Courtesy: Dick Bate, English FA
With changes evolving almost on a daily basis, the nature of the game and therefore the
responsibilities and requirements of the modern-day player are different from yesteryear.
Most of the large clubs who operate at the stellar levels of the game and some other
smaller clubs, recognize the significance of preparing players to their optimum for
forthcoming games and their future in the game.
Positional coaches have long been employed in the game of American football but soccer
has been both dilitary and negligent in doing so. Some clubs toy with the idea of
enhancing the positional capabilities of players and on a regular basis delegate this task to
the sports scientist/athletic trainer as opposed to a football teacher or coach. Whilst sports
scientists will no doubt enhance many of the athletic capabilities of the player the finer
arts of teaching the defender the positional technical and tactical requirements may well
be secondary in their work.
The purpose of this session is to examine and develop the positional and movement
requirements for defenders in general, and in some cases for specific positions.
Minimal equipment is necessary and high numbers can be catered for. The contents of the
session could be the catalyst curriculum for a club’s defenders who are assembled every
coaching session for specialist attention, before they return to work with the rest of the
team in their technical and tactical program.
Every activity conducted in the session is specific for defenders and is directly related
and relevant to the defenders role and responsibility. His ability to move quickly into
position and the signals to do so, his ability to influence opponents activity, his ability to
respond to ball movement, his ability to shift both position and balance and his
understanding of just how to ready himself and make the necessary movements will be
examined.
This is not a team “tactical” session; it is largely although not exclusively directed at the
defenders response once he has made his decision as to how to defend. Some of the
activity is about decision making and operating as and when the ball moves and changes
location but primarily it aims to cover the important facets of a defender’s specialized
movements and actions where he is confronting an opponent.
Defending is as much an art as creative attacking play but seemingly invites less time and
attention from coaches. All and any of the activities involved in this session can be taken
away by any coach working at almost any level of the game and used in the development
of quicker, more agile, more assertive and more responsive defenders. Much of defending
is about dictating and denying as well as it is about dis-possessing opponents and those
aspects will be covered along with positioning and tactical adaptability in the challenge
for supremacy against a determined opponent.
With changes evolving almost on a daily basis, the nature of the game and therefore the
responsibilities and requirements of the modern-day player are different from yesteryear.
Most of the large clubs who operate at the stellar levels of the game and some other
smaller clubs, recognize the significance of preparing players to their optimum for
forthcoming games and their future in the game.
Positional coaches have long been employed in the game of American football but soccer
has been both dilitary and negligent in doing so. Some clubs toy with the idea of
enhancing the positional capabilities of players and on a regular basis delegate this task to
the sports scientist/athletic trainer as opposed to a football teacher or coach. Whilst sports
scientists will no doubt enhance many of the athletic capabilities of the player the finer
arts of teaching the defender the positional technical and tactical requirements may well
be secondary in their work.
The purpose of this session is to examine and develop the positional and movement
requirements for defenders in general, and in some cases for specific positions.
Minimal equipment is necessary and high numbers can be catered for. The contents of the
session could be the catalyst curriculum for a club’s defenders who are assembled every
coaching session for specialist attention, before they return to work with the rest of the
team in their technical and tactical program.
Every activity conducted in the session is specific for defenders and is directly related
and relevant to the defenders role and responsibility. His ability to move quickly into
position and the signals to do so, his ability to influence opponents activity, his ability to
respond to ball movement, his ability to shift both position and balance and his
understanding of just how to ready himself and make the necessary movements will be
examined.
This is not a team “tactical” session; it is largely although not exclusively directed at the
defenders response once he has made his decision as to how to defend. Some of the
activity is about decision making and operating as and when the ball moves and changes
location but primarily it aims to cover the important facets of a defender’s specialized
movements and actions where he is confronting an opponent.
Defending is as much an art as creative attacking play but seemingly invites less time and
attention from coaches. All and any of the activities involved in this session can be taken
away by any coach working at almost any level of the game and used in the development
of quicker, more agile, more assertive and more responsive defenders. Much of defending
is about dictating and denying as well as it is about dis-possessing opponents and those
aspects will be covered along with positioning and tactical adaptability in the challenge
for supremacy against a determined opponent.
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