Football Intelligence

FOOTBALL INTELLIGENCE
HOW TO DEVELOP INTELLIGENT PLAYERS AND BUILD SUCCESSFUL TEAMS
20 TACTICAL PRACTICES
CONTENTS
3 INTRODUCTION
5 PART I. THE MIND GAME

Goal setting
Building confidence
Visualisation
Concentration
Match day preparation
Teamwork and cohesion
Communication
Winning culture
17 PART II. TRAIN SMARTER

Let the game be the teacher
Rondos
Coaching possession under pressure in basic rondos
Positional rondos
Coaching possession under pressure in positional rondos
Small sided games
Coaching switching play in small sided games
Tactical periodisation
Position specific training
29 PART III. TACTICAL INTELLIGENCE

Compactness - the key principle?
Defensive compactness
How to coach defensive compactness
Offensive compactness
Guardiola's positional play
How to coach positional play
Pattern play
How to coach pattern play
Jurgen Klopp - Guardiola's biggest nemesis
Counter-pressing
How to coach counter-pressing
Ralf Rangnick’s ticking clock and vertical directness
How to coach offensive transitions and vertical counter-attacking
Tactical flexibility
How to coach rotations
52 PART IV. THE MODERN CLUB
Red Bull football division - "enter the next level"

Constantly evolving applications of data
How is technology improving performance
© Phase of Play Ltd. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION
PAGE 3 INTRODUCTION
PAGE 4 INTRODUCTION
THE MIND GAME
PAGE 5 THE MIND GAME

GOAL SETTING

BUILDING CONFIDENCE

VISUALISATION

CONCENTRATION

MATCH DAY PREPARATION

TEAMWORK AND COHESION

COMMUNICATION

WINNING CULTURE

TRAIN SMARTER
PAGE 17 TRAIN SMARTER

LET THE GAME BE THE TEACHER

RONDOS

COACHING POSSESSION UNDER PRESSURE IN BASIC 5V3 RONDOS
OBJECTIVE WITH THE BALL:

Keep possession under pressure
OBJECTIVE WITHOUT THE BALL:

Recover the ball immediately
HOW TO PLAY:
Players in possession (black) keep the
ball, max 2 touches. Once the ball is
recovered, player responsible for the loss
of possession, swaps with one of the
green players.
COACHING POINTS IN POSSESSION:

Quick thinking, technique, angles of
passing, body shape, support
movements, defensive transitions.
COACHING POINTS OUT OF

POSSESSION:
Intensity and angles of pressing,
compactness, interceptions, attacking
transitions.
VARIATION 1:
After recovering the ball, green team has
to score in one of the mini goals, while
black team trying to prevent it.
VARIATION 2:
Once a black team player slides into the
next grid, everyone must follow.

POSITIONAL RONDOS

COACHING POSSESSION UNDER PRESSURE IN POSITIONAL RONDOS

Keep possession under pressure

Recover the ball immediately
HOW TO PLAY:
Green players are neutral and play with
the team in possession (blue). Once the
pressing team (black) recovers the ball,
they have to transition into possession
positions outside. 2 touches max. Players
stick to their natural positions on the field
(for example: green 6 is a pivot and plays
in the middle, blue 3 is a left back etc).

Quick thinking, technique, passing angles,
support movement, defensive transitions.

POSSESSION:
Intensity and angles of pressing,
compactness, interceptions, attacking
transitions.
VARIATION 1:
Progression to 5v5 + 3
VARIATION 2:
Progression to 7v7 + 3 (full squad rondo in
possession minus the goalkeeper. 4-3-3
formation).

SMALL SIDED GAMES

COACHING SWITCHING PLAY IN SMALL SIDED GAMES

Create overloads using neutral player and
switch play into under-loaded area

Recover the ball and counter
HOW TO PLAY:
Game 1: 5v5 +1
Scoring rules are as follows:
1) a regular goal is worth 1 goal;

2) scoring within two touches after a pass
from Zone A to Zone B is worth 2 goals.
3) scoring within two touches after a direct
switch in play from Zone A to Zone A is
worth 3 goals.
Game 2: 8+GK vs 8+GK +1
Scoring rules are as follows:
1) scoring a normal goal is worth one goal;

2) playing a pass/cross from Zone A to Zone
B and scoring within 2 touches is worth two
goals;
3) a direct switch in play from Zone A to
Zone A followed by the receiver scoring
within five seconds is worth three goals.

