Soccer Offense - Tips For Selecting an Attacking Style For Recreational Soccer Teams
It is harder to teach soccer attacking than soccer defense.
It is easier to have a good soccer defense than a good soccer offense because soccer defense is about destroying (or disrupting) and soccer attacking is about creating.
Recreational soccer teams can have a decent defense by simply putting tough, aggressive players near the goal you are defending and having them kick the ball away.
By doing so, the opponent must start the soccer attack over each time and if your Midfielders or Forwards can win those cleared balls, then not only do you have the opportunity to attack and score, but you keep the ball away from the opponent so the opponent can't score.
On the other hand, to score against a good defense usually requires a coordinated effort involving several players and skillful soccer passing, dribbling, teamwork and doing the right thing at the right time.
One mistake...
one bad pass...
and the attack ends with the ball either kicked away or with the opponent gaining possession of the ball.
And even if the attackers are successful in getting close enough for a decent shot, the ball must still get past the Goalkeeper and go into the goal for a score to count.
Be realistic.
When deciding which Attacking Style to teach your team, you must be realistic or you will be disappointed, your team will become frustrated, you will be unsuccessful and no one will have much fun.
Let me use an analogy: If you decide you want to learn to juggle tennis balls using your hands, you will first start with one or two balls - you won't start with 4.
I actually learned how to juggle tennis balls and started with one, then two, then 3.
I never got to 4 because I didn't want to dedicate the time to practicing.
When deciding what Attacking Style you will teach your team, you must be realistic about your player's abilities, the number of weak players you have on your team, and the amount of soccer practice time you have.
The Attacking Style you can successfully use with a team of all great players that practices 3 hours per week year-round and has been together for a year (e.
g.
, a Travel team) will be different from the style you can successfully use with a Recreational team that has a mixture of players (some good and some weak) and only practices one hour per week.
Do you have any weak players?.
Don't expect a Recreational team that has weak players and only practices once a week to be able to play the same Attacking Style as a Travel Team that has all great players and practices for 3 hours per week.
Why does the number of weak players matter? The reason is because if you try to use a Possession style of attack, weak players are like "weak links in a chain".
I don't say this to be mean, just to make the point that it is a factor you must consider when choosing an Attacking Style.
If you have 3 players who can pass the ball and one who can't, a short passing attack won't work if it involves the player who can't pass.
This is why in some ways recreational coaches have a tougher job than travel coaches, and the Attacking Style that is realistic for a travel coach might not be realistic for a recreational coach.
A Possession attacking style will only work if you have a great team without any weak players.
The ideal Attacking Style would be to control the ball when you attack.
Since we know that a player can't dribble very far against good defenders, it would seem logical that the best way to control the ball is by passing it, and that is true.
That Attacking Style is called a "Possession" style (or a short passing style or an "Indirect" style).
Ideally, the team with the ball would control the ball all over the field, even if the ball is near your own goal (which is called the "Defensive Third").
In fact, many professional teams play this way.
But it is also true that not all professional teams play this way, and not all National Teams play this way.
The reason is that it is difficult to make lots of consecutive short passes while under pressure and if you turn over the ball near your goal, your opponent might score.
Think about U.
S.
football...
most of the time a team will punt on fourth down if they are within their own 35 yard line (which is their Defensive Third).
The reason is because it is too risky if they were to turn over the ball there.
Here is my recommendation: Use the Attacking Style that is realistic for your team and that gives your team the best chance to be successful.
Some coaches think they should try to teach recreational players a "Possession" style of attack for the entire field.
That is probably unrealistic for 99% of all recreational teams.
On the other hand, most Rec teams can play an Attacking Style that uses long kicks (a "direct" style) to get the ball into their Attacking Third (the third of the field closest to the opponent's goal) or into the Attacking Half and then play a Possession style to the extent they are able.
I don't think you are hurting anyone by using this style and the way I advise you to teach this is very different from just kicking the ball hard - you can teach your Midfielders and Forwards to shift so they are in position to win balls that are cleared by the Fullbacks.
How do the Midfielders and Forwards know where to position themselves? It is simple: Teach your Fullbacks to kick a "Lofted Pass" straight ahead and teach the Midfielders and Forwards to expect that and to position so they can win those balls.
This is an Attacking Plan that is simple to teach and can be used successfully by Rec teams.
If a Rec player goes on to play on a Travel team, he or she will simply learn a more controlled Attacking Style at that time.
But in the meantime they will have fun and can learn a lot, such as proper technique for an inside-of-foot pass, an advanced throw-in, Passing to Space, Movement off the Ball, First Attacker/Second Attacker/Third Attacker, how to shift to be in position to win a cleared ball, hustling and playing hard, that they must position and fight to win the ball, and a Possession style of attack in the Attacking Third or Attacking Half.
And on defense coaches can teach Shift & Sag (essentially maintaining shape and funneling for those of you who use those terms), First Defender/Second Defender, marking, a zone defense and many other things.
