This session was conducted at the WORLD CLASS COACHING International Coaching Seminar in Kansas City, February 8 - 10, 2001. Bob Gansler conducted a lively session on combination play, proving again that he is one of the country's most knowledgeable coaches and also a master clinician.
Warm Up
• Two players to a ball moving all over the field, pass and move using various passing combinations
• Assess the players as they are warming up
• Ask the player questions. What is combination play? A take-over? A give-and-go? A double give-and-go? An overlapping run? etc. Have the players try them
• Have players work on take-overs. Right foot to right foot then left foot to left foot
• The player with the ball makes the decision to leave for his teammate
• Players in groups of four moving all over the field. Must do a take-over followed by a give-and-go within the group
• Emphasis on players getting into a position where they could see the three other players in the group and as many players in the other groups as possible
• Don't get too close or too tight to your group mates
• Stop and ask players how many other players they can see and support?
• Players were not allowed to stand and wait for the ball. Must be constantly moving
Coaches Comments
• Try to put players into a real soccer situation where there are teammates, opposition, dimensions, boundaries, etc.
• 11v11 is not a good teaching tool
• Never use more than 4 v 4 games as a teaching tool. Use the Dutch 4 v 4 teaching tool as often as possible
• If the players have no destination (goal) in their session, they get confused and don't pick up your ideas as quickly
• Write out and prepare your session but be flexible to change if the need arises
Exercise One
Organize the players into teams of two with two teams to a 20 x 10-yard grid. A1 and A2 try to combine to stop the ball on the line behind B1. B2 is resting while the game is played as a 2 v 1. If B1 wins possession of the ball, B2 comes in to play 2 v 1 against A1. A2 steps out of the grid and rests. Score a point by stopping the ball on your opponent's goal line.
Coaching Points
• Look for combinations and take-overs practiced in warm up
• Must play quickly so that the defender does not get a chance to recover or close down the ball
• Make individual and collective corrections
• Try to keep the ball in a 2 v 1 situation and not allow the defenders to make it 1 v 1 by closing off support
• Point out the correct angles of support
• Let the players solve the problems the activity creates
• Have 3 or 4 groups going at the same time and rotate players as often as possible
• Keep score. The first pair to five points wins
Exercise Two
Organize a 3 v 3 game inside a 40 x 20-yard grid. Two neutral players outside the grid support the team in possession of the ball making the game 5 v 3.
• Score by stopping the ball on your opponent's end line or by dribbling over the line
• Neutral players cannot score
• Encourage the players to demand the ball
• Look for combinations and take-overs practiced in the warm-up and exercise one
• Coach the correct angles of support
Exercise Three
Using the same organization as exercise two but with additional perimeter players introduced. Play 3 v 3 inside the grid with an additional player from each team on the perimeter as shown in diagram 8 who support their respective teams to make the game 5 v 3 for the team in possession. The perimeter players can enter the field only when they receive the ball. When this happens, a player on their team should replace them on the perimeter.
• Score by stopping the ball on your opponent's end line or by dribbling over the line
• Introduce take-overs, give-and-go's, overlaps, etc.
• Maintain shape and correct angles of support
• The best pass is the one that keeps possession of the ball
• Try to penetrate the opposition by passing forward or running forward
• Get and pass forward as often as possible
Exercise Four
Using the same organization as exercise three but with additional players introduced on each end-line as target players. The team in possession attempts to pass to their target players on either end of the grid. The perimeter players continue to play in support of their team and can come in and out of the game as long as they are replaced by a teammate.
• Score by passing to target players at either end-line
• Must receive the ball back from a target player before your team can attack in the other direction
• Emphasis on certain combinations practiced in previous exercises and the warm-up
• Progress to full game
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