Soccer Positions – 9 Tips for Teaching Young Players

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for SoccerMyLife.com

Published: December 4, 2010

In this article are 9 tips that will make it easier for soccer coaches to teach soccer positions to young players. This mainly applies to recreational soccer teams. Make adjustments as appropriate based on your player’s abilities, speed, aggressiveness, your style of play (whether you push up and how much of a controlled passing game you play), and the length and width of the field (for example, is it long, wide, short or narrow?).

4 positioning rules you can teach your fullbacks to ensure your goal front is covered so you don’t give up goals on breakaways (make the opponent earn goals and don’t give up any easy goals):

1. The left fullback and right fullback should never go past the center of the goal except in an emergency.

2. Your fullbacks should not go into the goal box except for an emergency (that way they won’t get in the goalie’s way).

3. Your fullbacks should not go more than 3 steps past the near post (that will keep them from pulled too far out to the side) — perhaps even tell them not to go more than one or 2 steps past the post if 3 steps is too far. Remember: you must defend your goal front.

4. Your fullbacks and stopper should clear the ball by kicking it straight ahead. When the ball is in your defensive third, your midfielders and forwards should shift from side-to-side with the ball. That way everyone knows what to expect and your midfielders and forwards are in position to win the cleared balls that are kicked straight ahead.

5 positioning rules to teach midfielders and forwards:

1. Stay about a pass apart.

2. When a teammate dribbles toward you, move away into open space so you are ready for a pass.

3. If you don’t have the ball, don’t move closer than a pass to a teammate who has the ball. If you do, you will pull your defender toward the dribbler.

4. When our goal is under attack, midfielders should stay a pass out from the ball and forwards should stay a long kick or pushed up as far as possible (coach decides). That way players will be in position to win balls that the fullbacks and stopper clear. Midfielders and forwards should shift from side-to-side with the ball. The fullbacks and stopper should clear the ball by kicking it straight ahead — that way everyone knows what to expect and are in position to win the cleared balls.

5. If you are a left midfielder or right midfielder, do not go past the center of the field except in an emergency, but when the ball is on the far side (the side the other midfielder is on), shift to the center so you are closer to the ball and in position to stop an attack down the center (the center is an imaginary line between the 2 goals — it is not the middle third).

David Huddleston helps youth soccer coaches have better teams and more fun. You can visit him at soccer drills and games and soccer formations and soccer positions.

Author: David Huddleston
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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