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4 to 5 Year Old Soccer Players Profile

Thursday, June 18th, 2020

4 to 5-Year-Old Soccer Players Profile

INDEPENDENCE LEVEL

  • They have no soccer background.
  • They need others to learn from.
  • You are their role model.
  • You must teach them.
  •  You must be PATIENT!

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

  • Bones are immature
  • Rapid growth in large muscles.
  • Growth in height is more pronounced than weight.
  • Girls will be one year ahead in physical development.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

  • They need and want supervision of their activities.
  • They do not compete but merely imitate competition.
  • They exhibit sudden shifts in behavior from bad to good.
  • Boys will fight and wrestle – demonstrating masculinity.
  • They have a very difficult time cooperating with others.
  • Self-centeredness and boastfulness beginning to decline.
  • They enjoy group play – show preference for small groups.
  • Group members are continuously changing because of quarrels.
  • Boys and girls play together readily –but, for short period of time.
  • They want approval but do not seek it as actively as those who are younger.

INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT

  • They are interested in learning.
  • Playing soccer is stimulating for them.
  • Most know their right side from their left.
  • They like structure and are willing to apply rules.
  • They are aware of rules governing cooperative play – simple rules only.

UNDERSTANDING

  • Don’t bother placing them into positions – they will play bunch ball.
  • Gradually introduce them to play in larger groups – Begin with 1vs.1 game.
  • They will play at soccer by imitating rather than playing soccer.
  • They will play “Bunch Ball” and follow the ball wherever ‘it’ goes.
  • Games should not be too complex or too long in duration…

GENERAL IMPLICATIONS

  • Very short attention span – be Simple and Brief.
  • Provide full, physical participation for everyone.
  • They can learn to jump, skip, hop, chase and dodge.
  • Fun lies in kicking the ball rather than the distance or accuracy of the kick.
  • Opportunity to experiment with technique is more important to them than success in the technique.
  • They do not understand the concept of winning and will therefore believe everyone can win.
  • Soccer demands that the players be constantly moving; activities that force them to wait their turn are not recommended.

SOCCER IMPLICATIONS

  • PLAY SOCCER.
  • Be consistent in your practice session routine.
  • Give positive points of refinement to help self-improvement.
  • Assign homework on things that have been introduced.
  • Focus on teaching the 1 vs. 1 game.
  • PLAY SOCCER

Written and Submitted by

Koach Karl

(Karl Dewazien)

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Posted in Blog, Coaching Youth Soccer Tips, Farpost Soccer Goals News, Modified League Soccer, Small Sided Soccer | Comments Off on 4 to 5 Year Old Soccer Players Profile

Goalkeeper Training

Thursday, April 23rd, 2020

What makes good soccer goalie training?

Good soccer goalie training should mimic what a soccer goalkeeper typically faces in a match. Good training can improve a soccer goalkeeper’s agility, ability to track the ball, positioning, coordination, jumping ability, confidence and reflexes. Important characteristics of a good soccer goalie. The skills and training of a soccer goalie are unique to that of other soccer positions.

Becoming a better soccer goalie

How do you become a better soccer goalie? The simple answer is to master the act of catching the ball. Just making sure the ball does not land inside the goal is not adequate. Simply blocking shots will not do much more than improve your save stats.

This is an important aspect of goalkeeping to understand. Just blocking or slapping the ball away accomplishes nothing more than giving the other team another crack at the goal. Considering that the goalie is probably on the ground or out of position than the ball in the back of the net becomes a near certainty. If the ball goes over the end line or over the crossbar the other team has earned a dreaded corner kick. Next to a penalty kick or a free kick right outside the 18, a corner kick is the most dangerous play for a defence.

After the keeper is properly convinced that catching the ball is the most effective technique, the next step is to adequately train to reach this milestone.

The best place to start is to be in a ready stance. This increases your ability to catch soccer balls. This means be on the balls of your feet, knees and elbows bent and hands and arms relaxed in front of your body. Be ready to catch the ball and absorb the soccer ball’s energy as it hits you.

Repetition is the key. You practice like you play. A goalkeeper should attempt to catch every single ball in the air in practice.

It is efficient to train with a partner. Start off by kicking the ball in the air at each other. Make the shots progressively harder. Use a mix of volleys, half-volleys, shots of the ground and headers. Make sure to practice good form and fundamentals with each catch and most importantly, cushion each catch. Take the energy out of the ball.

