SOCCER

Aim in this moment:

• Building up in order to create chances.
• Scoring goals.
  
  

General starting points:

• Make playing area as big as possible.
  a) width.
  b) depth.
• Think deep and play deep whenever possible.
• Keep possession of the ball (important condition to realize the aim of the game.
• Principle: Playing wide serves as preparation/introduction to play deep/forward.
• Man the positions on the field as optimally as possible. 
  
  

Aim in this moment:

• Disturb the build up of the opponent.
• Recover the ball.
• Prevent any goals against.
  
  

General starting points:

• Make playing area as small as possible.
• Depending on strength of the opponent:
  - towards the ball (press)
  - towards own goal (withdrawing)
• "squeeze" wing.s
• Keep pressure on the opponent in possession of the bal.l
• Mark well on the positions around the ball.
• Provide coverage further away from the ball.
• Remain useful as long as possible. 
  
  

Aim in this moment:

Change as quickly as possible from the one aim of the game (e.g. possession of the ball) to the other (e.g. possession of the ball by the opponent):

Stress on speed

1. From possession of the ball to loss of the ball:
• The player nearest to the ball tries to prevent a direct long pass (pressure on the ball) or forces to: Play wide, keep possession, dribble, play backwards.
  
  
• All players try to prevent goals being scored:
1. block shots from the opponent
2. choose position in order to prevent any direct danger (so called "SQUEEZE")
3. mark well close to the ball when sufficient team mates are available (so called "PRESSING ON THE BALL")
4. cover position/space when there are not sufficient team mates (so called "SLOWING DOWN/DELAYING)
   
   
• Apart from their own specific tasks all player at that moment have one governing task: To try their utmost in order to prevent the opponent from taking advantage of the lack of organization in case of e.g. a sudden shot, a long pass, a dribble, etc. 
  
  
2. From loss of the ball to the possession of the ball:
• The player who gains possession (intercepts, recovers) tries to play a long pass first of all.
• Players who are further away from the ball ask for a long pass (e.g. from long range, in order to avoid offside).
• The player who gains possession (depending on his possession on the field) can also play a pass to himself and thus avoid an offside position.
• Try to get away from the field of view of your opponents.
• Especially players other than the player in possession must show initiative in order to proceed (anticipate/read in advance/draw attention from team mate in possession of the ball). 
  
  

Aim in this moment:

To bridge the distance between the own penalty area and the penalty area of the opponent.

General principles:

• The quickest way is the long pass

Conditions:

• Requires good kicking technique (speed, height, direction)
• The ball must be neutral, in other words, the player in possession of the ball must have time and space to pass the ball (difficult with pressurizing opponents).
• A striker must be able to control the ball.
• There must be some sort of communication between "giver" and "receiver" of the pass.
• A striker must recognize the right moment for the pass to be given ("reading the game")
• Position-play in order to play the long pass.
  
  

Conditions:

• Requires insight into the purpose of position-play ("What exactly do we want?").
• Choosing position with regard to the opponents and the available space in order to create moments at which
  a long pass can be played.
• Whether a long pass can be played depends largely on the demand at the right moment and the right
  position of the team mates.
• Improve the quality of position-play by:
1. high speed of the ball
2. the right moment of choosing position (neither too early, nor too late)
3. the right position (neither too deep, nor too far away).