360 Player

Can be purchased for £5 by clicking here.

The 360 Player is all about being able to eliminate opponents. This can be in 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, or in any overload or underload. The objective of the game is to get forward and score goals, so we need to help our players learn to recognise when to dribble, when to pass, and when to shoot. When should you try and risk it? When should you try to be safe? What are the risks associated with each? With the 360 Player PDF, you will be introduced to theory and sessions, complete with coaching points.

We start with looking at the concepts that are relevant within football. It helps coaches and players understand how the game works on its most basic level. I like to explain the cover shadow to players by using the metaphor of a solar eclipse. That came about after one day explaining it badly, and a player exclaiming "Oh! You mean like an eclipse!" Cover shadows are important when finding angles to combine with teammates.

Next, we go into detail on constraints. The example above is in regards to targets. This 1v1 scenario replicates that of a winger being played a through ball down the line, and being pressed from the side by the opposition wing back. It's great if you can beat your opponent down the line, but even better if you can get past them towards the middle of the pitch, where better crossing and shooting can occur. That's why the easy target is worth one point, and the difficult target is worth three points. The rewards we dish out to the players reinforce their behaviour, but these also come with risk too. The 3 point gate is harder to get to, because now you have to go across the defender, which comes with a greater risk of losing the ball. Perhaps it's better to go for the easier target? But then if you do that, you don't get the big reward. These are the kids of dilemmas we need to pose to the players.

Each exercise comes with a description of how it works, beautifully illustrated on PowerPoint, and is accompanied by coaching points and adaptations. Every exercise should have a progression and a regression; a way to make it harder and a way to make it easier. We don't always pitch our training at the perfect level for the players, so it's handy to have a couple different ideas up your sleeve. Most of the coaching points are offered in the form of questions, because I find it comes across better that way rather than a command. By posing it as a question, the player has to think about whether that can work, and how they can do it. Often when giving commands, it can come across as either patronising, or a bit too Captain Hindsight.

When it comes to 1v1s, we have broken them down into four different types. We see it as; pressure from the front, pressure from the side, pressure from behind, and pressure diagonally. In regards to lines, we are not advocates of line drills. In this PDF, we try to keep lines to three or four players. Due to the intense work rate exerted by the players in these small game-like scenarios, they will not be able to work consistently. The lines help to provide rest in between short bursts of work. Too many in the line though, and you lose both engagement and repetitions from your players.

Then we move into scenarios of 2v2, 3v3, and overloads. The game is a series of small interactions. As long as we provide real game context, including direction, consequences, transitions, points, and realistic distances and angles, the learning will occur.

This PDF is available for £5. Get in contact with us if you would like a copy. Below are some examples from my time in Missouri working on a similar programme with similar exercises.

You'll see in the videos that there are some unopposed, isolated, repetitive drills. We're not against them completely, but strongly advocate against using them in most scenarios. This was applicable at the time because these were six hour camps, and the kids can't play competitive every second of that time. Even so, the unopposed parts only lasted for around fifteen minutes, and it was to introduce basic skills. Some of the more elaborate moves that have three or four components to them look impressive, but in reality, they have very little practical application in games. Move the ball one way, go the other. Drop your shoulder. Do a stepover. That's about all that's needed. You want to create space for yourself, and then penetrate. If you take several touches and slow the game down, even if you win your 1v1, you are likely to have lost the advantages that were beyond that 1v1, as space is now reduced by recovering opponents, and passing lanes are closed as open teammates are now marked.

Below is one of my favourite ever videos, showing the same players from our camps and clinics, now using those skills in real games. This video was all from one tournament, over one weekend.

The final thing to say is that there is absolutely no point in teaching dribbling and creativity in training if you then dissuade players from doing it in real games. Give them the freedom and the encouragement to fail.