, players will make a habit of learning how to play in partnership with one another.

Each position is not played in isolation when in possession; positional combinations carry a great weight of importance.

Ruud Krol, Ajax left back in the 1970s summarized this point perfectly:

“If I, as a left back (no. 3), run 70 meters up the wing, it’s not good if I immediately have to run 70 meters back to my starting position. So, if the left-midfield player (no. 6) takes my place, and the left-winger (no. 11) takes the midfield position, then it shortens the distances. If you run ten times seventy meters, that’s a total of 1400 meters. If you change it so you must only run 1000 meters, you will be 400 meters fresher. That was the philosophy.”

So, you see, the positions don’t change but the personnel within the positions may change. The point is during the course of a match, you may find yourself playing in several different positions and you must be able to play in these positions. This interchangeability and positional play will come naturally through the shorter passing play that evolves from the triangular player relationships that we want to encourage and given time; players will make a habit of learning how to play in partnership with one another.

“Lots of coaches devote their time to wondering how they can ensure that their players are able to do a lot of running during a match. Ajax trains its players to run as little as possible on the field. That is why positional games are always central”
(Louis Van Gaal)

PRESSING

  • 5 second rule
  • Get the ball back as quick as possible

A study in 1988 of 16 international matches showed that possession was won 13% of the time in the attacking third. A staggering 66% of goals scored were from this 13%.

“You win the ball back when the other team are thirty meters to their goal not eighty meters.”
(Guardiola 2009)

When we have possession and lose the ball, there is a 5 second rule to recover possession because during those 5 seconds we are at our most vulnerable because we are potentially disorganized. We therefore have 5 seconds to force an error of the opposition team and win the ball back. If the ball is not won back within this time frame, it is no longer appropriate to use this approach, the team must fall back and defend a as a single unit perhaps in a ½ field or low defensive block and be patient and win the ball back when the other side make a mistake.

There are triggers for when to press, so the team knows when to do this together, as one. These  triggers are several but the most common are: –

  1. An opponent has the ball but turns back to goal. In doing this, the defender has narrowed down his options to only pass the ball back, so the players are immediately in place to put pressure on the defender. 
  2. When the opponent takes a bad or uncontrolled touch. The opponent will then need to look down to relocate the ball, thus losing sight of the field around him for those few seconds. In those few seconds the opportunity exists to press and recover the ball. 

DEFENDING AS A UNIT
We will also learn to defend as a team because of course there will be periods when we do not have possession. If we have the ball, lose possession and we have pressed for 5 seconds but do not recover the ball, we will fall back and defend as a team, wait for the other team’s attack to break down and then we counterattack.

COUNTER ATTACKING
An attacking team is at its most vulnerable at the moment it loses possession because for those 5 seconds after possession is lost, the team is disorganized. When we attack and lose the ball, we immediately press for those 5 seconds to try to win the ball back and therefore avoid being put under pressure. But when we are set up defensively as a unit and the other team with the ball loses possession, we counterattack in that 5 second window when they are at their most vulnerable because a disorganized team will leave gaps and spaces that we can exploit. When we win the ball back, we might have 4 players around the ball with one or two opposition players. This is a rondo, whether 4v2 or 4v1. Then we can use our skills in tight spaces to control the ball, circulate the ball away from pressure and build up an attack away from where the majority of defenders are located.

CONCLUDING COMMENTS
Read the following quote to fully understand how attacking and defending are inter-related: –

“Do you know how Barcelona win the ball back so quickly? It’s because they don’t have to run back more than 10 meters as they never pass the ball more than 10 meters.”
(Johan Cruyff)

When they are attacking, they play in such a manner to allow them to easily defend when they lose the ball and when the defend, the play in such a manner to allow them to easily set up an attack.

So, a possession based methodology or positional soccer is really a philosophy where we dominate the ball and dictate how the opposition team plays. We exploit their weaknesses whether we have the ball or do not have the ball. In possession we pass the ball in order to move the opposition around. And when not in possession, we either press or defend as a unit and therefore manipulate the positioning of the opposition team. But our ultimate goal is to dominate possession because as long as we are in possession of the ball, the opposition cannot score. It is both an attacking and a defensive philosophy.

It will take time to implement these ideas. You will notice how simple the practices are and they will be based around the following

  1. Individual skill development;
  2. Rondos;
  3. Positional exercises;
  4. SSP games, which allow players to practice team situations that occur regularly in games.
  5. Small sided games

But with understanding, patience, and a willingness to accept that results come second to that of development of players & style of play, then we will make significant progress over the course of a year.

