FineSoccer Kids 45

Welcome to the FineSoccer Kids Newsletter.  Today’s subject deals with providing better support off the ball.

The fifth week of the Full Season Training Sessions are now online, to learn more about this, please go to http://finesoccer.com/full_season.htm

One of the reasons teams lose the ball as much as they do is that players off the ball don’t provide as good support as they should (to learn more about whether you are open or not, check out http://finesoccer.com/finesoccer_kids_44.htm).  The thing that players off of the ball have to understand is that the closer the player with the ball is to the defender, the wider the angle of support is needed.

As the player with the ball gets closer to the defender, the supporting players must come back further in order to put themselves in a position to receive the ball.  If the players off the ball do NOT come back further as the player with the ball gets closer to the defender, this will result in the players off the ball NOT getting the ball and the player on the ball being put under pressure and possibly losing the ball and taking the blame even though it’s probably the fault of the players off the ball.

See the diagram below to see an example of supporting angles when the player with the ball is not real close to the defender

The diagram below shows the supporting angles change when the player is closer to the defender

When a player starts thinking about creating better angles for the player on the ball, she will start to see the ball more often and will become a better player (and have more fun as well).

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

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Have a great day!

Lawrence