Reader,
One of the beautiful things about football is that there are so many ways to play the game.
A key role for coaches working with young players is to support the development of game understanding, whether that’s in small sided game formats, or 11v11 football. The longer I coach, the more I believe the game is fundamentally about space as opposed to formations, but of course formations allow us to deliver tactical outcomes both in and out of possession.
My view is that our priority should be to support players to take up good positions beyond, beside or beneath opponents, or between opposition lines. This will help them receive the football with confidence and make it easier for them to be tactically adaptable when the team plays in different formations.
Within our training design it’s then important to replicate what we are trying to achieve on game day. Any component of our week that focuses on tactics should aim to be representative of what players will experience on game day.
Positional games are one of my favourite tools to help players understand their roles and work on receiving and releasing the ball.
Three things to consider.
- Do you change your formation regularly or do you work in a team shape for a period of time to allow players to understand their roles?
- Consider the use of positional games in your training week as an opportunity to support tactical understanding and passing & receiving skills.
- Does your formation reflect the attributes of the players in your team?
One thing for you to try this week.
If you haven’t tried out this 4v4+3 positional game, watch the video and download the PDF, then adapt it based on the formation your team plays.
One critical resource on the topic.
Check out this Q&A discussion and short article on game day tactics and some of the key considerations for coaches.