Keep practicing catching and cushioning the ball until you develop the muscle memory to do this instinctively. It will become easier and easier the more you practise.

And remember to expect success…because it will come!

A portable soccer net makes a good soccer goalie

Having a quality soccer goal is an important soccer goalie training tool. The goal should be adjustable to various sizes, portable and easy to set up. The frame should be rigid so that you get a rebound off the posts and crossbar.

A perfect goal for the budding young goalkeeper is Farpost’s SharpShooter goal. The size changes from 4’x8′ to 4’x6′ to 4’x4′.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is img_7687.jpeg
Soccer goal converts from 4’x8′ to 4’x6′ to 4’x4′ within secondsh

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Evaluating your coaching effectiveness

Thursday, February 15th, 2018

You can evaluate your coaching effectiveness by the reaction of the kids to you and the game. Are they having fun? Are they enthusiastic? Do they go 100%? Do they have good sportsmanship? Do they have a positive attitude? Are they doing well in school? Do they play next year? My goals as a coach are to be a role model for the kids, to have them realize an education is important, to teach them a love of the game.

I begin my coaching courses by asking the coaches what a coach is. Webster’s definition of a coach is “A. A large usually enclosed four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage having doors in the side and an elevated seat in front for the driver. B. A railroad passenger car intended primarily for day travel.” I guess that kind of puts us in our place.

Actually that is a good definition of what we do. We take our players on a journey. I would like to think of it as a journey to success, to maturation and to self-fulfillment. I recognize I am being somewhat corny but this is why we are here – to contribute to the players development first as a person and secondly as an athlete. I judge my success by a smile. I know if the kids are happy they will want to do what I teach; they will try hard; they will love the game.

This does not mean we let them do what they want. No!!! Kids want and need structure. They want positive example. They want to give and receive respect. Practices should be well-structured. Utilize the ‘9-Step Practice’ to success. Do it with enthusiasm and the kids will respond. Have some dignity. Loud mouth individuals who scream at their kids and argue with the referees have no place on the soccer field.

Written for FUNdamental SOCCER
by Leonard J. Marks, MD

Final Notes:

Thank you for reading this article and Sharing it with your soccer community.
If you have any questions or comments on this subject please send them to koachkarl@fundamentalsoccer.com

Your FUNdamental,
Koach Karl (Karl Dewazien)

Emeritus Director of Coaching – California Youth Soccer Assoc. 1979-2012
Author – Internationally Published FUNdamental SOCCER Books Series
Producer – highly acclaimed ‘FUNdamental SOCCER -Practice’ DVD.
Clinician at: www.fundamentalsoccer.com

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How Do Kids Learn?

Saturday, January 27th, 2018

Kids are nonverbal or, as they reach the high school level, minimally verbal. So, how much should I talk… during practices? Not much. I would venture to say that for U-12s no explanation should last more than 10 or 15 seconds. After that half the team is tuning you out unless you are dressed up like a rapper and have a musical accompaniment. Instructions and corrections should be visual and in slow enough motion so the athlete can see it clearly. I prefer the explanation: “Like this” and then I show them.

For under 8’s, explanations are basically nonverbal. This past summer one of my partners took her 6 year old child to Indonesia to meet her side of the family. Michael and his cousins played hours a day with him not speaking their language and their not speaking English. They had a great time. They did not need verbal language. Ask yourself: When I am dealing with my younger kids does my verbiage translate into their action? Do they respond to my words or my tone of voice and body language?

How often should you correct during practices? During the non-scrimmages you should correct mistakes related to the theme of the practice as often as they occur. This should be done in a non-threatening, positive manner with minimal verbal speech and a good demonstration after which the player must execute the action correctly. If mistakes are made from topics in previous practices I would only rarely correct them; rather I would have a review session at the next practice. During the free play, NO CORRECTIONS.

Some say that 9-12 year olds learn in a cyclical manner, that the learning curve is not an arithmetic linear progression. I both agree and disagree. In general I feel that learning is often like using a yo-yo while walking up a flight of stairs. At times the yo-yo is up in your hand and relatively high while at other times it is down at your feet; however, after a few stairs the depths will be higher than the previous heights.

