P E S A K

Dutch-Style Counter Attacking

There is such an emphasis on everyone trying to play a short passing game that many youth players cannot play an accurate long ball. But the best players can hit 40, 50 or 60 yard passes, says David Clarke.


Putting the pressure on

If you want your team to make a statement during a game you can practise playing a quick long ball to put the opposition on their heels and get your team back into their half of the field.


Making long passes work

And I’m not talking about a hoof upfield over the heads of the opposition and a charge after it. A long pass well executed can be a clever way of counter attacking against your opponents. If you look at the great players and great teams in football you will see some wonderful long passes that catch opponents out. The great brazilian teams and the Dutch ones that can play short, short then a defence splitting long pass. It is a great skill to have in any players armoury.


Get the ball to your wingers

Practise with your defenders playing a long pass up to one of your midfielders so he can pass it outside to his winger who can run on and cross it into the box. Make sure all your players know their roles in this one. It has to be swift and deadly. That means it needs players running into the box to put away the cross.

How to coach it

Tell your players to use their long kicking technique for crossing the ball to the back post as well as for passing. Once your players have perfected this they can begin to use them in match situations.

*Publisher's Tip*

Confidence is Key in Matches

If you get your players to hold on to the ball in 1v1 training sessions every week they will have the confidence to do it in matches, which will change the way your team plays. Spend 10 minutes on it each session.


Keeping hold of the ball

In your coaching sessions, start with two equal-sized players with a single ball in a grid about 3-yards square and have them work on holding the ball by using simple rolls, pullbacks and other touches to shield the ball.


An important skill

If you teach your players ANYTHING, teach them the skills to keep possession. Once they realise that they have the skills to keep an opponent from stealing the ball, they will gain the confidence to lift their heads up and find another player to pass off to.


Feeling panicked by pressure

Before your players gain confidence on the ball, you can expect terrible passing simply because they will get flustered at the first hint of pressure - and might even feel panicked by pressure which is 10 metres away.

Key coaching tip

Until your players can hold a ball 1v1 in a grid for a count of around 7-8, they are not going to have enough confidence to hold up the ball and do well during matches.

* Inspirational Quotation *

“They call it coaching but it is teaching. You do not just tell them... you show them the reasons.”

Vince Lombardi, legendary American football coach

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