Positioning, quick passing, creating
overloads, use neutral player to gain
numerical advantage, switch play into
under - loaded area, diagonal balls,
penetrating runs, defensive transitions.

POSSESSION:
Intensity of pressing, compactness,
interceptions, attacking transitions.

TACTICAL PERIODISATION
technical
tactical
physical mental

MD+1 MD+2 MD+3 MD-3 MD-2 MD-1 MATCH
DAY
DAY OFF RECOVERY LOADING LOADING RECAP ACTIVATION GAME
GAME OPPONENT OPPONENT COLLECTIVE OPPONENT SET SUMMARY AND

FEEDBACK MISTAKES BUILD UP PRESSING WEAK POINTS PIECES SOLUTIONS
GAME DEFENDING ATTACKING/ COLLECTIVE SET PIECES

TACTICAL MISTAKES
CORRECTION
/ATTACKING
TRANSITIONS
DEFENSIVE
TRANSITIONS
WEAK POINTS
FITNESS UPPER BODY STRENGH ENDURANCE SPEED ACTIVE

RECOVERY
LOAD 3 9 8 7 5 10

POSITION SPECIFIC TRAINING

TACTICAL INTELLIGENCE
PAGE 29 TACTICAL INTELLIGENCE

COMPACTNESS - THE KEY PRINCIPLE?

DEFENSIVE COMPACTNESS
Ball oriented compactness

Space oriented compactness

Vertical compactness
Horizontal compactness
Vertical and horizontal compactness

COACHING DEFENSIVE COMPACTNESS

Create space and penetrate compact
defensive block

Maintain compact shape, deny space and
protect the goal
HOW TO PLAY:
Practice 1. Attacking team must get the ball

to striker, who is positioned in a restricted
area behind defenders. Once striker
receives the ball, he has to play it wide to
one of the neutral fullbacks. Once fullback
is in a position to cross or penetrate penalty
box, rest of the attacking players have to
run into the box to finish.
When defending team (black) recovers the
ball, they counter and try scoring into one
of the mini goals. Neutral fullbacks play
with the team in possession, but must stay
within their restricted areas on the wings.
Practice 2. 11v11 full size pitch. Defending

team (green) must stay within 4 conjoining
grids (2 vertical and 2 horizontal). Pressing
the player with the ball aggressively to force
a mistake or a long ball. When attacking
team switches play, defending team must
move together accordingly. When
defending team recovers the ball it has 10
seconds to complete the shot on goal.

Creating overloads, playing wide, quick
passing, switching play, moving between
lines and into gaps, penetrating runs,
crossing and finishing technique, defensive
transitions.

POSSESSION:
Compactness, cover angles, positioning,
interceptions, preventing crosses,
defending crosses, 1v1 situations,
communication, attacking transitions.

OFFENSIVE COMPACTNESS

GUARDIOLA'S POSITIONAL PLAY
Triangles, rhomboids and numerical superiority

Grids used by Guardiola to position players

City attacking formation: 2-3-5

COACHING POSITIONAL PLAY

Building from the back and progressing
into the final third. Utilising positional
awareness, technical qualities and quick
short passing combinations.

Immediately recover the ball and counter
attack.
HOW TO PLAY:
Positional rondo 1. Build up play practice

between defensive and midfield units
(black), Max 2 touches. Attacking unit
(green) pressing the ball aggressively, after
the ball is recovered, attacking team has 5
seconds to finish the attack.
Positional rondo 2. Build from the back and

progress into the midfield third. Defensive
unit and goalkeeper keep the ball with the
team in possession (green). Max 2 touches.
Once the ball recovery team (blue) regain
possession, they must finish the attack in 8
seconds (black and green teams
defending).

Quick thinking, support movement, creating
overloads, positional awareness, short
passing, play from the back, angles of
support (between the lines, into the gaps),
combination play to break defence,
defensive transitions.

POSSESSION:
Compactness, aggressive pressing,
interceptions, rapid attacking transitions.