Many soccer skills are linear (taking into account the yo-yo effect). Dribbling is a clear example as are controlling and the skills involved in passing . The more kids dribble, the more they control, the more they pass, the better they will be. That does not mean we will see it in a game right off the bat. In order for a skill to be translated into game action it must be so well integrated into the player’s psyche that it becomes instinctual. This is where repetition is necessary; this is why the serve and the pre-serve (sprint/figure 8/move/reverse/serve) in our FUNdamental SOCCER 1+1 and 1v1 are so important and should never be taken lightly. It is incumbent on us as coaches to create game situations which require the skills or tactics we are teaching to be used in the 1+1 and the small sided games; i.e., you can only score with an instep kick; you can only score after a wall pass; etc.

Always be prepared for some setbacks – remember the yo-yo walking up the stairs. In the heat of competition things will be forgotten. This is why we have to repeat, repeat, repeat in a fun manner. Mistakes are okay. If the person improperly taking the throw in loses the ball he will learn. Take your mental notes then make corrections in practice

While the skills are linear, the tactics are logarithmic. You see very few at first; then in time the player will accidentally do what you have worked on; you will get stoked and enthusiastically positively reinforce his action; three games later he will do it again and receive the same response; the next game he will do it again and maybe get a shot on goal; finally he will have learned that it works and will start doing it frequently. Maybe, some of his teammates will catch on. “Wow, did you see what Jimmy did? I can do that.” Maybe eventually the whole team will do it (and maybe you will win the lottery).

Written for FUNdamental SOCCER
by Leonard J. Marks, MD

Final Notes:

  • Thank you for taking the time to read this article and Sharing it with your soccer community.
  • Please send your Comments on this subject and Questions to me at: koachkarl@fundamentalsoccer.com

Your FUNdamental,

Koach Karl (Karl Dewazien)

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Soccer Scoring Blowouts: A Primer on How Not to Run up the Score

Friday, November 10th, 2017

I really do not know how to begin this article.  I suppose I could begin with pithy statements about how demoralizing soccer scoring blowouts can be but I won’t (of course I just did).  What is more important is that you, the coach, know how to prevent a blowout with dignity.  In the list below I will present several techniques that have been and can be used to keep the score down.  While many are obvious some can backfire by having the players yell obvious instructions at each other (i.e. “don’t shoot”).  When we control the offense in such a manner to curtail scoring it is critical that it be done surreptitiously.  The other players must not be aware of what you are doing.  The purpose of the preventative action is not to prevent a tournament or league director from coming down on you for a ridiculous point differential but to preserve the dignity of the players on both teams and ensure their love of the game.

Vancouver soccer scoring blowouts

The first and obvious technique to keeping the score down is to play your subs; however, I firmly believe that all youth players must play half the game and that includes my studs.  If we have an early lead, I switch offense and defense with instructions for the new defenders not to cross the midfield.  The problem with using this technique on my teams has been that my defense usually consists of my stronger players and they have the capability of scoring.  I always expect my players to go all out and will never tell a player not to try.

The next technique is to only permit a certain number of players to cross the midfield line and/or prevent any player from going in the box.  This latter technique is a little too sophisticated for younger age groups.  If a player violates this rule, I do not yell to remind him, I sub.  While the losing team might notice the lack of attack, I do not want them to hear me yell it.

Some coaches inform their players not to shoot.  I don’t like this for two reasons:  (1) The players will often yell at each other not to shoot and this is demeaning to the other team and (2)  I never want my players to not shoot.  If they get a shot, they must take it – this is the game of soccer.  I just want to make it more difficult for them to get a shot off.

 I have seen teams play “no shots unless there are X number of passes.”  I don’t like it – the kids invariably count the number of passes out loud and after the hit X yell “now we can shoot.”  Again, this is demeaning.  I have also seen teams just play possession, and have had a team do this against me.  I hated it and felt degraded – I rather they scored.  I felt they were laughing in my face.

Other times coaches have indicated that only one certain player can shoot.  This works but it is artificial.  If a person has the ball and an open shot I want the attacker to shoot.

My favorite technique for keeping the score down is playing one or two touch in the opponents half of the field.  This is easy to adapt since many of my practices are one or two touch.  If a player violates the rule, I sub him – I do not keep loudly reminding my players “two touch” during the game.  I like this since it is still the game of soccer; my kids are trying hard and working the ball.  It helps them get better and it is still fun (but perhaps frustrating for the guy who ignores the rule and is subbed).

Other techniques include only permitting scores of a header, on a cross, from a wall pass, etc.  These techniques are more sophisticated but at the high school level I have used them with success.  Younger kids forget.

