examples of the backward fading of a chain.

He had two players stand about 10 yards apart and drop kick a ball back and forth to the hands. read through again and memorize the next to By Alan Maher (The last line to be recited.) Then each player last line and recite the last line from memory. When I was working I used to frequent took one step back. (Next to the last line.) They Then read through and memorize the third one restaurant for lunch about two times a continued until it went well. Then they stepped week. (It was cheap.) I got to know the waiter from the bottom and recite the last two back again. In a short time they were far from memorized lines. And continue in that fashion. each other and kicking into each others hands. very well. He knew that I was in education. Can you see what is happening? The He came to me one day with a problem. If they had started at a far distance they would recitation gets stronger and stronger as the He was the MC for the initiation rite of new have missed most of the time. (The first line.) Elks in his lodge. He had to memorize about learner progresses through the material. Then he had players shoot at the goal Once the first line is recited, recall gets 20 lines to recite to the new members. This in the corners. They started about 10 yards stronger, not weaker. This is called the made him very nervous. This was a most out. When it went well, they stepped back one backward fading of a chain. Not a bad name. step. They moved back one step at a time until difficult task for him to do. Athletic training can be done the same I assured him that it was an easy task if they formed an arc around the edge of the he did it the right way. So I explained how to way. Think of an exercise that begins with penalty area. Then they practiced shooting about three players at midfield. The coach do it the right way. from there with a high degree of success. Then passes the ball to one of the players. This is When people need to learn how to they stepped back again. He was very happy. followed by passing and running off the ball. memorize, most start at the top and work I was familiar with the concept, but now I The purpose is to finish with a shot. Often their way down. Thus, the first line is saw it in action in soccer. the ball is lost and the coach yells next memorized and then the second, etc. Let us Teachers need to ask, What is the three! The shot was the most important look at what is really happening. purpose (of the exercise)? Coaches need to thing and it never happened. The first line is memorized. It is then ask the same thing. If the purpose is to have I recently saw a coach train four keepers recited from memory and then the second a good shot on goal, make sure it happens. If of high school age. They stood in a line by line is memorized. Then lines one and two the purpose is to have the keeper catch the one goal post. The first one ran to the middle ball or at least stop it, then set up the are recited and the third is memorized. As of the goal and the coach took a hard shot to exercise to do just that. you can see the first line is the most reinthe corner of the goal. If the keeper missed forced and the second is less reinforced and I was trained by Frans Hoek, the Dutch the ball, the coach yelled, next. Understand keeper. He taught me to begin with two the third is even less reinforced. By the end the top is really reinforced and that the keeper never even touched the ball keepers passing with their hands to give the recitation grows weaker and weaker as it and it was all over. I always thought that the practice to holding the ball, easy balls that is recited. By the end it is very weak. Is it any purpose of keeper training was to develop they could catch, technique only. Make it wonder that students tremble at the thought the hands in catching and stopping the ball. work before you make it hard. It was clear to me that the coach was more of reciting something? The whole learning It is a long title. The Backward Fading of interested in shooting practice for himself than a Chain. Oh, and yes, its great to memorize experience is backwards. I told the waiter to read through the whole helping the keepers. What to do? poetry. See, back to where we started! Wiel Coerver back in 1982 gave me two 20 lines and memorize the last line first. Then

The Backward Fading of a Chain

Its Really a Game of 1 v. 1s

By Neil Hull NSCAA Texas State Technical Coordinator
When coaching this game we talk about systems of play, whether 4-4-2, 3-5-2 or one of the many other combinations. As with any tactic, if the team cannot pass and receive under pressure, the system will continually cause turnover of possession and unpredictability for the coach. How about looking at these systems from a different
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Soccer Shorts

A collection of brief articles of interest to soccer coaches.

However, the players on the field adjust down to their next 1 v. 1. For example, as a left midfield player, one might be placed in a situation trying to beat perspective? the oppositions right midfield or right back Recently I had the good fortune and (1 v. 1). If the attacking player has no shot opportunity to coach alongside Charlie Cooke of Coerver Coaching USA. During the and does not wish to challenge the defender, the only option left is to pass. That creates clinic he broke systems down even further, saying the game is really built upon continual another 1 v. 1 situation: striker (1) v. defender (1), center midfielders (2) v. center 1 v. 1s, often becoming a 2 v. 1 or 2 v. 2. midfielders (2) or defender (1) v. strikers (2). After a pass, generally the coached system Even when the attacking play is in an equal will change its shape to compensate for numbers situation (2 v. 2) or numbers down attacking creativity or defensive pressure.
Soccer Journal May/June 2007