COACHING PATTERN PLAY

Combination play to penetrate defence and
score

Stay compact and counter attack with
speed.
HOW TO PLAY:
Practice 1. Example of an unopposed pattern

play: central defender passes to inverted full
back, who then plays into dropping striker,
who lays off the ball to attacking midfielder in
the half space. Midfielder plays a through ball
in to the gap behind defensive line, with
another midfielder running into the box and
shooting or passing to one of the supporting
wingers.
Practice 2. Conditioned game to work on

patterns practised during unopposed practice.
Players positioned in their respective grids,
utilise movement and quick combinations to
penetrate defence and score. When defending
team (black) recovers the ball, they counter
attack with an aim of scoring to one of the
mini goals.

Quick thinking, support movement, creating
overloads, positional awareness, short
passing, angles of support (between the
lines, into the gaps), combination play to
break defence, defensive transitions.

POSSESSION:
Compactness, interceptions, fast attacking
transitions.

JURGEN KLOPP - GUARDIOLA'S ARCHRIVAL

COUNTER-PRESSING
City press high to force a long ball

Liverpool press the ball and set up a trap in midfield

Liverpool intercept the ball and play into the forward positioned in half space

COACHING COUNTER-PRESSING

Retain possession under pressure and
exploit space left behind by high pressing
unit

Recover the ball immediately and counter
with speed
HOW TO PLAY:
Practice 1. Defending team (black) only

allowed to have 6 players in the opposition's
half. Team in possession keeping ball with
max 2 touches. A sequence of 8 passes counts
as 1 point. Once the ball is retrieved, team
must transition into their possession half,
while team that lost the ball sends 6 players to
press and recover the ball.
Practice 2. Black team starts possession in

zone A and is looking to circulate the ball, and
send one of it's players into zone B. Only one
of each team's players is allowed to enter
zone B, where a 1v1 + GK is played out
(withing 5 seconds). Black team must
complete 3 passes before it is allowed to enter
zone B. Red team pressing the ball
aggressively, once the ball is recovered, it has
6 seconds to finish the counter attack.

Quick thinking, switch play, circulate the
ball quickly, forward movements.

POSSESSION:
Compactness, pressing intensity,
interceptions, rapid counters, 1v1
situations.

RALF RANGNICK'S TICKING CLOCK

COACHING OFFENSIVE TRANSITIONS AND VERTICAL COUNTER-ATTACKING

Retain possession under pressure,
penetrate defensive block and score

Recover the ball immediately and counter
with speed utilising vertical play
HOW TO PLAY:
Practice 1. Team in possession (red) keeps the

ball, 2 touches max. Once the ball is
recovered, black team has to score in one of
the mini goals (2 touches max).
Practice 2. Team in possession aiming to

penetrate defence and score. Defending team
(red) aims to recover the ball and play vertical
into one of the strikers positioned in zone A.
Red team has 8 seconds to score and get's
extra point per every additional red player in
zone A when the goal is scored (example: if
red team has 4 players in zone A when the
goal is scored, total of 3 points are being
awarded.)
Circulate the ball, quick short passing,

combination play, penetrate and finish,
defensive transitions.

POSSESSION:
.
Compact shape, pressing intensity, vertical
long ball when possession recovered,
support attackers, finishing.

TACTICAL FLEXIBILITY

COACHING ROTATIONS

Keep possession while moving into space,
penetrate defence and finish the attack

Recover the ball and counter attack
HOW TO PLAY:
Practice 1. Positional rondo 3v3 + 4. 2

touches max. 2 Midfield trios inside fighting
for possession, while neutral team (green)
plays with whoever is in possession. When
in possession, inside players can not stay in
the same same grid (as shown with the
blue team).
Practice 2. 9v9 Small sided game to

encourage rotations. Player has only 3
touches in the same vertical grid, in order
to be able to touch the ball again, player
must move into the next grid.

Constant movement into space in relation
to where teammates and opponents are,
awareness, quick thinking, communication.

POSSESSION:
Compactness, positioning, interceptions,
preventing crosses, attacking transitions.

