Knights Soccer

1. Knights Soccer 2013

2. 2013 Season: • Commitment to pursuing true success • Having the team values ingrained in your character on and off the field • Create a training environment that challenges each player to push themselves to the limit • Come with a focus each day, set standards, keep each other accountable • Develop a well-organized style of play • Understand and apply principles of attack and defense • Dominate the tangible competitive areas: • Aerial battles, 50/50 tackles, 1st Touch in the box, Shots blocked etc.

3. 2013 Season: • Success: knowing that you fully maxed out to become the best that you are capable of becoming through your attitude, effort and motives. • Team Values: • Excellence – having perfection be the highest standard for yourself in attitude, effort and skill. Not accepting mediocre out of yourself or others. • Love – selflessness, putting another’s need before your own. • Sacrifice – the surrender of comfort, glory and pain on behalf of another’s good. • Toughness – Commitment to push past personal comfort – mentally and physically. • Teamwork – realization and commitment to being a part of an entire body, dependent on each part to function at its best. • Risk – surrendering the fear of failure and mistakes to become better and to make the team better. • Focus – the ability to concentrate fully on a task while also thinking ahead for needs to be met. • Servant Leadership – Commitment to serving others, taking responsibility for others’ actions while holding others accountable, and the goal of wanting others to maximize their talent.

4. 2013 Season: • Training Environment: • Mental: come with a focus each day to improve and to serve others • Overcome pain, come back from defeat, stay humbled and focused in prosperity, risk failures and mistakes, work past what is comfortable, sacrifice for the team, concentrate on each task. • Physical: High work-rate, high pressure, high contact, developing skill in tackles and aireal battles. • Tactical: Further understanding and execution of attacking and defending principles. • Technical: never getting past fundamentals but excelling in the small things: • Ball control, first-touch, passing and receiving, ball striking, heading, defensive technique, receiving and turning, dribbling, finishing, combination play.

5. Principles vs. Tactics: • Principles of play will fit into any system or formation. • Regardless of the opponent, the principles will remain the same. • The tactics we use will be built around the strengths of our team and the weaknesses of our opponents. • Master the principles of attack and principles of defense, and you will enjoy success on the field in any team. • Our training focus will be on mastery of the fundamental techniques and the principles of attack and defense.

6. Principles of Play:

7. Principles of Attack • Width: • Stretch opposition defenders to create gaps • Exploit the space on the far side of the field to create gaps • Utilize overlapping runs to further stretch defenders • Avoid closing your space. Opposite side winger should stay on the touchline until ready to receive the ball Ball won…

8. Principles of Defense • Concentration: • Squeeze in closer to teammates to reduce gaps • Force the opposition to play in towards the congested area • Don’t get sucked out of shape by opposition wingers. Just keep an eye on them. • Communicate! Pick up opposition players and concentrate movement Ball won…

9. Principles of Attack • Support: • “The most important player is the player without the ball” • It is the responsibility of these players to move into supporting positions • The player with the ball should have at least two passing options • Offer a negative option. Possession of the ball is important, and forward passes are often preceded by a negative pass • In the final third of the field, a pass back to a supporting midfielder can result in a shot on goal Ball won…

10. Principles of Defense • Depth: • A flat line in a defensive unit may leave the first defender exposed • Support the first defender to ensure adequate cover • Get behind the ball • Intercept forward passes where possible • COMMUNICATE within each defensive unit to ensure cover/support Ball won…

11. Principles of Attack • Penetration: • Three methods: • Positive forward pass • Forward dribble • Forward • Often, penetrative pass is preceded by a negative pass • Diagonal passes are often the most dangerous option Penetrative Pass Penetrative Dribble Penetrative Run

12. Principles of Defense • Delay: • Force the opposition to move sideways or backwards • Apply pressure quickly… force your opponent to drop their head • Force a square or negative pass • This may involve showing your opponent an easy option. A negative pass at least allows us time to reorganize • COMMUNICATE to the first defender. Let them know what to do Penetrative Pass Penetrative Dribble Penetrative Run

13. Principles of Attack • Mobility: • Movement out of position with or without the ball. • Horizontal movement sucks opposition players out of position and creates gaps. • Play side-on soccer • Forwards continually look to drag defenders out of position, even when not moving for the ball (decoy runs) • Overlapping runs outnumber opposition defenders • Be creative and smart with your movement. Think two steps ahead. • Attack a cross into the box with a run into space. Do not just follow the ball. Your movement may not lead you to the ball, but it will create gaps for your teammates to exploit.

