11 Principles of Team Play

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These are the 11 principles that make up the Soccer Awareness philosophy of team play.

  1. Keep Possession - If players chase for the ball a long time they get frustrated, get tired and commit fouls. So keep possession and force this upon them.
  2. Develop Play from the Back - When it is on to do so to help maintain possession of the ball and not rely on a 2nd ball pick up.
  3. Pass and Move - Movement off the ball is a major part of our team development.
  4. Form Triangles and Diamonds of Support All Over the Field - Creating open body stances and increasing peripheral awareness.
  5. Inter-Change Positions - Offensively and defensively cover for each other.
  6. Create Space for Your Teammates; Not Just for Yourself - Unselfish team play; Play for the TEAM.
  7. Attacking Fullbacks Using Width in Attack - Offense is the best form of defense
  8. Keep a Very High Line Defensively - Squeeze opponents into their own half of the field 
  9. Pressure Opponent’s High Up the Field - Winning the ball back 30 yards from the opponent’s goal is better than 80 yards away
  10. Counter Attacking and Quick Breakaway - Developing different ways to counter attack
  11. You Need Skillful Players to Make this All Work - We have the raw material so let’s develop them

Problems to Solve

  1. How to get FREE AND FIND SPACE TO RECEIVE the ball and to maintain possession of the ball
  2. How do we do this?
  3. Using the Thinking Process
  4. Players must learn to think AHEAD of the ball, to think two moves ahead in their mind.
  5. So; Observation of own players positioning / Opponents positioning / SPACE available / where the ball is in relation to all these factors.
  6. All done BEFORE RECEIVING THE BALL. 
  7. Saving time doing this; Increasing time and space to play in by doing this. 
  8. Also; POSITIONING OFF THE BALL
  9. Positioning to find SPACE based on their own team mates and the opponents positioning;  the position of the ball; and based on these factors: FINDING THE BEST SPACES AVAILABLE.
  10. Doing all of the above means: we can be successful using fewer touches on the ball.
  11. Doing all of the above will SAVE a touch or two on the ball; and by doing so: 
  12. Players will: PLAY MORE QUICKLY, THINK MORE QUICKLY, MOVE MORE QUICKLY.