Soccer, although it is played with a
ball, is really a game of space and movement without the ball. Unlike
some other sports, (baseball, for instance), soccer does not really
have positions. Rather, players have differing responsibilities which
change as the ball and the other players move about the field. In a
strict sense, only the goal keeper really has a "position" to play.
Once your
players have attained proficiency in the basic techniques of
receiving, passing and shielding
a football, you can introduce them to the fact that they will actually
only spend a relatively small amount of time (perhaps as little as
three or four minutes in every hour) with the ball at their feet.
Your players need to understand that they will actually spend around 90%
of every game supporting their team-mate with the ball or moving into a
position where they could receive the ball if the player in possession
chose to pass. Knowing where they need to be at any given moment of a
soccer game is, therefore, just as an important a skill as
passing or
shooting. Perhaps it is even more important.
There are many
games and drills that will allow young soccer players to practice
finding the right space and position for themselves on the soccer
field.
Equally, there
are many that focus on providing support for each other. The simplest
of these - keepaway - is used by coaches at every level.
Keepaway,
however, can get a bit boring if the only objective is to string as
many passes together as possible. This is, after all, not a 'soccer
like' activity - there is no point in possession without a goal at the
end. Children prefer to play games that have an identifiable end
result to possession, like the one described below.
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