Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Creative Players, Creative Coaches

Specific Practice

Coach Task 1: Design a Specific Practice that allows for creativity within the session.

Coach Task 2: Please give three examples of creativity. One individual, one unit & one team example?

Coach Task 3: Please describe the importance of allowing decision making in your coaching sessions?

Specific Practice: The aim of this specific practice is on the principles of breaking lines.

Through, around and over to get a successful break through pass with switch plays and exploring the maximum depth and lengths of the pitch to utilize the space for creative game play. 

Session Organization: I will be coaching the BLUE team with the principles of breaking lines. Blue team: 1-3-3-1 (8 players) Working from the back 11V11 1-4-4-2 I have removed 1 defender and a striker. The idea is to break the line creative and ambitious. 

 Red team: 4-3-1 (8 players) Working from the back 11V11 1-4-4-2 I have removed the keeper, 1 midfielder and 1 striker. 

Length of the specific practice session: 10 minutes  

Pitch size: Half pitch 

Conditions, Challenges & Targets: For creative player and coaching aspects in the session, I would challenge players to make runs and receive passes in grey zones. Limit to 3 touches and a pass. Condition blue defenders not to move up than their penalty area line so they shall make the pass through, around or over to break the line. The target for the blue team will be to receive successful breaking line passes in grey zones score on mini goals. Red team target will be to score in 10 seconds on big goal so that the ball can restart for the blues from keeper. Breaking line to a grey zone and scoring will be extra 5.

Problem 1: Unable to play from middle.

Solution: Play around or play over to the grey zones.

Problem 2: Unable to play from the back.

Solution: Play over to the space on the width marked grey.

Three examples of creativity observed in this session was, 1) number 10 of blues switching the ball side ways in one or two touches catching the grey zones with breaking lines and precise passing. 2) Goalie rather than playing from the back measures the run of the striker and played over balls to the touchline to both sides marked grey. 3) Defenders rather than going through the middle, tried the creative ambitious around and over pass to the touchline in grey.

The importance of allowing the players decision make is very important for their development and creative thinking. I let the session flow with less stops for more realism and to give the players freedom to express themselves in session. When doing a coaching process after a diagnosis I do not use the phrase mistake. They, we are learning and we shall likewise allow every player to express themselves with the ball as artists.

Reflections: 

The principle of play of breaking lines was well established. The ability of the players to try the through, around and over passes was a highlight. Also the movement of players to explore the space and make themselves available at the right positions to successfully achieve the creative exploit of the spaces while breaking lines was commendable with reds having an extra player. I learned the importance of letting the players decide their passes effective. I should have played the full pitch with 11V11 for more realism. My action plan for next time would be a 20 minute 11 aside practice game with just the principle concept highlighted but with no conditions so that I can observe how much creativity the players opt in real match scenario.