THE MODERN CLUB
PAGE 52 THE MODERN CLUB

RED BULL FOOTBALL DIVISION - "ENTER THE NEXT LEVEL"

CONSTANTLY EVOLVING APPLICATIONS OF DATA

HOW IS TECHNOLOGY IMPROVING PERFORMANCE
The Helix © TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

Vienna testing system © TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Training inside Footbonaut © TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

Hoffenheim goalkeeper Baumann training wearing Visionup strobe glasses © TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

SoccerBot360 © http://soccerbot360.de

Beyond sports VR analysis suite at Arsenal FC © www.beyondsports.nl

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
http://keepitonthedeck.com/
https://trainingground.guru/
https://barcainnovationhub.com/
https://www.achtzehn99.de/
https://www.elartedf.com/
https://thesefootballtimes.co/
https://totalfootballanalysis.com/
https://spielverlagerung.com/
https://madsdavidsen.com/
https://www.fcevolution.com/
https://footballbh.net/
https://www.scisports.com/
https://www.beyondsports.nl/
https://www.redbull.com/
https://www.coachesvoice.com/
PAGE 62 FOOTBALL INTELLIGENCE

GET IN TOUCH
© Phase of Play Ltd. All rights reserved.
Phase of play
Phase of play
Phase of play
martynas@phaseofplay.com
PAGE 63 FOOTBALL INTELLIGENCE

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FOOTBALL INTELLIGENCE

HOW TO DEVELOP INTELLIGENT PLAYERS AND BUILD SUCCESSFUL TEAMS

5 PART I. THE MIND GAME

17 PART II. TRAIN SMARTER

29 PART III. TACTICAL INTELLIGENCE

52 PART IV. THE MODERN CLUB

Red Bull football division - "enter the next level"

© Phase of Play Ltd. All rights reserved.

PAGE 5 THE MIND GAME

PAGE 7 THE MIND GAME

PAGE 8 THE MIND GAME

PAGE 10 THE MIND GAME

PAGE 11 THE MIND GAME

PAGE 12 THE MIND GAME

PAGE 13 THE MIND GAME

PAGE 15 THE MIND GAME

PAGE 16 THE MIND GAME

PAGE 17 TRAIN SMARTER

PAGE 19 TRAIN SMARTER

PAGE 20 TRAIN SMARTER

OBJECTIVE WITH THE BALL:

OBJECTIVE WITHOUT THE BALL:

COACHING POINTS IN POSSESSION:

COACHING POINTS OUT OF

PAGE 21 TRAIN SMARTER

PAGE 22 TRAIN SMARTER

OBJECTIVE WITH THE BALL:

OBJECTIVE WITHOUT THE BALL:

COACHING POINTS IN POSSESSION:

COACHING POINTS OUT OF

PAGE 23 TRAIN SMARTER

PAGE 24 TRAIN SMARTER

OBJECTIVE WITH THE BALL:

OBJECTIVE WITHOUT THE BALL:

Scoring rules are as follows:

1) a regular goal is worth 1 goal;

Game 2: 8+GK vs 8+GK +1

Scoring rules are as follows:

1) scoring a normal goal is worth one goal;

COACHING POINTS IN POSSESSION:

COACHING POINTS OUT OF

PAGE 25 TRAIN SMARTER

PAGE 26 TRAIN SMARTER

DAY OFF RECOVERY LOADING LOADING RECAP ACTIVATION GAME

GAME OPPONENT OPPONENT COLLECTIVE OPPONENT SET SUMMARY AND

GAME DEFENDING ATTACKING/ COLLECTIVE SET PIECES

FITNESS UPPER BODY STRENGH ENDURANCE SPEED ACTIVE

PAGE 27 TRAIN SMARTER

PAGE 28 TRAIN SMARTER

PAGE 29 TACTICAL INTELLIGENCE

PAGE 30 TACTICAL INTELLIGENCE

Ball oriented compactness

PAGE 31 TACTICAL INTELLIGENCE

PAGE 32 TACTICAL INTELLIGENCE

Vertical and horizontal compactness

PAGE 33 TACTICAL INTELLIGENCE

OBJECTIVE WITH THE BALL:

OBJECTIVE WITHOUT THE BALL:

Practice 1. Attacking team must get the ball

Practice 2. 11v11 full size pitch. Defending

COACHING POINTS IN POSSESSION:

COACHING POINTS OUT OF

PAGE 34 TACTICAL INTELLIGENCE