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The three ways I build challenges in order to link to the theme and to allow the players to practice within both the pitch and parameters selected are:
Restrict
A traditional way to constrain practice is to restrict the ball contacts, movements and/or decisions a player or team can make. Adopting this method is an effective way to ensure lots of repetition of the session theme, for example you must play forward when you receive. This method can, however, reduce the realism of the practice, restricting opportunities for decision- making and chances to learn from cues and triggers as the constraint enforces only one type of response – and not always the appropriate response – to the unfolding situation.
Relate
Challenging players to relate a particular task to the situation occurring – such as ‘Recognise when to play forward’ - is an effective method to help support players to build situational awareness and respond to what is going on in the game. By using the relate method, the coach plants a seed about the desired outcome without making it mandatory. The intention is that the players relate the task to the situation.
This very much supports a trial and error coaching style (see edition 7 of The Boot Room on the spectrum of coaching styles). When supported by effective questioning the players can start to review their decisions which in turn helps the players make sense of the situations they find themselves in.
- Tell me about some of the times you played forward? - What things helped you to play forward? - Why did you find it tough to play forward in those situations? - What can you try that may help you to solve that problem?
It is important however to recognise that using the relate method may mean less repetition of the session theme (as players don’t do it every time). However, it is an effective mechanism for supporting the development of genuine understanding as players begin to recognise when to do something.
Reward
Coaches can use the idea of a ‘reward’ in order to encourage aspects of play linked to the session theme. For example, to encourage an early press you may use a halved pitch and task the players to win the ball back in the opponents half. If they do so they are rewarded with 3 goals.
The reward method can act as a middle ground between the restrict and relate methods as the players aren’t mandated to perform a certain action but are likely to have a good go as the reward is greater. This can also take on the form of game situational challenges. For example: you are winning 2-0, there are 10 minutes left, win the game using a late defending tactic.
An example of using the 6 step process to design practice
What do I want the players to practice? Defending Outnumbered
Why? It’s in the syllabus, we’ve been finding it difficult
How can I plan my tasks to Restrict this? The team in possession can move freely through the thirds with the team out of possession locked into their positional thirds (defenders in defensive third etc) this will generate outnumbered situations as the team in possession move forward to support attacks
How can I plan my tasks to Relate this? Recognise when not to press the ball. Supporting questions to include: in what situations might I not press the ball? What things that I see tell me to hold my position/drop? If I’m in front of the ball, when might I recover to press the ball?
How can I plan my tasks to Reward this? If you prevent a goal/shot on goal when the other team counter attack it is rewarded with two goals. This rewards effective defending when out of balance
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