michiana echo soccer club

Tactical Awareness

Tactical awareness incorporates the anticipation, reading, and execution of certain options that happen during possession and non possession of the ball.

In Attack

Player not in possession
• Vision to create dangerous opportunities with movement and deception.
• Makes yourself available for the ball by providing angled support (depth, width, length) to the player in possession or making creative run to receive possession or open up space for teammates.
• Realizes when it is crucial to offer close support and when to stay away.
• Recognizes the proper time to execute combination play (take over, overlaps, give and go, wall passes, etc.)
• Understands the individual attacking principles of the game. How do I interact within the game? How do I help create and maintain my team's shape?

Player in possession
• Good peripheral vision, recognizing the correct time and situation to switch the play or point of attack
• Good penetrating vision, creating the ability to see and utilize players forward of the ball
• Recognition of when to hold possession and when to go forward.
• Recognition of when to shield to hold possession and when to go at players in open spaces.
• Recognition of when to slow down your team's play and when to speed up play (transition/counter-attack)
• Sees opportunities for combination play (give and go, wall pass, takeovers, overlaps, etc.).
• Knowledge of the rules of penetration. "Pass- Shoot - Dribble". Knowing the difference between Dribbling at and Carrying the ball to pressure.

In Defense

Defender on ball (First Defender)
• Vision to see where the danger is coming from.
• Vision to see the Team Shape and identify missing roles and assignments.
• Understanding and ability to apply the individual principles of defending in all times.
• Can I intercept? If I can't intercept, can I deny the player receiving possession to turn and face our goal? If player with possession is facing our goal, can I channel that player away from our goal or into my supporting defenders?
• Ability to quickly read and anticipate what attacking player is trying to do.
• Ability to quickly close down attacking space while maintaining control and balance.
• Ability to win tackles.
• Ability to start the attack after winning possession.

Support Defenders (Second, Third, or all defenders off the ball)
• Understand pressure, cover, balance and support.
• Understand man-to-man and zonal defending concepts.
• Ability to quickly read and anticipate what the attacking team is doing and where they are attacking.
• Ability to quickly get into the counter attack when defending team wins back possession.

In Transition

• Understanding of transitional play as your team regains possession or loses possession.
• Knowledge of Team Shape.
• Recognition of Differing Points of Attack.