Before closing I want to emphasize one point:  I never yell reminders to the players to follow my constructs.  My players learn in practices that I am tough.  In practice games when I play two touch and a player exceed this, I give him a 30 second time out (which they hate).  They learn to follow instructions with a minimal amount of nagging.  In soccer scoring blowout situations I have rarely had to sub for “overtouching” and this includes U-10s.

 Almost finally I would like to add that sometimes in spite of your best efforts, the score will continue to build up.  If that is the case I am very fatalistic – I have sincerely tried and c’est la vie.

Overall the concept of preventing a blowout is an interesting one and one that I believe in.  I guess it goes to your philosophy of the game.  I try to imbue my kids with a sense of sportsmanship and use these situations as an educational tool to teach my kids about life.  Maybe it is a form of charity, but it is charity with dignity and when done well both teams feel good about themselves and want to come back to play another day.

by Len Marks, Pediatric MD.

FUNdamental SOCCER Staff Member

Final Notes:

  • Thank you for taking the time to read this article and Sharing it with your soccer community.
  • Please send your Comments on this subject and Questions to me at: koachkarl@fundamentalsoccer.com

Your FUNdamental,

Koach Karl (Karl Dewazien)

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Farpost Soccer Goals: Preventing Lopsided Scores #2

Wednesday, November 1st, 2017

This is a tough one…how do we prevent lopsided scoring and soccer goals without hurting either team? I have been on both sides. The first thing I would suggest is to make sure your team is playing in an appropriate league or tourney bracket level. That means the coach needs a good understanding and is honest about his team’s prospects. If the coach thinks his team is better than it is, lopsided scores will happen. If he just wants to win then he will sandbag in order to make himself look good. Both scenarios hurt the teams.

How do you handle when your team is winning handily? This is a great time for you to move players around without hurting your playing style. Take your goalkeeper and play him at center forward. This way if he scores no one can be upset and it will help keep the score down. Take your best players out for a while and when you sub them play them in positions they are unlikely to play in a big game. This will make them better tactically thus providing educational opportunities for your team. You also can explain to those payers and their parents that since Johnny plays most of the games this is a chance for Jimmy to get some more playing time.

Vancouver soccer goals Farpost

You can put restrictions on your players like you can only score off a cross or after a1-2 combination play. I would not tell them to play keep away as this make a mockery of the game of soccer and makes the other team feel even worse. It is hard to tell your player who never scores not to try (we have a hard enough time with developing goal scorers in this country as it is). I also would talk to the other coach and tell him what you are doing. I have beaten teams severally and told the coach that we were not trying to run the score up and most time they will understand. Of course having the reputation as being a good guy helps!

I have been on the side of my team being soundly beaten and the coach came up to me after the game and apologized. My response was that while I appreciate it, it is not his job to stop his own team from scoring, which is my job. In these games I tell my team at halftime that obviously we are not going to win the game but to try and see if we can improve and win the second half. Then we have something to build on.

After such a game I will talk to my team and their parents and let them know that this team is much better than us and I am glad we had the chance to play them as now we have some frame of reference into what skills, tactics and attitude we will need to if we hope to get to that level. In other words make a negative into a positive! Then get to work on learning a group how to play defense!

Roby Stahl,

Former DoC – Ohio Youth Soccer Assoc.

Final Notes:

  • Thank you for taking the time to read this article and Sharing it with your soccer community.
  • Please send your Comments on this subject and Questions to me at: koachkarl@fundamentalsoccer.com

Your FUNdamental,

Koach Karl (Karl Dewazien)

 

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Farpost Soccer Goals: Preventing Lopsided Soccer Scores (#1)

Friday, October 27th, 2017

Most of preventing lopsided soccer scores comes from good intentions and spur of the moment thinking.  But, better lessons are drawn from preparation. The same objectives from training should be used in games.

There is nothing worse than overt mercy.  The kids bragging after the game are overheard by the losing team that “we could only score with headers” or “we could only shoot after we juggled”.   Watching a clear opportunity be wasted with a precondition is nothing short of ridicule.  Besides, the benchwarmers want the same opportunity as the starters who rang up the goals.

soccer scores

So how does a coach keep clear focus on competitive soccer when trying to be gracious three or more goals up?  Obviously and foremost, give some players playing time.  But, emptying the bench is not the answer.  The players at the bottom of the depth chart develop by playing with the best players.  They also deserve to be given purpose in the game as every other player going in.  Playing a young winger to serve or new backs to possess will slow the game and create objectives to feature new players and slow the game.  Having a new midfielder in charge of changing the point of attack provides both an opportunity for valuable lessons and game slowing.  Training any striker to play as a target and distributor can be both valuable and slowing.  Make the game about the less-featured players and give them a taste of being relied upon.