14. Principles of Defense • Balance: • Keeping the shape of the team • Central players control peripheral players • Goalkeeper continually control defensive shape • When opposition players make horizontal runs, pass them off to a teammate • When shifting/sliding towards the ball, move as a unit and keep the team shape • COMMUNICATE to each other to ensure that everyone is where they should be

15. Principles of Attack • Improvisation: • Final third of the field • “Show the obvious – Do the unobvious” • Make the defenders “dive in” • Express yourself. Do something no-one else would think of • Improvisation applies to finishing as well… • Chip the keeper • Round the keeper • Improvisation can be one-touch

16. Principles of Defense • Restraint: • Also known as PATIENCE • Don’t dive in • Make the attacker put their head down • Slow down the attack • Wait for the shout from behind you before making a challenge • Get into your defensive stance

17. Language: • Must develop an understanding of basic terminology • Understand instructions from the bench • Give and receive information on the field (between teammates) • Say what you see • Say it to those who are closest to you • Say it with conviction and authority • Say it consistently • Be prepared to take information from teammates • Nothing is personal – Accept demands from teammates

18. Language: • Must understand the following terms:

19. On-Field Communication:

20. Back Third Front Third Middle Third

21. DangerousSpace

22. DangerousSpace Attacking Channels (Width)

23. Attacking Channels (Width)

24. 2nd 6-Yard Box: “2nd 6”

25. Set Play Mentality: • Restarts are a test of focus, technique, and mentality; We need you to develop all three of these qualities. Restarts can be the difference between winning and losing a game. If it is a defensive set play, our attitude is that we will do anything and everything to win the ball and clear our area. If it is an attacking set play, we need to be ready at every moment to do whatever it takes to put the ball in the back of the net… dive, stretch, slide, etc..

26. “Big 5” Moments: • After a goal is scored and after any break in the game (injury / substitution) • 1st five minutes of each half • Last five minutes of each half • After a stoppage in play • Stoppage time

27. Defensive Set Plays:A t ti t u d e , D i s c i p l i n e , F o c u s • Corner Kicks: • Avoid giving them up • Beware of the short corner • Organize early (GK) • Combination of three-zone and man-marking • Get back inside if the ball goes over your head • Cover near and far posts… leave on GKs instruction • GKs: • Get what you can • Yell “Keeper!!” or “Out!!”

28. Defensive Set Plays:A t ti t u d e , D i s c i p l i n e , F o c u s • Individual Responsibilities: • GK: Control the penalty area. Don’t anticipate, but react to the movement of the ball. Claim the ball where possible. You are responsible for clearing the posts and pushing players up when the ball is clear. • Near post: Position your body in relation to the ball. Clear your lines when instructed to do so by the GK. • Zonal Defenders: Clear anything that drops in your zone, react to balls played over your head and position yourself accordingly. • Man-markers: Play tight. Do not let your man move easily around the box. Without fouling, make it difficult for him to move attack the six-yard box. You will challenge your man for the ball and WIN it. • Forwards: One forward look out for the short corner, and cover it. Other forward be ready to receive the ball once it is cleared from the penalty area.

29. Defensive Set Plays:A t ti t u d e , D i s c i p l i n e , F o c u s • Free Kicks (Central): • Avoid giving them up • Beware of the quick kick. Slow the ball. Set up the wall seven yards away. GK must organize the wall early • Wall must stand tough (baby jumps) • Watch for overlapping runs • Man on inside of the wall crash the ball on an indirect free kick

30. Defensive Set Plays:A t ti t u d e , D i s c i p l i n e , F o c u s • Free Kicks (Wide): • Distance – High restraining line • Mark up touch-tight. Yell the number you have. Make sure every opponent is picked up • Track ALL the way, touch-tight and inside your player • Attack the ball • Forward stands in front of the ball to ensure that a ground pass cannot be hit

31. Defensive Set Plays:A t ti t u d e , D i s c i p l i n e , F o c u s • Defensive Kick-Offs: • Pay attention (Big 5 Moment) • Be perceptive as to what the opposition may try • One forward rush the ball • One forward get the back-pass • Two central midfielders provide cover

32. Defensive Set Plays:A t ti t u d e , D i s c i p l i n e , F o c u s • Defensive Throw-Ins: • “Box-in” the opposition. This is an opportunity to turn defense into attack! • Mark up and provide cover • Watch for the long throw and the flick • Do not allow the opposition to take a second touch. Approach the throw-in with a bulldog mentality. • Can we win the ball back within one touch?

33. Attacking Set Plays:C r e a t i v i t y , S i m p l i c i t y , F o c u s • Attacking Set-Play Zones: • Red Zone: Shot on goal, direct or indirect • Yellow Zone: Corner kick routine • Blue Zone: Cross to near post • Green Zone: Airborne driven pass to the far post

34. Attacking Set Plays:C r e a t i v i t y , S i m p l i c i t y , F o c u s • Green Zone: Airborne driven pass to the far post

35. Attacking Set Plays:C r e a t i v i t y , S i m p l i c i t y , F o c u s • Blue Zone: Near Post Cross

36. Attacking Set Plays:C r e a t i v i t y , S i m p l i c i t y , F o c u s • Yellow Zone: Corner Kick Routine

37. Attacking Set Plays:C r e a t i v i t y , S i m p l i c i t y , F o c u s • Red Zone: Direct / Indirect Free Kicks

38. Attacking Set Plays:C r e a t i v i t y , S i m p l i c i t y , F o c u s • Attacking Throw-ins: • Quick • Throw to player’s feet • Check in, and check out • Throw-ins in the final third: • Treat as you would a corner kick • Look for the flick into the 2nd 6-yard box • Players crash the box for the flick • Expect rebounds • Take a chance

39. Attacking Set Plays:C r e a t i v i t y , S i m p l i c i t y , F o c u s • Attacking Kick offs: • Maintain possession… play back to the defenders • Wingers and forwards moved forward immediately to put pressure on the backs • Keep possession and work up the field as a unit • This is a BIG FIVE moment… nothing free!! Punish the opposition’s mistakes