Favorite Parts of the Soccer Art and Craft Book (Favorite Parts of the Soccer Art and Craft Book): Part 6

PAGE 93

SECOND PART – OF THE LETTER

CHAPTER VI

TRAINING METHOD

By method we mean the set of activities and procedures used to achieve the proposed objectives.

In Football, there are countless means and procedures used, because there is no general methodology that, through practice, would lead to a single method more appropriate to our reality.

The development of training in Brazil took place in a more or less empirical way, especially in Soccer, an activity that the obligation, by Law (both 3199, of 1941, and 8650 of 1993) to which it was never obeyed, could at least homogenize the Soccer Training Methods.

Even among Physical Education Coaches and Teachers, graduates of Universities, there is no standard form for the development of training, because our country with its continental dimensions, has many variations in terms of biotypology, climatic conditions, eating habits, etc.

The method that we have recommended is the one that studies, observations and practice have convinced us to be able, even in a short period of time, to achieve the best results.

Based on experience with players of all ages, we conclude that an efficient method must make use of all audiovisual aids (blackboard and whiteboard, magnetic field, sliding, transparency, photography, film and, in the modern age of telecommunication, the computer).

The method encompasses all segments of preparation: physical, technical, tactical, and psychological. It motivates Athletes in a consistent and particular way to seek spiritual well-being through their beliefs and religiosity.

In practice, the method must obey the didactic processes, always following the natural path for learning, from the simplest to the most complex.

The 3 (three) fundamental steps:

Introductory exercises;
Advanced exercises;
Competitive exercises.

Procedures of gradual development in practice:

Individual;
In pairs;

3. In groups (small or large);

With teams.

According to the activity:

Practice of technical fundamentals;
Games on reduced fields;
Conditioning games;
Collective games on official field (11x 11);
Practice of physical preparation (using continuous running, interval running, circuit training, Fartlek and its variations, Cross-Country, multi-jumps, plyometrics, in addition to technical and ethical sessions);
Practice of psychological preparation.

All work should be divided into Phases, these into weekly work boards (QTS) and these into daily plans.

STRATEGY

In a broad sense, strategy is planning aimed at achieving a certain objective, exploring favourable factors and using the available means, when, where and how it wants.

The football strategy, not escaping the general concept, adopts mobilization, concentration, recognition, coverage, pursuits and other means, with a view to the final victory.

Preparation for the game or competition is one of the most important items in strategic planning and its execution.

It is essential for success in the work of preparing football teams for competitions to hide tactics and strategies from the opponent, as well as, through a good service of espionage and observation of training and games, to know the opponent’s strategy and tactics, which entails a great advantage.

A classic example, the story of the horses: I have three racehorses in my stud farm, one good, one regular and one weak. Another owner of a stud farm also has three horses, one good, one regular and one weak, which, in fact, are equivalent to my three. After three races, under normal and random conditions, the tendency is for a tie, and there may be, however, victory of one or the other. Using my intelligence and espionage service, if I know the order of entry of the opposing horses in the three races, I will always win by two to one, just by putting my weakest to run with the strongest of the other stud, the regular against the weak opponent and, finally, the good against the regular.

Example of strategies to use: score on top at the beginning, attract to counterattack, defend to guarantee results, distribution of marking time: full field for 20/25 min, returning to normal and intensifying again in the final 10 min.

TACTIC

Tactics means the rational planning and execution of arranging players on the field, to do well and take advantage of a given situation, surprising the opponent and dominating him, as a result.

Tactics are the real and direction of operations, the organization, direction and execution of mobilization, concentration, reconnaissance, etc.

For the strategy to work well and be successful, appropriate and convenient tactics are indispensable conditions, as well as good strategic planning of operations.

Strategy and tactics are based on the same principles: objectivity, security, offensiveness, numerical superiority, economy of forces, simplicity, coordination and surprise.

For every predictable game situation, a well-oriented team must possess and perfect at least one tactic to gain the upper hand by knowing in advance what it has to accomplish. Above all, to achieve positive results by the possibility of infinite repetitions of the preconceived manoeuvre, seeking perfection.

A well-prepared team, in addition to the freedom of creation, must keep a varied bouquet of rehearsed tactical plays.

In the first instance, these tactics must be basic, due to the simplicity, number of elements and players involved and strictly according to the physical, technical, tactical and psychological possibilities of the athletes covered in the plot.

In a second phase, when the basic tactics are already working satisfactorily and in cases where the adversaries show signs of knowing them, removing the element of surprise, perhaps the most important of any tactic, then the Derived or Variable Tactics are put into practice. These should, if possible, have the same or similar initial positioning and movement to the Basic, but with changes from a certain phase of execution. After giving the impression that the basic tactic that the opponent already knows would be repeated, surprisingly the move is defined in the varied conception, unexpected by the opponent, to achieve the intended goal.

The Derivative Tactics can be many, with different levels of complexity, and included gradually and didactically in the Training Program, adapting to the preparation phase.

Example: On a free kick near the area, three players are in a position to take the free kick, one with the left leg, one with the right leg, and another placed in front of the ball for a strong shot. The first option, always trying to dissimulate, is the charge for the one with the best angle, according to the goalkeeper’s position. The second option is the one with the best angle to pass over the ball and another player takes the free kick.