No coach wants to put mittens on players’ boots.  A sharp eye for the goal must be cultivated in competition and training.  Feature the midfield sharp shooting during a lopsided game by using a two penalty box game in training.  Then, when imposing a condition in a lopsided game, the result is smooth and not ridiculous.  The call “1805” from the sidelines imposes the conditions that after 5 passes, players may shoot from outside the 18 yard box.  The 1805 game in practice keeps midfielders heads-up for their own chances while possessing the ball against strikers looking for theirs.  The field is two penalty boxes facing each other with full sized goals and goalkeepers.  Define the 18 yard line with disc cones.  Each team has 3 or 4 midfielders in the box farther from their goal and 1 or 2 strikers in the box with the goal.  No player may cross the 18 yard midline of disc cones.  Next to each goal is an arsenal of balls.  Only goalkeepers can put balls into play.  Balls out over sidelines or end lines mean the deserving keeper pulls one out and quickly puts a new one into play from inside the 6 yard box.

  • Training elements from 1805 are:
  • Midfielders under pressure looking for the goalkeeper out of position
  • Long shooting, quick decisions
  • Changing the point of attack quickly to create chances
  • Using strikers as targets and distributors, giving off one-touch chances
  • Strikers creating their own chances from loose balls or wins
  • Strikers turning or playing back to goal
  • Goalkeepers playing out balls across receivers’ paths
  • Goalkeepers constantly aware of positioning
  • Possession under pressure
  • High energy training

Evoking 1805 in a lopsided game provides high energy for both teams by pulling the intensity into the midfield.  An opposing goalkeeper can handle realistic chances without the chaos of their own defense breaking down.  Teams on the zero end blend better into the game and can probably dish out pressure on 80% of the field.  The winning coach’s own team maintains discipline and features different players.

Best of all, when it comes to soccer scores no team has to hear “Now you can only score with your head”.

By Diana Boettcher

FUNdamental SOCCER Contributor

Final Notes:

  • Thank you for taking the time to read this article and Sharing it with your soccer community.
  • Please send your Comments on this subject and Questions to me at: koachkarl@fundamentalsoccer.com

Your FUNdamental,

Koach Karl (Karl Dewazien)

 

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Farpost Soccer Goals: MYELINIZING

Wednesday, October 18th, 2017

I have an experiment for you. Take children of different ages who are engaged in an activity they enjoy. It doesn’t have to be scoring soccer goals! inform them that when the activity is over (about 20 minutes later) they must clean up their room or go out and bring in the mail or do something they probably would not ordinarily want to do; then see if they do it:

How many 6,7,8 or 9 year olds will do it?  NONE!

How many older pre teens will do it?  Perhaps a few more.

How many teens will do it?  Even a few more.

And as you get older consistently more and more will do it.

Brain growth and development hinges on environmental experiences (i.e. our upbringing, schooling and friends) and physiological changes.  It is the physiological differences between children and adults that are crucial for us, as coaches, to understand.  Surrounding nerve fiber is a form of insulation called a myelin sheath.  This sheath from insulation which prevents these fibers from “shorting out” thus permitting the transmission of a biophysical nerve impulse.

If a portion of the brain is not myelinized, that portion will not function.  An infant cannot walk until that portion of the motor cortex dealing with walking is myelinized.  No amount of exercise, occupational therapy, coaching, bribery, coercion or rewards will enable that child to move or walk sooner.

soccer goals Vancouver

How does this relate to us as coaches?  Simple.  A common coaching mistake is to consider kids little adults and treat them as such.  Obviously this will not work!

As an adult I will pick something up at a coaching course then immediately try it in my game.  I will keep trying it until I have learned it.  I do not need someone standing over me harping on whatever it is.  I am capable of intellectualizing the information and acting on it.

On my high school team, I will work on a technique or stratagem for four or five practices.  If I am lucky the kids will use it for fifteen minutes during the first half of the game; then 10 minutes (if I remind them at half-time) in the second half.  The coach of an under 10 team would be lucky if his players tried it once.

