Small – Sided Games

A Coaching Model
Return to Street Soccer
Street Soccer
Soccer Education Process

 It’s more about solving problems,

much more than just mastering techniques
 Small – Sided Games:
most efficient and effective way to create
meaningful, realistic problems for the kids to
solve.
 The solution, then, belongs to the players
Small – Sided games

 Learn the game through games

 You cannot teach faster than the
kids can learn.
 When does the teaching stop, and the
learning start ?
 Players take ownership of the game
Recess vs PE Class

 Performance in real games vs real

opponents
 The fluid, chaotic setting of soccer
resembles recess more than PE class
 Learning will require a different model
 Small - sided games bridges the
structure of PE class and soccer’s
competitive and chaotic nature.
No Lines, No Laps, No Lectures

 The small – sided games model

requires the coach to construct
simplified forms of soccer each
centering on a real soccer problem.
 The children learn how to play the
game by mastering each simplified
form.
Soccer is a Game – Play On

 The small – sided model is designed around

the players solving simplified soccer
problems with their skill.
 The game is the main source of instruction
and the focus is on learning as opposed
to teaching.
 Games revolve around solving problems
and at the end of the game, there is
feedback (result).
Team Play Requires Teamwork

 Soccer is a game of us vs them.

 It requires cooperation and
competition.
 We have to solve problems and give
problems they can’t solve.
Elements – define what soccer is

 Goals give the game meaning and

direction.
 Field sets the physical boundaries
 Ball – possession determines roles
 Rules set limits and controls behavior
 Players – teammates (cooperation)
opponents (competition)
Soccer – by definition

 Soccer is a game with specific rules

between 2 teams and each team is trying to
score more goals than the other team.
 Small – sided games provide the most
natural, efficient and effective way for
children to learn the game.
 They learn the techniques and tactics, find
solutions to problems and determine their
own level of involvement.
Coaching in small – sided games

 The first step is to identify the problem

 Adjust the elements accordingly
 Build the game around an actual
soccer problem
 Tweak the elements until right
 The “coachable moments” will happen
repeatedly.
Goldilocks rule

 Make the necessary adjustments until

the game is right for the kids.
 Consider all the elements and
remember to keep the activity age-
appropriate.
 Too much or too little will stifle progress
Principles of Play

 In Possession:
 Penetration and Depth – threaten the
space behind the opponents
 Width – stretch the defending team
from side to side
 Mobility - attackers switch or change
positions
 Principles of Play
 Opponent in possession:
 Apply pressure – single most important
defensive principle - mark player with the ball
 Cover and support – helping player
 Balance in defense – distance between
players – no gaps between players
 Depth in defense – when the defense
cannot be beaten by a single action
 Compactness – numbers around the ball
Soccer’s Main Moments

 We have the ball – ball possession

 They have the ball – lost possession
 Transition – losing possession and
regaining possession

 The immediate position of play

determines when and where the
players move within the game.
1 vs 1 through 8 vs 8

 Each level will build on and incorporate

the lessons from the preceding one,
while laying the ground work for the
next.
 1 vs 1 – it’s all on you !!
 2 vs 1, 2 vs 2 – now with a teammate
 3 vs 3 – first sign of shape – triangle
 4 vs 4 – new shape – diamond (depth)
1 vs 1 through 8 vs 8 (2)

 5 vs 5 – field players only – add an

additional player in the center of the
diamond
 6 vs 6 - now include the keeper
 7 vs 7 - introducing wingers
 8 vs 8 – beginning of line play
( keeper, backs, midfielders, forwards)
1 vs 1 through 8 vs 8 (3)

 Distance, angles, timing and learning

to use them properly is developed as
you progress through the different
levels.
 As young players are exposed to a
variety of games, they learn the ideas
and master the techniques necessary
to progress to the next level.
Coach – The Soccer Doctor

 Observe - reading the game

 Diagnose - what’s going wrong ?
 Prescribe - build a small – sided game
 Treat – patience, tweaking, repeating
The Soccer Problem

 At what moment – we / they have ball

 What is the problem ?
 Whose problem is it ?
 Where on the field does it occur ?
 When does the problem occur ?
 Why does the problem occur ?
Build a game to correct problem

 Start with the players that have the

problem
 Create a field where the problem occurs
 Duplicate the situation
 Include only rules that can help correct
 Stages of Learning

 Remember that a team can only travel

as fast as the slowest player.
 Stage 1 – Orientation
 Stage 2 - Look for the biggest problem
 Stage 3 - Fine tune the solutions
 Stage 4 - Progress to different games
 Stage 5 - Evaluation
Orientation

 Be very brief getting the game started

 Most games should take less than
1 minute to get started
 Use this period to evaluate the game,
not the players, because first you
must make sure that the game is right.
 Tweak the elements as necessary to
enhance the learning process.
Look for the Biggest Problem

