The following posts have been tagged with "soccer creating space"...
Soccer Pass To Feet
Passing to a soccer teammate’s feet is good if he is surrounded by defenders, but otherwise it is better to “pass to space”. It is important to teach this to your soccer players. An example of when you should “pass to feet” is if a forward is in scoring range but defenders are around him. Players U-12 & older should be taught to control a hard pass to their feet. (See Practice Game called “Hard Passing/Glue Foot Receiving”, “Pass To Space“, and “Creating Space“.
Soccer Open Space
(aka Space). Any part of the soccer field where there isn’t a defender, but especially in the area you are attacking (i.e., the area between the ball & the goal). Receivers should be watching for passes to “open space” & passes to open space should be made so the attacker has a better chance of winning the soccer ball than the defender. (See “Pass To Space“, “Creating Space“, “Through Ball“, “Leading Pass” & “Spread The Field“).
Soccer Onball
(aka “Onball Attacker” & “First Attacker”). Refers to the soccer player with the soccer ball, such as the “onball attacker”. (See “First Attacker“, “Second Attacker“, “Third Attacker“, “Off-The-Ball” & “Creating Space“).
Soccer Onball Attacking
A style of play which relies on the ballhandler to create opportunities by dribbling to get open or dribbling to pull defenders away from receivers who the ballhandler then tries to pass the soccer ball to. (See “Creating Space” & “Movement Off-The-Ball“).
Soccer Offense
(aka “Attacking”). See “Attacking“, “Attacking Plan” & “Creating Space“.
Soccer Off-The-Ball Attacking
A style of play emphasizing “off-the-ball” movement as a way to “create space” & scoring opportunities. (See “Movement Off-The-Ball” & “Creating Space“).
Soccer Off-The-Ball
Refers to soccer players on the attacking soccer team who do not have the ball (e.g., “movement off-the-ball”). In contrast, the player with the soccer ball (the “ballhandler”) is “onball”. (See “Onball Attacker“, “Movement Off-The-Ball” & “Creating Space“).
Soccer Movement Off-The-Ball
This is a key concept & one of the most important things you can teach. Movement Off-The-Ball is important on both offense AND defense and is critical to support and good teamwork. It is the key to “off-the-ball attacking”. On offense, “movement
off-the-ball” refers to the movement by the ballhandler’s soccer teammates (the ballhandler is “onball”). The 2 types of movement off-the-ball which all coaches can teach soccer players U-10 & older are: having attackers stay a pass apart, and having receivers move away from the ballhandler as he approaches them in order to create space (i.e., so they are a pass apart). (See “Creating Space“, “Off-The-Ball“, “Third Man Running“, “Support” & “Diagonal Run”). I strongly recommend you teach “Passing to Space” and “Aggressive Receiving” — Passing to Space is easier for beginning soccer players and will result in much better soccer ball movement, better soccer ball possession, use of Open Space and “field vision”. Aggressive Receiving is a better way to teach receiving and will result in a big improvement in your soccer players and their ability to retain the soccer ball.
Soccer Direct Attack
To quickly move the ball forward toward the other soccer team’s goal by passing or dribbling; as opposed to a slow “indirect soccer attack” which uses a lot of backward or sideways (”square”) passes while searching for a weakness in the soccer defense. Unless your team has excellent passing ability, a direct attack will be more effective. (See “Soccer Counterattack“, “Soccer Attacking“, “Soccer Possession Style“, “Styles of Soccer Play“, & “Creating Soccer Space“).
Soccer Cross
(aka Cross the Ball, Center The Ball, Cross It, Cross, Crossing Pass or Crossed Ball). A very important term & concept to teach U-10 & older, because “soccer crosses” are a very important way to create scoring opportunities. To “cross the soccer ball” means to kick the ball from the side of the field across the field toward the area in front of the opponent’s goal in order to create a scoring opportunity. A cross is a “square pass” to the area in front of the goal (If a player passes the ball across the field to a teammate out of scoring range, it is not called a “cross”, but is called a “square soccer pass“). A crossed ball is usually a “pass to space” (as opposed to a “pass to feet”). Even at the pro soccer level, the passer usually isn’t passing to a specific person; he’s just concentrating on kicking the soccer ball to the front of the goal (often while on the run) because doing so often creates a scoring opportunity. (This is hard to do. Try kicking the ball sideways while running). A good cross will be to the area in front of the goal & about 7 to 20 steps out from the goal; if it is too close to the goal the goalkeeper will pick it up or catch it & if it is too far out the receiver won’t have a shot. At the high school level and older, a lot of crosses are “soccer air balls” that create the opportunity to score on a “header”. I think it is better to use the term “center the ball” rather than “crossing pass” when giving directions to young players, because if you say “crossing pass”, a young player thinks he should look for someone to “pass” it to. I’ve found it is better to teach your outside F’s to “center the ball” without worrying whether a receiver will get there. Yes, they will sometimes center it when no one is there but it will teach soccer receivers that they must “go to goal” & get in position to receive these “crosses” so they can make a one-touch or two-touch shot. Tell your receivers to stay 3 or 4 steps behind the ball when they run with the dribbler (i.e., the player who will make the cross) so they won’t be called offside & so the ball won’t go behind them. If they are even with the ball they will either have to stop & wait on it or will overrun it & it will go behind them. By staying 3 or 4 steps behind they should be able to slow down & reach the soccer ball but still have forward momentum which will give them power on a one-touch shot. A more important reason to stay 3 to 4 steps back is so the cross doesn’t go behind them. If it does, they have lost the soccer scoring opportunity. If they are behind the ball they will have a chance; if the ball goes behind them, they won’t). Tell them that when they reach the ball they should just block the ball with the inside of their foot & use a very short backswing; if they take a big backswing they will probably mis-kick. Placement is the key, not power. Crosses should go straight across. This is because if the cross is at a forward angle, it is harder for the receiver to kick it (since it is going away from him) & it is easier for defenders to clear it (because it is going toward them) and it is easier for the goalkeeper to catch it. A “Long Corner” is a type of “Cross” to “Center The Ball”. (See “Soccer Finish“, “Soccer Attacking Plan“, “First Soccer Attacker“, “Soccer Rebound“, “Center The Soccer Ball” & “Soccer Creating Space“).