As coaches we must recognize that physiologically the child is still developing both physically and mentally.  His learning processes are different than an adult’s.  The youngster cannot and will not intellectualize techniques and tactics.  To achieve success we must deal with creating a desire to learn.  If the child has a desire to learn then he will repeatedly do the new technique and eventually create muscle memory; i.e. he will have learned something.

Chalk talks are essentially useless. First, no self-respecting child will listen to an adult for more than fifteen (15) seconds.  Secondly, the child’s auditory processing to memory connections just aren’t there (i.e., they won’t remember).

Until the brain has adequately matured physiologically, verbal data does not compute.

So, how do we coach/teach a child?  Talk briefly; demonstrate (Show & Tell); then have fun games or 1v1 games in which the new technique or tactic will create success.  Be positive and repeat the skill throughout the session creating muscle memory.  To achieve success the players must enjoy being successful. When it comes to scoring soccer goals, kids enjoy seeing and playing, not listening and standing.  Yes, I use the “FUNdamental 9-Steps Practice” because “IT”  works.  The more kids play soccer, the more the muscles will remember. It’s like riding a bike.

Do you remember learning to ride a bike?  Did you have a coach or paid trainer?  Did your parent’s give you bike riding lessons?  Did your parents make you learn to ride?  Were you lectured on techniques?  Were you lectured on bike riding laws?  Or did they provide you with the tools and then give you the opportunity to experiment your way to success?

by Len Marks, Pediatric MD.

FUNdamental SOCCER Staff Member

Final Notes:

  • Thank you for taking the time to read this article and Sharing it with your soccer community.
  • Please send your Comments on this subject and Questions to me at: koachkarl@fundamentalsoccer.com

Your FUNdamental,

Koach Karl (Karl Dewazien)

 

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Posted in Blog, Coaching Youth Soccer Tips | Comments Off on Farpost Soccer Goals: MYELINIZING

Soccer Goal Company Advocates The Diagonal System

Thursday, October 12th, 2017

As a soccer goal company, the team at Farpost Goals understands that excessive coaching from the touchlines and a demand for more officials is but one issue facing the sport.  Yelling and screaming from the sidelines which is allowed in some other sports further aggravates the situation.

Advocates of the Dual or Two-Whistle System as an alternative to the traditional three-official Diagonal System of Control often talk about such things as “better game control”, “more field coverage”, and “more enforcement of the Laws of The Game”.  The indication is that the modern game of soccer has evolved beyond the ability or capability of the traditional three officials system to properly manage a match.

Soccer’s uniqueness and enjoyment set it apart from other sports. The demands of physical strength and excessive team discipline, which some other sports require, have a tendency to detract from the finesse, individual initiative and creativity of soccer. Physical contact is expected in soccer.  Fair charging that is not “careless”, “reckless” or “with excessive force” is legal and can be as physical as the officials allow.

Instead of manipulating or changing the refereeing system, understanding the game, having better trained officials and improving coaching are needed to better manage the game. Emphasizing coaching during practice and allowing players to use their skills and intelligence during the games does not sit well with those team leaders who were raised with other sports.For coaches to quietly observe the game, analyze it and look for creative ways to strategically help their team deal with the opponent, as is common throughout the world, is an extremely difficult task for many.

 Law 5 states the role of the referee:

The Laws of the Game are intended that the game should be played with as little interference as possible and in this view it is the duty of the officials to penalize only deliberate breaches of the law.  Constant whistling for trifling and doubtful breaches of the laws produces bad feelings and loss of temper on the part of the players and spoils the pleasure of the spectators.

Referees must use knowledge of the game and the “spirit of the game” to officiate a contest that is fun, fair and safe for the participants and enjoyable for the spectators.  Soccer is a game for the players and the referees are there to orchestrate the match not to control it.

History and tradition have shown that the three-official diagonal system works because it is simple and is designed to assist in the playing of the game.

There are three factors that MUST be present for the system to work: Communication, Positioning and Team Support.

Communication:  A pregame meeting is a valuable way to alert the “other officials” (previously known as assistant referees) to what is expected and be prepared for unusual situations.  The primary accepted position is for the assistant referees to constantly be in line with the second to last defender or the ball (whichever is closer to the goal line).  However there may be game situations when the referee and assistants need to take up a different position in order to be in the best position to make proper calls.  Communication before and during the match is vital to the success of the referee team.

