• Shoes
o Proper way to tie shoes
Shoes that come off during a game are not tied properly. It is irritating to see the same players constantly needing to tie their laces.
Here is how I teach players to put on their shoes:
Before putting the shoe on the foot, loosen the laces completely, so that the foot slips in comfortably into the shoe.
Next, starting with the lowest part of the lace, pull it snug but not too tight so the foot feels snug in the shoe.
Continue to do the same all the way to the top of the shoe.
Pull the foot up towards the face as much as possible and tightly tie the lace.
Release the foot and the lace should be tight but not so tight that it hurts or is uncomfortable.
Double tie the lace, leaving the second knot fairly lose so it can easily be undone.
If done this way, the shoe should never come off during a game.
o Type of shoes and/or cleats.
When players are younger (under 8), I discourage the use of cleats. The problem is that they see the other players with cleats and they just have to have them also.
Cleats for the older players are designed for traction and firm movement. They are supposed to dig into the ground for that. The problem with cleats on hard ground is that they do more harm for a child trying to balance on them than good. If the ground is soft, they are good to have on.
Cleats or shoes at the youngest age levels last almost less than the length of a season before they seem to grow out of them. Parents don't want to buy another pair before the end of the season, and many time players wear shoes or cleats that are too small and too tight.
Soccer cleats, if one so chooses to purchase, are NOT like baseball cleats. Soccer cleats may not have the front cleat, regardless of material. The studs themselves must me of a safe material, not metal and if screw-in type must have the screw on the cleat, not the shoe.
Normal running shoes are allowed in soccer.
When I coach or referee and the ground is hard, I will wear my running shoes to keep from hurting my ankles and knees. If the ground is soft, I will wear my cleats.
o Size
Cleats should be measured just like regular shoes. There should be enough room in the front so that the big toe doesn't touch the front of the shoe, yet not so much that the foot slops around in them.
As a child, and well into adulthood I was never comfortable in any shoes I bought, or my mother had bought for me. I began to buy larger length shoes to accommodate comfort.
Not till many years later when I had my feet properly measured did I realize that my feet were EEEEEE wide (actually slightly wider than that even). There were no shoes on the store shelves I could buy to fit properly. Today I order shoes online from a company that sells EEEEEE wide shoes.
Cowboy boots I had to have special made to fit.
o Wear for soccer only (bringing street shoes and changing)
The habit of players of putting on their soccer shoes or cleats at home and wearing them to practice or games is not smart. Other than the obvious wear on hard surfaces and the danger of slipping, it is an abuse of a player's equipment and should be discouraged. Have them wear their street shoes to the field and change before and after the game.
• Cold weather clothing
(((((((((((((((((More coming soon on the subjects below))))))))))))))))
o Practice
o Games
o Before warm-up clothing
o After warm-up clothing
• Miscellaneous
o No sleeve ties
o Looking “sharp” in games and practice
o No hats
o No jewelry
o No hair pins or metal clips
• Soccer ball
o Size
o Material
o Care
• Field
o Goal and net safety
o Corner flag regulations
o Marking on field (not allowed)
• Attendance
o Importance
o Punctuality
• Academic requirements (school work)
• “Homework” (working on drills at home)
• Respect and expectation reference
o Coaches
o Parents
o Other players
o Other teams
o Referees and other officials
o The sport
• Miscellaneous
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Space Recognition (Copy also on the drills and things page)
When I talk about "space recognition," I am addressing the fact that players need to know what is going on in the space around them as well as on the rest of the playing field. Whether they have the ball or not, players need to be taught to react with anticipation. We'll see players during scrimmages and games who stand around, watching the game rather than participating in it.
Teach them to not concentrate on the ball. That is usually why players bunch up or just watch. They don't have the concept of space recognition and anticipation down. Many have a tendency to focus on the ball because in their mind there is only one thing to do: score. What occurs is that a group of players "chase" the ball wherever it goes, regardless of spaces needing coverage.
Start with a team instruction (remember to keep it short) and telling them not to focus on the ball, but rather have an awareness of where it is. Then begin to think ahead of the play, i.e. anticipating. By anticipating where a player with a ball will likely go or do with it, many times the advantage is gained.