In addition to the basic tactics for each game situation and at least one variable for each one, the team must include in its repertoire Alternative Tactics, with a different conception from the basic tactic from the first step, but with the objective of surprising the opponent and obtaining a clear advantage.

Example: In a free kick near the area, the same three players place themselves, but the basic play is changed and the one who charged, passing over the ball, feinting, takes a touch allowing the second or third, in a surprising way, to take the kick.

Tactics can be Defensive and Offensive:

DEFENSIVE – are all those that aim to maintain the safety of their own goal, avoiding risks, dangers and goals.

Basic position, anticipation, same time, defensive triangle, defensive lozenge, ball dominated by the opponent, delay of the opponent’s attack, compactness, coverages (singles and doubles), offside line, blocking advances on the sides, in front of the area, avoiding progression through the central corridor, – pushing to the sides, positioning in defensive corners, defensive fouls, penalties against, ball possession, barrier etc.

OFFENSIVE – are all those that aim to surprise, dominate and overcome the opposing team by winning goals and victory.

Attack of 2 (two), 3 (three), 4 (four), 5 (five), 6 (six), 7 (seven), attacks by midfielders, by full-backs, with long throws (direct connection), counterattacks, creation of spaces and use of them (future point), triangulations, overlapping, simple and compound tables, change of front of play, counter-tactics to get rid of the opponent’s offside line, ball possession, fouls, penalties, corners, throw-ins, ball-to-the-ground, start and restart of play, etc.

The tactics can also be seen under 2 (two) other aspects: ball in play and ball out of play.

TACTICS WITH THE BALL IN PLAY – All offensive and defensive with the ball in motion.

TACTICS WITH THE BALL OUT OF PLAY – All offensive and defensive from the set piece (throw-in, ground ball, corner, direct and indirect foul, start or restart of play, penalty, goal kick).

TACTICAL PREPARATION

Tactical preparation aims to emphasize the characteristics and potentialities of the players, coordinate and harmonize them, practicing, to exhaustion, everything aimed and directed towards the tactical planning to be adopted.

Their development is associated with physical and technical condition, the level of understanding of the game in focus and the experience of those involved. These elements form the foundation of its implementation.

According to the Training Methodology, tactical preparation must obey the 3 (three) main steps:

a) INTRODUCTORY (initial) – It should evolve from the simplest to the most complex and taught/learned from simulation on a blackboard or other audio-visual means: slide, video, transparency, photography, magnetic field and computer, then moving on to practice on the field, without opposition and at low speed, increasing the speed or the degree of difficulty, according to the answers and evolution of the players.

For example: a team with 11 (eleven) athletes playing only against the goalkeeper, to work on ball possession and evolution from the defensive sector, through the midfield, to the preconceived assist and finishing, using inversions of the front of play. Ball thrown to the ground with low passes and without stopping.

b) ADVANCED (intermediate) – After the first step, the degree of complexity and difficulty in the execution is increased by increasing the elements involved, by the acceleration in speed, or by the greater degree of opposition with the entry of opponents working as shadows, that is, with figurative action and moderate intensity, letting it be done. Its viability can be experienced during tactical training, collective game training (11 x 11) and in training games (against invited teams, with training uniform, duration and characteristics adapted to the training phase, usually without an official referee), or in friendly games (these, with the rules strictly followed, against qualified opponents, game uniform, official referee and scoresheet).

For example: a team with 11 (eleven) players fighting against another that has a goalkeeper, 4 (four) defenders and a defensive midfielder, with the objective of, leaving the defense the team with 11 (eleven) work on possession and offensive play, touch the ball and change the front of play, passing with it dominated by the midfield and arriving at the attack, to get an assist and finishing position, but receiving moderate opposition from the opposite team, group of 6 (six). Ball rolling on the ground in low passes. Neither ball nor player can stop. Two or three touches, at most.

c) COMPETITIVE (advanced) – Considering the progress and improvement in the introductory and advanced phases, the maximum degree of complexity and difficulty is passed, with great opposition, active and close, and speed equal to or greater than that possible to be used in the official game.

Eventually used in training matches, in friendly matches, and can be used in official matches as long as good chances of success are reached.

For example: a team with 11 (eleven) footballers, playing against another with 11 (eleven), 12 (twelve), and up to 13 (thirteen) or 14 (fourteen) players, with the objective of, leaving the defense, working on ball possession and, with it under control, passing through the middle of the field, with passes and reversing the front of play to the attack zone, to enable assistance and completion. Evidently, training against up to 14 (fourteen) opponents, the work becomes very difficult and more complicated. When you are going to play against the official number of 11 (eleven), the task is easier, the players feel more comfortable, loose, and confident, as if there were more spaces to play. Ball thrown to the ground, in always low passes, ball and player do not stop, the one who executes the pass exceeds the one who receives (“overlapping”), and the goal is only valid when all players are in the opponent’s field, as well as being worth 2 (two) points when the opponent scores the goal and an attacker has not returned to the midline.

Tactical preparation must be in perfect harmony with physical preparation, adapting the intensity of training to the preparation phase in which the players and the team are. For example, if the team is in the first stage of general preparation, tactical exercises should also obey the same principles: basic, high-volume, and low intensity.

There is no point in a beautiful tactical planning or outlandish conceptions, if the physical-technical-tactical-psychological conditions of the players are not at the level of the proposition.