Positioning:  The positioning of the referee and other officials as the match progresses is a critical way to properly control the match. The referee should be located where play can easily be observed and controlled, without interfering, and simultaneously be in a position to make the best use of the assistants.  Eye contact between the officials is very important and the flag should be held in a position of maximum visibility so that signals are not missed or misunderstood.  Keeping play between the referee and the lead assistant continues to be a basic expectation of the three-official system.

Team Support:  While working together as a TEAM the officials can be effective in properly managing a match within the spirit of the laws as enumerated in Law 5.  A well trained referee with qualified and empowered assistants will adequately orchestrate the match and maintain the flow of the game.

The diagonal system with three trained officials, six pairs of eyes and only one whistle has proven to be the most efficient way to control a game while allowing better consistency of calls and maintaining the flow of the game.

Those who promote additional officials with whistles should first look at the violent conduct and the good or bad behavior of the coaching staff and spectators which is in turn mirrored by the players on the field.  Changing the Laws of The Game or having more people on the field with whistles will not eliminate those problems.

Farpost soccer goal company

Still the Best Alternative (The Diagonal System of Control)

 By — Pat Ferre

USSF Referee Grade 15 Emeritus

USSF Referee Instructor

USSF Referee Assessor

USSF Referee Assignor

District-7 Youth Referee Administrator (DYRA)

Final Note:  Farpost Soccer Goal Company thanks you for taking the time to read this article and Sharing it with your soccer community. Clicking Like and Commenting on this subject is very much appreciated

Your FUNdamental,

Koach Karl (Karl Dewazien)

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A Referee’s Perspective on Sideline Coaching by Farpost Soccer Goals

Wednesday, October 4th, 2017

A Referee’s Perspective on Sideline Coaching by Farpost Soccer Goals

 

As a professional Soccer Goals company, the team at Farpost Goals knows it’s important to consider a game from a referee’s perspective, coaches are permitted to provide tactical instructions to their players during the game. Unfortunately in many youth games the most common “tactical” instruction heard from coaches on the field by the players (and referee) is “Go, Go, Go” which doesn’t impart any knowledge, insight or direction for the players. As my Daughter commented about her previous coach, “Does she think I’m going to ‘Stop, Stop, Stop’ if she doesn’t yell ‘Go, Go, Go’ all the time?”

soccer goals by Farpost goals

Referees should step-in and warn (analogous to a player being cautioned), a coach if he or she:

1. Moves more than 10 yards from the halfway line up or down the touchline in either direction; assuming teams are on opposite sides of the field,

2. Threatens to remove a player if said player doesn’t improve his or her play to the coach’s liking,

3. The coach harangues any player, which can be defined as a coach ranting at a player, or

4. Of course cursing by the coach would demand an immediate dismissal (analogous to a player being sent-off).

Referees need to be keenly aware of the potential for verbal abuse by coaches towards their players and deal with it immediately. Invariably the player who incurs the wrath of the coach most often is the coach’s own child! The coach can’t separate his role of coach from that as parent and feels he’s entitled to say anything he or she wants to his child because “I’m his Father!”

The game of soccer is so fluid with dynamic play that by the time most tactical instructions are given by coaches, they are no longer applicable to the current situation at hand. When you have both coaches constantly barking out commands, then it’s just a cacophony of noise emanating from each sideline. Add-in the parents cheering and yelling and no wonder the players just try to tune-out the noise, focus and play otherwise If they don’t, how can they enjoy the game?

As a referee, verbal abuse from coaches “goes with the territory.” However, as a referee our job is to enforce the laws and protect the players. Unfortunately sometimes this means the players need to be protected not from only the opposing players on the field but also from their own coaches’ verbal comments from the touchline. As a soccer goals company, the team at Farpost Goals would like to remind everyone that civility and sportsmanship are important lessons on the field.

David Bragg

National Referee Emeritus (2010 – Present) National Referee 1997-2009 MLS AR 1996-2009 Indoor Referee Futsal Referee State Assessor State Instructor FUNdamental SOCCER Contributor

Final Note: Thank you for taking the time to read this article from Farpost Soccer Goals and for Sharing it with your soccer community. Clicking Like and Commenting on this subject is very much appreciated,

Your FUNdamental,

Koach Karl (Karl Dewazien)

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Posted in Blog, Coaching Youth Soccer Tips, Portable Soccer Goals | Comments Off on A Referee’s Perspective on Sideline Coaching by Farpost Soccer Goals

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