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This week I go on a bit of about punting. What’s the point of having a podcast if you don’t get to vent every once in awhile. You can have equal time if you think I’m off base. Just leave a comment below or leave a voicemail message on the number I give at the end of the episode.
My main topic for the week is focused on developing a line-up for your team.
Putting your players into positions within a system of play not only helps them be successful but provides a framework for teaching players how they combine and work together as a unit. There’s a lot to consider when putting together a line up for a team. I look at the key factors that I consider when organizing my team line up. It’s very different depending on the age and competitive level of the team you’re dealing with. I share my approach with teams from U6 through the highest level. I haven’t coached professionally but I’ve been around enough coaches at that level, heard their interviews and read their books to see the challenges they have and how they balance the opposing forces at that level of the game.
No matter what level you’re dealing with, it will be easier for you and better for your players if you have a general philosophy and specific plan going into each game. Hopefully, the ideas I’ll share with you today will help you as you develop your team’s game day line-up.
In Future Episodes
Next week I’ll look at how to structure your team’s recovery sessions: why they’re important, when to do them, what should be included to get the most out of them.
Biggest pet peeve, especially at the younger age groups, but is also seems to be becoming a growing trend in the older age groups is playing dump and chase soccer. I was surprised at the number of teams at the U12 girls level that basically had a goalie with a huge foot that punted the ball long and allowed for their forward to take a few touches behind the defenders and get a shot on goal. We also saw this coming from long balls sent deep from the defenders as well. To me it does nothing to develop players to play in a team environment. You have your biggest foot play the ball long, with your fastest player chasing the ball down.
I completely agree Brian!
It sounds like someone got scored on this week by a team using a punt and a fast counter attack! All kidding aside, is playing intelligently out of the back better than a “mindless” punt? Of course it is but that’s not really the point of punting the ball.
A punt is a valuable tool in the keeper’s toolbox and is strategically like a goal kick. Not every ball should be punted just like every goal kick shouldn’t be blasted up the field. (At least players can be offside on a punt.) But players should be taught to break pressure by playing long. The keeper needs to read the game, recognize when the other team has committed large numbers forward then find the striker or strikers up top to quickly counterattack. We teach our strikers to knock back the punt into the gap between the opposing defenders and midfielders. This allows us to pick the ball up with our midfield and attack quickly using combination play. Not only is this an effective way to break high pressure but the presence of the punt creates that space at the back that you are looking for so you can play out under control. When used in combination with a roll out to a wide defender or dropping to the feet and passing out, this is just another tool that can be very effective.
The punt is often misused by coaches who have one or two fast players and not much else to work with on their team. And there are many keepers who will “mindlessly” punt. This is just poor coaching and not the fault of the punt itself. In my opinion, when taught properly, the punt can be an important tool to teach our players to use effectively.
CR,
More than one goal last weekend was scored this way. It’s honestly not conceding the goal that bothered me. It’s the fact that the coaches, parents and most importantly, the players thought that it was a good thing.
I totally agree with you about teaching the players to break high pressure with longer PASSES. It’s the PUNT that I have an issue with. I tried to draw that distinction when describing them. I even appreciate that the goalkeeper should kick the ball directly out of their hands at times but I don’t consider that a punt if they are targeting a certain player, I think call it a long pass. Semantics I suppose but that’s the way I look at it.