This relates to both defense and offense. In defense it allows the player to be at a better advantage to take the ball or intercept the ball from an opponent. In offense it places the player in a position of advantage. Usually this means that they get farther away from their teammates with the ball and in an excellent supporting position.
To do this properly, they must recognize the spaces on the field and determine if they should shift, sag or move.
Recognize, however that at the younger age levels, the most difficult thing to teach is for players not to bunch by focusing on the ball and nothing else. Players will even "steal" the ball from their own team mates during a game. There are some ways to teach the Under 8 (U8) player to spread out. One effecitve way at this level that I found is to give points to players, each time they open up space between them and anpother team mate. They enjoy being rewarded, even if it is only in points. It would be good if you had something to give those with a certain number of points, like patches, stickers or anything small.
Play the game, not the ball"
Field space recognition
Again, one of the problems that coaches face is "bunching" of players. This problem can occur at all levels of play. It is prevalent in the lower divisions where we'll see players "chase" a ball. We used to call it "ants on a gumdrop." Particularly at the U6 and U8 levels, but also at the U10 levels players have a tendency to adhere to this practice. Sadly, if the team is winning games, coaches tend to not work on correcting the problem. Hence, at the higher divisions, players aren't cognitive of recognizing "field space."
Field space is a term I use in describing the areas on the field that players need to be acutely aware of, either to cover, potentially cover or chose not to cover. In choosing not to cover, it usually means that another player is covering the area in question. By teaching players to anticipate what is probably going to happen to the ball when in play, your team will do less "chasing" and conserve energy rather than waste it. In lower divisions chasing the ball results in bunching, in higher divisions it results in more than one player covering the same space, wasting valuable resources.
At the U8 and U10 levels, I teach players to simply "not bunch." I try to have them recognize that when a player from the same team is close to them, to create more space between them. It is frustrating to see players trying to take a ball away from a team mate during a game. It is usually caused by players who are so focused on the ball that they forget to support their game.
There are a few terms I will call out during a game, some so many times that parents behind the touchlines start to repeat them. I will not tell a player with a ball what to do with it. Coaches at youth levels are notorious for telling players during the heat of a game to "shoot, pass, go left, go right, etc." My instructions are calls to players without a ball. These are calls for the shift and sag, support and proper coverage of space. One of the few things I may call out is to a keeper if he or she freezes as an opponent approaches with a ball. I may call out "charge the ball," to ensue that the keeper remembers to reduce the area of opportunity of the opponent. Something I will call for players to pay attention to the game, not just the ball: "Play the game, not the ball." Not to say they don't need to know where the ball is, rather that players without the ball need to be sure that it is not their absolute focus.
Beginning at the U12 level, I'll start to work intently with field space recognition. This is the practice of first anticipating where the ball will most likely go, either because the opponent has the ball or a team mate does. Second is to then recognize the "safe areas" and the "danger areas." The safe areas are the areas where no harm will be done if the ball goes there, or the player's own team is adequately covering. The danger areas are those that will create a situation where the other opponents gain an advantage if left uncovered.
The space recognition starts with an extremely important factor on the player's part: awareness. Players must be aware of the space around them. Then they need to evaluate if they are in the most advantageous position for defense and offense. Remember that players, although assigned defensive positions, become offensive players when they have the ball, and offensive players become defensive players when the opponent has the ball.
Once a player recognizes a danger area, he or she must then make a decision to cover, call for someone else to cover (part of communicating) or move to another space that is more dangerous. If properly covered during a game, no matter where the ball ends up, there will be a team's player within advantage distance. If players are too close to each other (the old "bunching" term, but in upper division usually involves two or three players in one coverage space), the field coverage breaks down into a disadvantage for your team.
As a reminder to check to coverage areas, or field space, I'll remind them by calling out: "look around." If they have been taught to do this in practice, they will slowly begin to grasp the concept, and you'll be pleasantly surprised at how easier the game gets. They will look around for opponents, their own players and spaces where the "holes" exist (the danger areas) and where they need to shift, sag or move to.