What to consider when choosing a style of play
To start, think about what your philosophy is. Ask yourself:
- How do I want my team to build attacks?
- How should they defend?
- When, where and how should we press?
- How should the team react when they win or lose the ball?
- What roles and responsibilities are there for each position?
Check out our principles of play article, too. Ask yourself how you would like your team to showcase each one. Discovering this sets the foundation for how you want the game to be played.
Then, you need to consider your players’ strengths and abilities. You might have to find a balance between your style of play and what they’re capable of, though. You could be setting your players up to fail if you impose an unsuitable style on them. So, put them at the forefront of your mind. Get them involved in creating a shared vision of how you want to play.
However, this isn’t to say they can’t develop to play the way you ideally want to. It’s your job as a coach to help them on that journey. It’s just that in the short-term, you may need to tweak your style a little. Then, over time, you can help your team develop their skills.
How styles of play can develop your team
Talking of developing players, you can use game styles to help with this.
For instance, say you have a fast, tricky winger who loves a 1v1 and driving into space. It’s their super strength. So, you set up your team to invite pressure, then counter quickly – aiming to play out wide as soon as possible. This suits your winger. But when teams sit deep, and you have more of the ball, there’s not much space to drive into. Your winger struggles.
To help them, let them try playing centrally to get used to working in more crowded areas. Then, start working on a more possession-based style in training. After all, we have to produce players who can play within different styles. This gives them an opportunity to develop new skills to use alongside their strengths.
How to work on styles of play at training
Use the three R's
Repetition. Relevance. Realism. Those are the three R’s. Dialling them up and down will help you work on your style of play.
For example, you’re working on pressing and want to give your players repetition of it. So, you set up a 2v3 practice, with the three being out of possession. This provides more opportunities for them to press and learn how to delay, deny, and dictate play. But it probably loses a bit of realism from the game. So, for the next activity or session, dial it up. Play a game to put what they’ve practised to the test. Or set up an activity replicating a relevant area of the pitch and one that uses realistic numbers. This lets players experience scenarios that are likely to appear on matchday.
Consider the practice spectrum
Think about what your players need and how the practice spectrum can help. On one side of it are practices that work on technique – and on the other are ones that work on skill. You may use unopposed practices to develop patterns of play, for instance. While overloaded and matched-up practices can help players put their learning into action.
Set match scenarios
Match scenarios are a fun way to work on styles of play at training. And they give players the ownership to problem-solve themselves. After all, on a matchday, they’re the ones that cross the white line. So, they need to experience figuring things out as a team.
How to work on styles of play on matchday
Provide consistent messaging
Whether it’s the tactical information you’re getting across or the language you’re using – be consistent.
If pressing high is the style you’ve worked on at training, don’t just throw it out the window on matchday. Sure, subtle changes may be needed as that match goes on. But you’ll confuse your team if you do the opposite of what you’ve practised.
The same goes for language. If you use simpler terms or phrases because you work with young players, stick with that. If you get your U7s to work on pressing naturally by asking them to ‘steal the ball’ or ‘hunt in packs’, say that on matchday. Don’t complicate things by using language that isn’t right for the age group you’re coaching.
Be a skilful observer
Don’t just watch the game. Analyse it. If you watch everything, you end up seeing nothing because you’re looking for too much. So, be skilful with your observations.
Focus on two or three things. Then look on, around and away from the ball when those things happen. It might be looking for when your team decides to press. What causes them to do it? Are they doing it at the right time? How are the opposition reacting to being under pressure? Analyse how your team are doing. Also, see if there are any weaknesses in the opposition’s approach. And don’t forget to praise players when you’ve noticed them doing something well.
At half-time, don’t bombard your players with information. Ask them how they think the game is going. Find out how they believe your style of play can be adapted. Then, share the key bits from what you’ve observed and develop a joint plan.
