FineSoccer Kids 41

Welcome to the FineSoccer Kids Newsletter.  Today’s subject deals with the back third of the field.

First of all, if you are a coach of a young team (5-6 year olds) you will want to read the latest Soccer Newsletter at http://finesoccer.com/soccer_edition_140.htm as it deals directly with that age group.

Also, if you haven’t seen it yet, the Full Season Training Sessions are back for a second season.  To learn more, please go to http://finesoccer.com/full_season.htm

When thinking of the different parts of the field, it’s common to think in terms of thirds of the field.  The third of the field closest to the goal you are defending is referred to as the defensive third of the field.

When your team has the ball in their defensive third of the field, the basic rule of thumb is that whatever you do, don’t lose the ball back there.   While it’s great to have possession of the ball, it’s not worth it if it means risking losing possession in your defensive third of the field.  If you are in your offensive third of the field and lose the ball, it’s really not that big a deal because there are most likely a lot of teammates who can help you to defend from that area.  However, if you lose the ball in the defensive third of the field, you don’t have a lot of space to recover into and are most likely going to give up a great goal scoring opportunity for the opponent.

The saying “when in doubt kick it out” certainly applies in the defensive third of the field.  If you aren’t sure what to do, play it long so that if you do lose the ball, it’s not back in your defensive third.  This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ever look to possess the ball back there but rather, you need to be careful in that type of a situation.

In the defensive third, safety is the priority so don’t take chances with the ball and you will most likely not give up as many goal-scoring opportunities as a result.

Any questions, comments or suggestions should be sent to kidscomments@finesoccer.com or they can be posted on the FineSoccer Forum at http://finesoccer.net.

To subscribe to any of the FineSoccer Newsletters, please go to http://finesoccer.com/subscrib.htm

Have a great day!

Lawrence