Coaching - Formations
4-3-3 TEAM (Easiest)
DEFENDERS consist of four players. The defensive positions consist of a left and right fullback, a sweeper and a stopper. The left and right fullbacks play in front of the goalie and behind the midfielders on their respective sides of the field. The sweeper plays in the middle of the field and is the very last defender. The only player behind him is the goalie, so this player needs to be very reliable. The stopper also plays in the middle of the field and is the first line of defense. He / she is positioned approximately 10 yds. in front of the sweeper. Set up correctly these four
players should form a diamond shape.
Left and Right Fullback- These two positions are probably the most varied positions in the game when it comes to skill level. At young ages (5-12) these players should focus mainly on defending their side of the field, and clearing the ball when necessary. They are responsible for sending balls long into space (up the field to open areas of the field) for the forwards to run onto as well as looking to play the ball into the feet of open midfielders. Speed is not all that essential for outside fullbacks at a young age. Now as the level of play increases (ages 13 through college) the outside fullbacks become much more then just defensive players. These outside fullbacks become essential members of the offense making runs up the sideline, at appropriate times, and looking for crossed balls for scoring opportunities. They can also carry the ball down the sideline and look to get crosses in themselves. In this case it is very important to have speedy outside fullbacks. They must be able to get up and down the field very quickly in case of a counter attack (much like their counterparts playing midfield). It is very important that outside fullbacks do not get “caught” on the attacking side of the field. They must be able to determine whether or not they will likely touch the ball or create an opportunity to take a shot. Furthermore they must not make unproductive trips into the attacking zone as they run the risk of getting tired and not have the ability to get back and take care of their defensive duties.
Sweeper Responsibilities - The sweeper position is one of the most important positions on the field and should be manned accordingly. A sweeper needs to be smart, fast, skilled and very comfortable with his / her ability. Because they are the last line of defense they very rarely make offensive type runs. Their job is to control the back. They are the leader of the three defenders and it is their job to back the other two up at all times. He/she must be able to see the play of the opposing offense before it develops and thus anticipate where the ball is going. The sweeper must be extremely vocal with his/her defense letting them know what he/she sees, if they are out of position, and if they must pull up for an offside trap. If the opposing team is coming down the right side of the field the sweeper needs to be ready and able to back up his right fullback if he / she gets beat. The sweeper needs to do it all. He / she must be able to clear the ball, send the ball to open space for the forwards (generally aiming for the corner flags), clear balls out, control the other defenders, stop breakaways from happening as well as work with the goalie in setting up defensive situations such as corner kicks, free kicks etc. The sweeper is an extremely important player.
Stopper Responsibilities- The stopper is generally a bigger player. Speed is not a must here but one thing that is a must the ability to play consistently. This player must do things the same way constantly and not be sporadic. The stopper has one responsibility stop attacks from happening. He / She is to tackle the ball away from the opposing player and move the ball to either the open space of his / her midfielders. The stopper is not a playmaker or a showboat. He / she is the simplest player on the field and the first line of defense. Win possession of the ball and get it to another player on your team. Although limited in his / her tasks, the stopper is still an extremely important player.
MIDFIELDERS consist of three players: a right midfielder, a left midfielder and a center midfielder. These three players are generally the nucleus of your team. They are always in the middle of things and more often than not create most of a team scoring opportunities. Midfielders must be able to play great defense as well as offense. These players must be versatile and very athletic.
Outside Midfielders Responsibilities- The left and right midfielders should be the most fit players on the team. They will be asked to do an incredible amount of running during the course of a game. They must support the forward in front of them and compliment the defender behind them. These two players are often the ones who cross the ball in and around the goal. They must have strong legs and be very unselfish when it comes to scoring. They should not be shooting too much from their corners of the field. If they do wander into the middle of the field then they should be ready to shoot, but in most cases they will be running up and down the sideline hitting crosses in for the forwards to convert into goals.
Center Midfielder Responsibilities- The center midfielder should be the most talented player on the field as well as the athlete with the hardest work ethic. Everything should essentially work through him or her and his / her presence must be known by all. He / she is responsible for switching the field of play from side to side (having the ability to recognize that if the ball has been on one side of the field for too long a period, causing that side of the field to become clogged with players, they can “switch” the ball to open space on the opposite side of the field to an open midfielder or open space that the forwards can track down), setting up forwards for shots, winning all 50/50 balls, playing excellent defense, shooting from distance and basically playing the role of “player coach” while on the field. He / she must be a very vocal leader and instructor. The center midfielder has an advantage over every other player on his / her team, that being he / she is closer to every other player than anyone else. He / she can turn 360 degrees and should always have someone within 10 -15 yards away to pass to. The center midfielder position is the most crucial.
FORWARDS consist of 3 players. They set up in a fashion similar to the midfielders, straight across the field in a right forward, center forward, left forward fashion. There is a misconception about the forward position that can be detrimental to goal scoring. Many believe that a forward is only effective if he / she can score goals. Scoring goals is obviously a great attribute for forwards however; forwards who set goals up and collect assists are just as valuable. Some of the greatest forwards in the world are the ones who set big time goal scorers up for all of their goals. That behind the scenes forward is important.
Outside Forwards Responsibilities- These two forwards should always be looking to score. Their first thought should be shooting, their second thought should always be, is there a better way. These forwards are often the ones setting plays up. Often times the angles on goal that these players run into don’t equate into quality shots. Because of this they simply pass the ball towards the middle and allow the center forward to finish the job. These players should be good dribblers, and have at least one solid move that they can use to beat defenders. Speed is a nice attribute for outside forwards, but good skills can replace speed sometimes.
Center Forward Responsibilities- This player should be the team’s best shooter. The center forward should be shooting the ball more times than anyone else on the team. This player should be fast and crafty with the ball. He / She should be able to dribble and control the ball very close to their bodies and work well in tight places. More often than not, when coaching a team you will notice a player who just seems to have a knack for the goal. That is the player you want to play at center forward. He / She should be the most selfish player on the field. This doesn’t mean that they never pass the ball, but it does mean, when they have a mediocre shot, they take it. All other players should pass off mediocre shots but the center forward should always take the chance and use his / her abilities to the fullest. |
