MODULE 4.03 POSITION GAMES FROM A PRACTICAL POINT OF VIEW / SOCCER-SPECIFIC TRAINING II

Question 1

What is Demarcation?

Answer 1

• Demarcation of the player, is the position they occupy on the

playing field with respect to the other teammates.

• Players who, in possession of the ball, are on the outside and

others on the inside appear in the same way as in a real game.

Question 2

What is Structures?

Answer 2

Unlike rondos, the playing field is significantly larger, so the distances

between teammates are the same or very similar to those of a game.

Players practice the coordination and socio-affective associations

in mutual assistance in conditions that are very close to reality.

Question 3

What is Triangulation?

Answer 3

This is how the triangles emerge that will later appear in the game and, for an efficient possession of the ball, the players will optimize their positioning, the perception of superiorities, the pass to the teammate at and with an advantage, etc.

Question 4

Objective / Possession of the ball

Answer 4

• The position game has no end. The objective of this type of exercise

is not to optimize the kick, or the attempt on goal, or anything like that.

Here we want to focus on the possession of the ball, but not only in

order not to lose it, but to continuously generate favorable stage

spaces (understood as game situations), based on the above.

• In the rondo this is also true, but since there are (usually) no players inside

and there are smaller distances, the favorable actions are based on

attracting the opponent to look for a teammate, and it is not usually

necessary to look for more distant spaces, because they do not

exist in the simple rondos (although, in the previous module some

rondos were presented halfway through the position games,

as there was a distant teammate).

Question 5

What is the Optimal situation?

Answer 5

The player must be in an optimal situation or attract the opponent

in order to leave the teammate in an optimal situation. There is also

the need to find a favorable stage space, For this reason, you should

look not only at the individual but also at the space, and from there

whatever comes with the orientation of the game you choose with each pass.

Question 6

What is Directionality?

Answer 6

• By having demarcations you may be tempted to add directionality

to the game. or add a point in the exercise, it is indicated to go from one

player to another, which is the furthest from where the game starts.

• If we look at the primary objective of the position games

(the self-organization of the players in possession and the orientation of the ball),

this added directionality is not necessary; however, it can be added

if the players understand that the primary thing is the possession

of the ball and this self-organization, and, as a result, the moment

to reach the final player to get a point will arrive. If the players

have not yet internalized this, directionality can contaminate the

objective and guide them to seek the point in suboptimal conditions.

Question 7

The downside of Limiting touches?

Answer 7

• As far as contact limitation is concerned, bear in mind that, if introduced,

the objective becomes more about coordination, masking the objective

of position games. Instead of limitation, there be a space-time constraint

that pushes the player to play to the number of contacts needed at any given moment.

• Limiting touches was described as something which left the child

with less decision’s and options, “if you tell the child he has one-touch he

can only make a pass, he cannot dribble, he can rarely shoot, he can

rarely impact movement by attracting opposition players.

• With the freedom of touches, we can identify the natural decision

of the child and guide his decisions, does he dribble, does he pass,

does he shoot, why should he do these things, where should he do

these things, when should he do these things”.

• Why do we limit touches in game or training practices and does it

really help develop awareness, quick decision making and movement

or is it forcing decisions that are non realistic to the game itself and

thus limiting the opportunity for coaches to guide a kids game

intelligence and help improve their natural decision’s in a game like scenarios?

• Dribbling is a major part of the game just as much as passing is, kids to

need to develop awareness and understanding of when and where

to use those skills, limiting touches does not test that

awareness and decision making.

Question 8

Why always a player on the inside?

Answer 8

• All position games presented have at least one player in possession

of the ball on the inside, which allows play to alternate inside and outside.

At the same time, this player, by his body positioning, movements and

passing decisions, decides in which subspace to play. Therefore, he/she

defines, to a certain degree, if play will be carried out confidently or,

conversely, if the adversaries will be able to take possession of the ball:

• He/she is the one who can more easily decide in which subspaces it is

possible to play, while he/she is the one who will have a harder time

knowing which one offers greater security, superiority, or better conditions.

Question 9

In conclusion, what does rondos, the position,

and situation games provide players?

Answer 9

Their main objective is to optimize the relationship of the players

with the game and the environment.

(which is presented as dynamic, changing, and specific).