How To Help Footballers Make A Speedy Decision Part 1

Many managers of youth football teams don’t know how to pick out the weak points of a team, especially if they have been conscripted to run the team in their area. Many ask for tips about analyzing team members. Here are some tips.

Most footballers spend most of the game finding a position where they can support a defensive play or an attack. In other words, they won’t have the ball for most of the game. This is a key area to look at when analyzing your players. Although it’s a cliché to say ‘pass and move’ it’s still sound advice.

Movement is a particularly important area for a player. Players shouldn’t stand still. They should always be moving to build up the defence or support an attack. As a football manager, look at the six players who are nearest the ball, to see where they are in relation to the player with possession. Look to see if they can have any effect on the game from where they are.

See if they can receive a pass and how their bodies are positioned. An open position gives the most options for play. Check to see if they know what is happening around them and where the play is likely to go. These are all crucial questions when evaluating the supporting players.

However, decision making is one of the most important aspects of footballing skill and you need to look at this when a player gains possession of the ball. Seeing what they do once they have possession will tell you all you need to know about their decision making skills. Here are two areas to focus on:

1. Which option do they choose?
This is about making the correct choice of the available options. Check whether your players:
* are reading the game
* are assessing the choices that they have
* have made the right decision with their first touch on the ball
* have created space and time for their next move
* have put themselves in a pressured situation

The Space, Opponent, Support (SOS) technique works with all footballers, no matter what age they are.

How To Help Footballers Make A Speedy Decision Part 2

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