It is easier to have a good soccer defense than a good soccer offense because soccer defense is about destroying (or disrupting) and soccer attacking is about creating.
Recreational soccer teams can have a decent defense by simply putting tough, aggressive players near the goal you are defending and having them kick the ball away.
By doing so, the opponent must start the soccer attack over each time and if your Midfielders or Forwards can win those cleared balls, then not only do you have the opportunity to attack and score, but you keep the ball away from the opponent so the opponent can't score.
On the other hand, to score against a good defense usually requires a coordinated effort involving several players and skillful soccer passing, dribbling, teamwork and doing the right thing at the right time.
One mistake...
one bad pass...
and the attack ends with the ball either kicked away or with the opponent gaining possession of the ball.
And even if the attackers are successful in getting close enough for a decent shot, the ball must still get past the Goalkeeper and go into the goal for a score to count.
Be realistic.
When deciding which Attacking Style to teach your team, you must be realistic or you will be disappointed, your team will become frustrated, you will be unsuccessful and no one will have much fun.
Let me use an analogy: If you decide you want to learn to juggle tennis balls using your hands, you will first start with one or two balls - you won't start with 4.
I actually learned how to juggle tennis balls and started with one, then two, then 3.
I never got to 4 because I didn't want to dedicate the time to practicing.
When deciding what Attacking Style you will teach your team, you must be realistic about your player's abilities, the number of weak players you have on your team, and the amount of soccer practice time you have.
The Attacking Style you can successfully use with a team of all great players that practices 3 hours per week year-round and has been together for a year (e.
g.
, a Travel team) will be different from the style you can successfully use with a Recreational team that has a mixture of players (some good and some weak) and only practices one hour per week.
Do you have any weak players?.
Don't expect a Recreational team that has weak players and only practices once a week to be able to play the same Attacking Style as a Travel Team that has all great players and practices for 3 hours per week.
Why does the number of weak players matter? The reason is because if you try to use a Possession style of attack, weak players are like "weak links in a chain".
I don't say this to be mean, just to make the point that it is a factor you must consider when choosing an Attacking Style.
If you have 3 players who can pass the ball and one who can't, a short passing attack won't work if it involves the player who can't pass.
This is why in some ways recreational coaches have a tougher job than travel coaches, and the Attacking Style that is realistic for a travel coach might not be realistic for a recreational coach.
A Possession attacking style will only work if you have a great team without any weak players.
The ideal Attacking Style would be to control the ball when you attack.
Since we know that a player can't dribble very far against good defenders, it would seem logical that the best way to control the ball is by passing it, and that is true.
That Attacking Style is called a "Possession" style (or a short passing style or an "Indirect" style).
Ideally, the team with the ball would control the ball all over the field, even if the ball is near your own goal (which is called the "Defensive Third").
In fact, many professional teams play this way.
But it is also true that not all professional teams play this way, and not all National Teams play this way.
The reason is that it is difficult to make lots of consecutive short passes while under pressure and if you turn over the ball near your goal, your opponent might score.
Think about U.
S.
football...
most of the time a team will punt on fourth down if they are within their own 35 yard line (which is their Defensive Third).
The reason is because it is too risky if they were to turn over the ball there.
Here is my recommendation: Use the Attacking Style that is realistic for your team and that gives your team the best chance to be successful.
Some coaches think they should try to teach recreational players a "Possession" style of attack for the entire field.
That is probably unrealistic for 99% of all recreational teams.
On the other hand, most Rec teams can play an Attacking Style that uses long kicks (a "direct" style) to get the ball into their Attacking Third (the third of the field closest to the opponent's goal) or into the Attacking Half and then play a Possession style to the extent they are able.
I don't think you are hurting anyone by using this style and the way I advise you to teach this is very different from just kicking the ball hard - you can teach your Midfielders and Forwards to shift so they are in position to win balls that are cleared by the Fullbacks.
How do the Midfielders and Forwards know where to position themselves? It is simple: Teach your Fullbacks to kick a "Lofted Pass" straight ahead and teach the Midfielders and Forwards to expect that and to position so they can win those balls.
This is an Attacking Plan that is simple to teach and can be used successfully by Rec teams.
If a Rec player goes on to play on a Travel team, he or she will simply learn a more controlled Attacking Style at that time.
But in the meantime they will have fun and can learn a lot, such as proper technique for an inside-of-foot pass, an advanced throw-in, Passing to Space, Movement off the Ball, First Attacker/Second Attacker/Third Attacker, how to shift to be in position to win a cleared ball, hustling and playing hard, that they must position and fight to win the ball, and a Possession style of attack in the Attacking Third or Attacking Half.
And on defense coaches can teach Shift & Sag (essentially maintaining shape and funneling for those of you who use those terms), First Defender/Second Defender, marking, a zone defense and many other things.