(1 v. 2), the attacker is taught to try and isolate a defender to create the 1 v. 1. Basically, the message Cooke was trying to share with the clinic is that on the field the game is a continual transition of 1 v. 1 confrontations linked tactically by the coach creating the system. When players are coached at the youngest age, where does it often all go wrong? The answer is the first wild uncontrolled touch. What then happens? The coach or parent then goes to the other end of the spectrum, teaching the player to trap the ball motionless, leaving it in their feet. Thus requiring a further touch or touches, change of body position and valuable seconds to place the ball where originally intended. The solution, possibly, is to offer a method giving the player more control and creativity using less time and offering an attacking mindset. Although it is not always possible to play an attacking ball forward, when play affords the chance, the player should think about the continually changing 1 v. 1s and that the offensive player wants to attack the defender with speed. That means the attack must have speed of ball, pace and touch. The first and easiest method, surely, is from a controlled first touch to pass the ball past and behind the defender into your attacking space. When is this pass made? My coaching philosophy is before the attacker even receives it! I want the player to make this first pass mentally. Just before receiving

the ball, he/she should assesses the next touch, rehearse it in his/her mind and make a decision. By following this process the player effectively has played the ball already, making the actual first touch consistently positive and cognitively developed into the attacking space. This decision-making process is not easy to develop with the younger age groups, but should be attempted through repetition of different 1 v. 1 scenarios, the continual reinforcement of keeping the head up and the ability to read the attacking space. As the player progresses in cognitive and technical ability the coach uses imagery, rehearsal and replay techniques, developing the first touch in the players mind. A good practice to guide the development of these and other ideas is illustrated in Diagram 1. This becomes ineffective if the attacking player does not have the speed of pace, often referred to in soccer as the first five yards, following up on his/her touch before the defender can apply any form of pressure. Understanding correct body placement and knowledge of which foot to play the ball with next aids in the success of maintaining possession or a shooting opportunity. In very basic terms players want to keep the ball on the outside foot farthest from pressure, thus creating a body (defender)-body (attacker)ball shape. Obviously the above idea is not always the solution. Eventually defenders will either cut this option out or read it and get to the

ball first, so we require alternatives. Beating the defender on the dribble, trying to personally unbalance him/her with fakes or changes of speed and direction is the key, getting him/her to move backwards or shift his/her weight sideways, possibly even turning him/her to face his/her own goal. Techniques vary with individual players. Some even have their own signature moves, like the Maradona, Mathews or the Beardsley. The technical and variety of skills displayed by these players is immense. In the developmental process one should know how to perform but not necessarily utilize all these techniques and moves. It is the execution and perfection of one or two that will create the winning 1 v. 1 situation. The coach should take on the responsibility to break down each technique and find the ones that naturally suit the individual players ability, skill and age level. Again, it is the consistently changing play phase of the 1 v. 1 or 1 v. 2 that dictates the decision-making process. Knowledge of when to penetrate with a positive first touch, take on and beat the player or pass off the ball to another 1 v. 1 can only be gained by playing, watching and becoming a student of the game. (See Drill 2.) The area I have tried to focus on is creating a positive controlled first touch. A lot of words I know for just one touch of the ball! Please offer feedback and thoughts at www.passlonl.com.

Positive first touch 1 v. 1 Drill 1 1. Player O is positioned at the gate at cone 2. L attackers position themselves at cone 3. 2. To start the exercise the first L player at cone 3 has a free shot on goal from a pass by the O player. On receiving the ball, player L has to play it forward with a positive first touch to break an imaginary line between cones 1 and 2 and then shoots. Player O follows his/her pass and moves to cone 3. 3. After shooting, player L1 has to touch either cone 1 or cone 2 to become an active defender for the next player, L2, who has been distributed a ball from the next player O. By touching one of the cones, L1 is giving some time for the next shooter to make a good touch and prepare to shoot. Again L2 can only shoot after a positive first touch breaks the line between 1 and 2. But this time he/ she has to make a decision with the touch, depending on which cone the defender touches and is moving from towards the shooter. The idea is for L2 to touch the ball in such a way that the defender cannot get to it. Vision and quality of touch are essential. Thoughts on the exercise: Also speed of shot after the ball crossing the line between cones 1 and 2 becomes a factor because of recovery distance to apply pressure in the defending role. Getting the ball behind the defender or into space either side of him is essential. This all comes from the weight and quality of the attackers penetrating first touch.
Soccer Journal May/June 2007 51

Positive first touch 2 v. 2 counterattack Drill 2 L1 and L2s attack from their goals against O1 and O2s goals with the Os defending. Object is for L to score in O goals and vice versa. 1. If the Ls can score, then automatically the next O1 becomes an attacker with his ball and teammate O2. Ls have to transition into the defensive role automatically, leaving Os decision to penetrate or pass. If Os can penetrate and score, then L2 attacks and so on. 2. Possession will change, but whoever scores, the opposition automatically attacks, making the decision whether to go alone and penetrate with speed and touch or go 1 v. 2 or 2 v. 2.

NSCAAs Non-Residential Courses are offered on an on-demand basis. For information on how you can bring a course to your area, visit the Coaching Education section of NSCAA.com or call 800-458-0678.

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Soccer Journal May/June 2007