Three Rules For Good Team Play In Football Part 1
Making Decisions And Supporting The Team
Ideally, when players have possession, they should make the correct runs to help other team mates and make sensible decisions. An important aspect of good teamwork is having players who will support their team mates even though they may not get possession of the ball. When players are unselfish about making runs, then it shows that they are prepared to help each other.
This also applies in defence. The players need to decide which defence position they will hold (first, second or third) and take the appropriate position. The first defender’s job is to handle closing down attacks, judging the distance, timing tackles and positioning. The other defenders need to concentrate on offering cover, being aware of the first defender and keeping the attacker and ball in sight.
You need to see how willing players are to work as a team. Assess whether they offer support to their team mates or whether they leave that to someone else.
Effective Communication
One pivotal factor on the pitch is how effectively your team member communicate with each other. You need to assess the quality of their shouting, talking, calling, signaling, vision and feedback.
Questions to ask include whether they know where their team mates are because they talk to each other? Do they provide encouragement for team mates? Do they inform other players about the location of support? Do they signal when they need the ball? Does the player with the ball look to see where other players are?
In general, teams that communicate well also play well. This generally starts at the back. Goal keepers talk to the defence, the defence talks to the midfield, the midfielders talk to the attackers. This means that there’s lots of good feedback and open lines of communication.
The next time you watch your team in competition, look out for these three important areas to see how well they are playing. Depending on what you see, use the results to inform training. It takes time to build a team that plays well. You need to plan and refine in the process. If you work on possession, support, decision making and communication then you will have all that you need to create a good team.
