For most youth soccer players, the favorite part of the game is when their team is on offense. They love controlling the ball, and pushing up field to score. As a youth soccer coach you need to understand that there is more to playing offense than just dribbling the ball up the field.
While an uncoordinated attack might work against some less talented teams, you will probably find your attacks stalling against more disciplined teams. In order to consistently mount effective offensive attacks, you need to understand the principles of playing offense in soccer.
Mobility
The first principle that you need to understand as a youth soccer coach is mobility. This refers to both individual, and team mobility.
Individual mobility is the individual soccer player’s ability to move on the field. Soccer is a fluid game where players are always moving. On offense, that means players moving to get them selves in a position to receive a pass, or to move away from the ball to spread the defense.
In order to be successful, you need to coach your players to move. When they remain in one place it makes it too easy for the other team to defend. It allows them to apply more pressure on the ball, and that will decrease your teams effectiveness.
Team mobility refers to your players to move as a unit. When you are on offense your entire team should be moving forward. As your forwards move into the attacking third of the field, your midfielders should move with them to help apply pressure to the defense, and to support the attack. At the same time your defenders should move up toward the middle third of the field to contain balls that the defense is attempting to clear.
If your team remains stationary it creates too many gaps that the opposing team can get through ti mount a counter attack. If your defenders do not push up it allows the opposing forwards to position themselves much closer to your goal, which will give them more opportunities for closer shots on your goal.
When your midfields do not push up it allow the opposing defense to double-team your attackers, which will prevent you from getting good shots. You will see your attacks consistently frustrated by the defensive pressure.
Width and Depth
In soccer offense, width refers to how far apart your players are spread across the field. It is important because when your attacking players are spread out it forces the defenders to spread out as well. This creates gaps in the defense. Those gaps will allow your forwards to work the ball in closer to the goal, and your team will get better shots on goal.
Depth refers to your attack coming in multiple waves. Your forwards create the first wave of the attack. If the defenders close in on them, the midfielders move in for the second wave. That will force the defenders to ease their pressure on your forwards in order to adequately cover the midfielders.
By attacking the goal with multiple attacks you greatly increase the odds that one or more of your attacking players will get open near the goal. That increases the number of clear shots you will get, which usually translates into more goals for your team.
Improvisation
Because the game of soccer is so fluid your players will constantly be put in new situations on the field. That is why it is so important that your players have the ability to make changes quickly on the field.
You may have been practicing a play that calls for your wing player to carry the ball down the sideline, but during the game the defenders are closing that lane off. You players need to be able to make a change and either cross the ball, or to make a penetrating pass.
Your practices have to be a place where your players can try new things. That is where they will be able to find out for themselves what works and what does not work. If they are afraid to try new things, they will never be able to improvise during the games.
Penetration
Penetration refers to your teams ability to penetrate the defense. This is done by using passes and runs. Your team should look for gaps in the defense that they are able to pass the ball through. They should also make penetrating runs.
Penetrating runs are accomplished by having your players run through the defense, drawing them out of position, and creating openings for the ball handler to either pass, or maybe even get a clear shot at the goal.
Finishing
The ability to finish a play is the biggest downfall of many otherwise skilled soccer teams. Scoring opportunities in soccer are sometimes few and far between. Your ability to win soccer games rides on your team’s ability to take advantage of those opportunities.
You need to give your team an opportunity to finish plays during practice so they can develop a scoring attitude.
Understanding the basic principles of playing offense in soccer is critical for your success as a youth soccer coach. Spend time improving your understanding of these principles and your team will reap the benefits during the game
Jim Smoot writes the “Learn Youth Soccer” website at http://learnyouthsoccer.com. He is a licensed soccer coach and referee, and has been involved in the game for 15 years. Sign up for his free 7-day mini-course that teaches you the basics of how to coach soccer.