 Ask yourself, “ if I could change one thing

to make the game better, what would it be ?”
 Concentrate on the one team that may be
the biggest problem.
 It’s about solving problems
 The team that is better at giving and solving
problems has a real advantage.
 Fine Tune the Solutions

 After awhile most of the organizational

problems will be solved.
 You will know that happens when the
teams play a pretty good-looking game,
with confidence and sense of purpose.
The game flows.
 Continue to challenge them with new
ideas or increase the speed of play.
 Progress to Different Games

 Learning is a permanent change in

behavior.
 When players carry the lessons learned
from one game to another, knowledge has
been internalized.
 Small – sided games pose problems for kids
to solve. They take those solutions to the
next game and learn new ones.
Evaluations

 Objective - scoreboard, won/loss

record, goals for/against --
 Measurable and quantifiable
 Subjective - “what you like “, opinion
 Evaluate things that are under your
control – keep in mind that time must
be wisely used
 Limiting factors
in player development

 Talent - inherited traits – speed

 Motivation - internal and external
 Internal – self-generating force -
self-starters
 External - rely on outside sources for
inspiration
 Environment - the atmosphere you
create at practice and games -- FUN
Evaluating Player Types

 Start with just 3 categories:

 Those who score goals
 Those who make goals
 Those who win the ball back
 Pay attention to their natural
tendencies -- where are they most
comfortable and effective ?
Evaluating Player Types (2)

 Is the player at the right level ?

 At the right level, but in the wrong role
or position ?
 Players sacrificed for the good of the
team – (need a keeper or left back)
 When the level changes – promotion
or relegation
The Players Key Qualities

 Technique – the tools that a player

needs to accomplish their objectives
 Insight -- Reading the game,
understand a situation and have a
solution.
 Personality -- handle pressure,
stress and adversity – team player
 Speed -- physical, mental, technical
Coaching Mentality

 First things first:

 Get their attention and have them buy
in to the message
 The connection between your players’
thoughts and the results of their action.
 Coach their thinking to change their
behavior
 Coaching Mentality (2)
 You cannot see anyone’s thought process
 You will need to infer by observing body
language, listening to comments, and asking
questions.
 Become an active listener and a critical
observer.
 Consider how much they care, their fear of
failure and how quickly they grasp things.
 Consider winning soccer as playing good soccer
Concentration in Youth Players

 Success depends on their ability to

concentrate.
 Concentration is defined as directing
one’s attention to something in
particular.
 Players must keep their attention
focused on their immediate situation.
Concentration in Youth Players

 Small – sided games develop concentration

by engaging players in continuous play.
 Both mental and physical concentration and
stamina are developed.
 Standing in lines allow concentration to
wander.
 Put them in situations where they can’t afford
to daydream.
 Concentration Breakers

 Outside influences – parents, referee,

coach, injury, fear of failure
 When the game stops -- ball out of play
 Transition moments – ball change hands
 Fatigue -- when physical fatigue meets
mental fatigue, learning takes place.
 Release from tension – pressure’s off
Developing Concentration
 Work smarter, not harder
 Mental training is one of the biggest
differences separating small – sided games
from drills and exercises.
 In small – sided games players stay
engaged and have a vested interest in the
final result.
 The continuous flow of the game forces
players to stay focused at all times.
Concentration Summary

 Small – sided games are the most

practical way to mold the basics of a
player’s mental development at the
earliest possible age.
 A good way to increase their mental
capacity to resist distractions is to
decrease the amount of time that
players have to think and act.
Street Soccer in the 21st Century

 Small – sided games trace their origins to

the street soccer games of the past.
 They represent a return to the old-school
style of learning, free form recess rather
than a structured PE class.
 Player – centered
 Kids set their own standard
 Ability, not age main criteria
Street Soccer in the 21st Century

 Street soccer was played in an

endless variety of forms, with different
numbers, on different surfaces, with
different goals, rules and even different
balls.
 Players learned quickly how to adapt
to the changing situations and
conditions.
Street Soccer in the 21st Century

 Small – sided games allow children the

greatest opportunity to develop all the
basic skills within the context of the
match, while they also encourage
children to develop their own identities
in the game.
Playing Better Soccer is More Fun

 Playing Better Soccer is More Fun

A Companion Workbook for the Street Soccer DVD
or a Stand Alone Guide for the Small-Sided Games Coaching
Model
Proceeds from each sale go to the Chris Nedelcovych Soccer
Foundation
a registered 501-c-3 nonprofit organization with the mission of
helping young
coaches continue their soccer education. By investing in
tomorrow's coaches today
through its "Youth Coaching Youth" programs the CNSF is
having a positive
impact on soccer's future.
Playing Better Soccer is More Fun

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