The following article looks at teaching foundation phase players how to maximise space. U8 players learn to move in activities where they see most of the ball, U10 players learn movement through small group activities and U12 players learn to move to create space for themselves and team mates.
“How do I teach my players to spread out?” is a common question from newer, less experienced coaches.
It’s a great question as CREATING SPACE is one of the principles of attacking play.
Every team in the world, albeit differently, looks to make the field as big as possible when they are in possession. It is something that we should be encouraging our players to understand from U8 onwards.
But how do we do that? The following Small Sided Games offer visual aids and triggers that suit players at their age group. It will help them understand how important creating space is in making goal scoring opportunities.
Why It Works
Making the field wide as opposed to long forces players to find space in the wide areas of the field.
3 goals encourages the team in position to score by attacking different channels of the pitch, both through traveling with the ball and through passing.
3 v 3 means that players are more likely to touch a ball in the game. This means they are more willing to move away from the ball.
For players who need the additional challenge, this can be made into a 4 v 4. For those who still ‘bunch’, consider dropping to a 2 v 2
Why It Works
Players get to understand how being a wide player opens space for themselves or their team mates.
The limited no. of players supports their developed awareness, while not overloading the picture to the players.
Wide players get the opportunity to use feints, fakes and moves to draw opponents wide and open space centrally.
Why It Works
At U12 players are starting to develop their understanding of the field as a whole.
With more players on the pitch at U12, teams will have to come up with alternative solutions to break opponents down.
The progressions allow for an alternative way of switching play (long diagonal pass) and exploiting a switch (playing centrally). Players have clear visual aids that help them see the triggers.