COACHING PRIORITIES (Part 1)

 “The following recommendations and discussion points, resulting from three years of observation, may help coaches of American players in their teaching priorities!” wrote Coach Jeff Tipping, Emeritus Director of Coach Education for the United Soccer Coaches (formerly NSCAA)

Shielding. The use of the upper body to retain possession of the ball... Moving into opponents prior to receiving the ball……or…as Anson Dorrance (UNC Chapel Hill Head Women’s Coach – 1991 USA Women’s World Cup winning coach) would say, “Controlling the opponent before controlling the ball.” When two players are going for the ball the player who cuts off the other player “first” will win the ball. This will require players to step across and “into” the immediate opponent and blocking out the opponent…dare I say, something I have seen basketball players do on free throws. Blocking out players can only be done within a couple of paces of the ball, otherwise it would be obstruction. This important technique is called “shielding”. One of Anson’s legacies as the USA Women’s national team coach is that the best American women have mastered this skill….and the USA are number 1 in the world’s women’s game. 

Watford forward, Troy Deeney, blocking out the opponent before controlling the ball.

• Receiving. Ability to secure the ball with every part of the body, even under heavy pressure.
• Pre - receiving move. Player receives ball under pressure and buys time by "gesture" movement towards ball……player initiates a long step towards the ball which freezes opponent and then, let’s ball run across himself and takes ball in a different direction.
• “Flipping”. Receiving under pressure but “Lifting” ball over opponent’s foot.
• “Sitting” Cushioning a physical challenge by lowering center of gravity and initiating the first physical contact by stepping into opponent.
• “Gesturing / Indicating”. Attacker is marked tightly by opponent but indicates, with an open palm, to team mate to pass ball to foot which is furthest away from marking defender. A technique used successfully, as a player, by Paul Lambert when playing central MF in Scottish national team.
•  Scanning. Playing “Sideways On”
• a.    Head on a swivel all the time.
• b.    Constantly looking over shoulder;           
• i. When moving into support position.           
• ii. Just before ball is passed.           
• iii. Moment ball is passed.           
• iv. When ball is on it's way.
• Driving the ball “dead straight” with power and “shaping” passes. a. Ability to drive the ball, over long distances;         
• i. "On a rope." Dead straight, no spin. Arrives at targets chest.
• ii. Also with fade. This pass slows down as it approaches the target and is easier to control.
• iii. Also with slight hook. This pass has spin and target can receive ball on the run. iv. With backspin. Shorter pass played between defenders with backspin. Checks up for attacker, behind backs.
•  Too many of our players cannot drive the ball dead straight. They continually hook the ball…Why?        
• Ball not out of feet enough. The ball must be out and away from the players body and feet so the player can take a long “hop” in this case from right foot to left foot which is the plant foot. As left plant foot lands the left hand is pointing at target – arms are important part of technique.
• Plant foot (in this case the left foot) lands too close to ball. The ball needs to be struck with the knuckle of right big toe and, to make ball go straight, must strike ball slightly left of center. If the plant foot lands too close to ball there is not enough space for knuckle of right foot to contact ball left of center and make it go straight.
• Striking toe comes up too quickly. If the striking toe comes up too quickly it will put spin on the ball and ball shall hook. Right toe should be pointed downward all the way through the strike.

I have watched several practices of professional youth development teams where the players simply drive the ball at each other putting hook, slice and straight driven balls. I remember watching some Liverpool players staying behind after formal practice to work on hitting the cross bar of a goal with no net from the top of the penalty box. One player stood on one side of the goal and his partner on the other - a competition to see who could get to 10 first. This is a technique which is well worth staying behind to work on after practice. 

Jeffrey Tipping, JeffTipping.com jeffrtipping@gmailcom 0(11 44)1695421701 UK (1) 816 213 6755 - USA

?Koach Karl’s Notes: Thank You! Coach Tipping for sharing your insights with FUNdamental SOCCER!

I am hoping that YOU (the reader) will join this discussion because your input may help improve other youth soccer coaches …Priceless..! Finally, I pray that everyone will take care of themselves and their loved ones!

Your FUNdamental, Koach Karl (Karl Dewazien)

• Emeritus State DoC of California Youth Soccer Assoc. 1979-2012
• Author - FUNdamental SOCCER Books Series
• Producer - ‘FUNdamental SOCCER -Practice’ DVD.
• Clinician at: www.fundamentalsoccer.com