Thank for taking the time to read. I like my players & parents to have a greater understanding of the game and why we play the way we do. Ultimately, it’s all about developing players as opposed to winning matches but it’s nice to win and play beautiful football at the same time.

SUMMARY OF PRINCIPLES OF PLAY

  • Youth development is more important than winning.
  • It all starts with the basic fundamental skills. 
    • Head up and see the game.
    • Understand that the ball is quicker than the player therefore control and pass the ball.
    • “I get the ball; I pass the ball”
    • The goal is to make these simple skills perfect bot on left and right foot
  • We play either with a 3:4:3 or a 4:3:3 formation.
    • The field is divided into thirds.
    • Defensive third – 2 touch – defender never takes on his opponent in a 1v1. The reason for this is if a defender loses the ball against a center forward in a 1v1 and loses the ball, there is no defensive cover, and the attacker has a free shot on goal.
    • Middle third – 2 touch most of the time but greater creativity given to players.
    • Attacking third – creativity – 1 v 1, give and go, 1 touch, individual creativity is encouraged within team. Creating 1 v 1 chances for our most creative players
  • Possession at all times
    • Creating space and seeing space.
    • Third man movement – passing one to one is easily defended but the movement by the 3rd coming from behind is difficult to defend. 3rd man movements and passing is one of the most important tactical and technical team skills required to play this style of soccer.
    • Triangles – we are always looking to pass in triangles.
    • Diagonal passing is required as it is easier to defend if we lose the ball.
  • Positioning of team
    • Max 30 yds between front & back.
    • We want to pass the ball from player to player no more than 10 yards.
    • Positioning of individual players within team setup.
    • Five second rule – immediate pressure to recover the ball if lost.
    • Calm under pressure
    • Recover ball and 3 to 4 short passes to get the ball under control and give players time to get back into their positions.
  • When we attack, we think about defending and when we defend, we think about attacking.

A health warning comes with playing this style of football. if you decide to play middle school or high school soccer, this style of play will not be played. You’ll find yourself playing “boot ball”, the ball being kicked long and you chasing after it. After playing possession style of football, you will hate “boot ball.” Be warned! You simply cannot play this style of football without first understanding the concepts. So, in order to further help you please look at the following 3 YouTube videos for visual assistance. They will help you understand.

Passing in triangles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1MZJeevZ6E&feature=player_embedded

Explanation of possession football
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oprg4aa0uhM

Another great video showing principles of possession play
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8xTitQsTCU

4-3-3 FORMATION
Generally, to maximize youth development we play a 4-3-3 formation as follows:

The 4-3-3 formation is designed to gain control of the central midfield whilst also allowing for variety in attack. It is common for one of the three midfielders to operate as a defensive midfielder whilst the two remaining midfielders have more responsibility in attack. The 3 attackers are often split into two wingers (LW and RW) and 1 striker; the wingers do have some defensive responsibility though and if they are ignored then it can cause plenty of problems when out of possession.

It should also be noted that the 4-3-2-1 is a variation of this formation; rather than playing with wingers they play with more central attacking midfielders who may drift into wide areas if the situation allows that to happen. Furthermore, the 4-3-3 and 4-5-1 may look very similar on paper but in a game, they are very different. Within the 4-5-1, the two full-backs rarely venture forward further than the halfway line whilst in the 4-3-3 they have much more of an attacking license and are encouraged to overlap their corresponding fullback.

The 3-4-3 formation is another formation that is obtained when one of the center backs moves into midfield and is a great formation for youth development as it challenges the players to play 1v1 against a direct opponent.

Strength of 4-3-3 formation
The two main strengths are the control in midfield and the wingers playing high up the pitch.

One strength of this formation is that the midfield trio allows for them to control games and in many cases outnumber the opposition’s midfield. Most teams in modern football will have at least 1 midfielder whose primary role is to help the defenders to prevent the opposition scoring. One of the ways in which they can do that is by covering the full-backs as they push forward, filling the spaces between the central defenders and midfielders and even performing a man-marking job on the opposition’s number 10. The 4-3-3 (or 4-3-2-1) allows for a dedicated defensive midfielder and his role is pivotal in this formation as it gives attacking freedom to both central midfielders, the two full-backs and means the two wingers have less defensive responsibility.

