LEVEL 7
GAMEPLAY
The final concept is where we work on the principle objectives of the game in each phase, what we should do when we have or don’t have the ball; in attack we talk about keeping possession, progression and finishing; and in defense, regaining possession, stopping progression of the opponent’s attack and defending the goal, this is normally done in the end of session game/scrimmage.
We start with defining the basic phases of the game, and the development of the attacking and defending principal processes:
| ATTACK |
DEFENSE |
| Start of phase. |
Delay start of phase. |
| Construction or progression of the phase. |
Delay construction phase. |
| Finishing. |
Defend the goal (prevent finish). |
Next, we have to consider the basic principles of the phases, common to the attacking and defending phases, demonstrated by the principles which direct the behavior of the players within the context of the phase; the most important of which is to try to create numerical superiority in the area of the ball; if this is not possible, then maintain numerical equality but always avoid numerical inferiority.
When these concepts are clear, we can move on to specific principles:
| ATTACK |
DEFENSE |
| Penetration (creation of an advantage in space and number; attack the goal). |
Containment (individual marking of the player on the ball to stop or delay opponent’s attack). |
| Support the attack ( support player with ball; defensive balance). |
Defensive cover (support for the team mate marking the player on the ball). |
| Mobility (interchange of positions; occupation and creation of space; create lines of pass; keeping possession; unbalancing opponent’s defensive structure). |
Balance (covering space and free players and cutting lines of pass). |
| Space (width and depth in attack). |
Concentration (deny width and depth in the opponent’s attack). |
We can then construct the method or shape of the organization of the attack (counter-attack, rapid attack or build up play) and of the defense (man to man, zonal or mixed marking) so that we have a wide repertoire on the individual and collective levels to address the different game situations.
Finally, we could extract some basic norms both in attack and defense, general guidelines where we can direct our team and individual efforts:
| ATTACK |
DEFENSE |
| Don’t lose the ball, protect it, keep it away from opponents, control the distances, pass quickly and unpredictably, create lines of pass. |
Get as many players behind the ball as possible. |
| Create and occupy free spaces, play wide and deep , fix defenders in a zone and play to another one, channel the attack through the weakest areas of the opponent, alternate between short and long play, direct and indirect play, switch of play. |
Cover and strengthen the central channel forcing opponents to less. |
| Create doubt in the opposition, alternating direct and indirect play, draw opposition to one zone to finish in another, change of tempo, numerical overload, disguise, etc. |
Reduce or prevent lines of pass. |
| |
Keep defensive cover and occupy spaces. |
Technical-tactical actions are the basic tools we work on the more complex tactical concepts and it is where we can most intervene earlier so that errors do not become habits or ‘vices’ which can be difficult to correct in the future and which make the player more susceptible to errors in the attacking and defending processes. In attack we educate players about creation and occupation of space, moving away from markers, overlaps, support, switch of play, overloads, delay, change of tempo, defensive balance; in defense we work on marking, delaying, dropping off, cover (position, change positions, defensive balance), pressing.
It is in the older development ages when we would include more elaborate tactical concepts, like the general tactical models to attack (direct attack, build up or counter-attack) or to defend (organized or situational) because they require a deeper knowledge of the game and establishing understanding between team mates and reading the opposition.
Most of this is done at the end of a session and is masked by the Soccer7 coaches as a scrimmage but all the components above are applied in some variation or other and made as fun as possible.