The front 3 have great responsibility for creating and scoring goals, in order to be successful, they need to work in tandem to create spaces for one another with their movements in relation to one another pivotal. For example, when the left winger crosses the ball, the right winger should arrive at the back post at the correct time whilst the striker should know where the cross is likely to arrive. The strength here lies in numbers. The two wingers can stay high up the pitch, even when the opposition are attacking which means they can be effective on the counter-attack, and it also prevents the opposition’s full-backs pushing too far forward thus limiting the opposition’s attacking options.

General Weaknesses
One weakness that could be exploited in this formation is in the wide areas. The two wingers will often be pushed fairly high up in the pitch; which may lead to the two full-backs becoming isolated against the opposition’s attackers. This will bring one of the two central midfielders out of position in order to help prevent dangerous attacks in the wide areas, which then means the team loses its shape in the central areas. In order to counteract this, teams will shift to the side the attack is coming from which will result in the opposite side of the pitch being left wide open which can also be exploited. Another issue with this formation is due to the importance of the full-backs pushing forward, it leaves only the two center-backs and a defensive midfielder to cover the defense. Therefore, this means that the formation is very attack minded and in games where the opposition are dominant in possession it will be hard for the team to gain control of the game which is due to the wingers being high up the pitch and the risk that occurs when the full-backs push up the pitch too.

Successful implementation in recent times
One of the most successful implementations of the 4-3-3 is FC Barcelona from their treble winning 2008-2009 season. The attacking trio of Messi, Henry and Eto’o is as dynamic, exciting, and skillful as you are likely to see whilst Xavi, Iniesta, and Yaya Touré had a brilliant combination of power, creativity and passing ability. Furthermore, with Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique in the heart of the defense and Eric Abidal and Dani Alves as the two full-backs it is hard to see any real weakness. One reason this formation worked so well is that the front 3 weren’t limited to any position. They would interchange with one another; with the two wide players often drifting inside, the main striker would drop deep whilst they were supported by the two full-backs pushing so far forward they would often be inside the opposition’s defensive third and supplying crosses and through balls to those ahead of them.

Key Player Roles

Fullbacks
The full-backs role in this formation is vital in both a defensive and attacking sense. The wingers will provide little cover defensively, which may leave them isolated to the opposition’s attacks and therefore they need to be competent in their defensive abilities and must pick the right time to join an attack or hold their position. Barcelona’s Dani Alves was fantastic at this; his defensive ability was often deemed a weakness which is an easy statement to make when a full-back is so attacking minded. But even when he got caught too high up the pitch, his incredible pace allowed him to chase the winger back.

Defensive midfielder
The defensive midfielder’s primary role is to win possession and then start an attacking phase. Within this he needs to cover spaces in between the midfield and defense where the opposition’s number 10 would be likely to be operating whilst also being aware when the full-backs had pushed forward. In modern football, the defensive midfielder also has a role to play in starting attacks; Xabi Alonso’s ability to dictate games from this position is a great example of an expert in this role.

Box to Box Midfielder 
The box-to-box midfielder has responsibility throughout the pitch. He is expected to score goals and create chances for teammates, whilst also helping in the defensive third. One requirement of this role are high fitness levels due to the amount of running they are expected to do. The box-to-box midfielder is more likely to be found on the side of the pitch where the full-back that is less efficient in the attacking third plays to provide balance on both flanks. During his prime; Steven Gerrard would be a great example of a box-to-box midfielder as he possessed high fitness levels, great shooting and could tackle and defend when needed.

Playmaker
The playmaker’s main responsibility is to create chances for the three attackers in front of him. He will often find himself the furthest forward of the three midfielders and sometimes even in the number 10 role if the correct situation arises. The main requirement of the player in this role is creativity; they need to be able to play a pass that penetrates the opposition’s defense or dictates the direction of the attack. Andres Iniesta has played this role expertly for Barcelona for a number of years now; he can keep the ball as well as anyone else in world football and also has the creativity to fashion chances for those around him.

Conclusion
This formation would be suitable for a team who are looking to play an attacking brand of football with the wingers pushed high, the full-backs overlapping and the two midfielders looking to contribute to attacks. It would be very risky for a manager to use this formation in a game where the opposition are the favorites due to the risks on the counter-attack, although the front 3 could be utilized effectively against teams whose success is based on attacking full-backs as it would give the wingers space to exploit.

Last but not least, this formation and style of play is perfectly suited to youth development, where the focus must be on skill development and dominating possession of the ball.