One of my favorite things to watch a player do on the field is to “bait” a defender into biting at a move or feint and then quickly taking the space the defender left. I love watching a player confidently move the ball towards a defender and set the defender up to miss the ball. What makes it so enjoyable? It is not a very common skill among youth players, so we do not see it that often. Yes, kids know different moves and feints, but very few really know how to use those moves to set defenders up to fail. Many can perform a “step over” but they do not know the best time to do it to get the defender to lunge for the ball. Like when someone goes fishing, you cannot just throw your line in the water. It is critical to know where to fish, when to fish, and use the right bait in order to catch a lot of fish.
When working with players on the ability to take defenders on and beat them with the soccer ball, there is often a great display of skill moves and creativity which is great to see. With that said, often, this is a lot of “activity without purpose” on the ball. Players need to have a variety of moves they can use to beat defenders, and be confident to use those moves, but more importantly, the players need to understand why and when to use them. This will be different for each player based on their strengths and weaknesses, but each move should be done with purpose.
For example, if a player is doing a “fake – take” when they lunge past the ball with one foot and then take it with the other foot past the defender, a pretty basic move that is very effective, does the player know why they faked left or right? Or does the player always go in the same direction when performing that move? We want a player to recognize space or an opportunity to move the ball forward behind the defender, but the player needs to try to get the defender to step out of the space the players wants to attack. If the player wants to attack to the left, will the player fake to the right to move the defender and then take the open space? Often, the player just does the move and then attacks in the opposite direction without much regard for what the defender is doing or where the space is on the field.
I have asked players before, “Why did you go that direction?” Normally, they do not have a reason, but it is special to hear a player explain where the space was on the field and how he was trying to get in to it. It shows a tremendous understanding of the game and ability to translate “skill moves” into a practical and effective way to beat defenders in the game. This is when moves become very useful for players and the game becomes much easier because the player realizes a critical part of the game. Simply, the defender cannot take away all the space on the field. There is always something exposed that can be attacked.
Simple concept, but players do not realize it. The defender can only take away the space he is currently standing. By using moves and feints, a player can move a defender out of space that the player on the ball wants to attack. As the defender “bites” on a player pretending to move or pass in one direction, the player easily can move in the opposite direction with the ball. The player sees the game as simple as moving the defender in one direction to go the other. Like playing chess, and “baiting” someone to take your Pawn, but by doing so, it exposes the other player’s Queen.
This is a different approach than most players take. As many players will just throw a barrage of moves at a defender, but really have no purpose or direction to any of the movement and effort. After all the fancy foot work, the player is still in front of the defender with the ball. More often than not, all that unneeded activity creates more opportunity for the attacking player to make a mistake and lose control of the ball, making it easier for the defender to to win the ball and gain possession. I want players to be creative and crafty on the ball, but that does not mean complicated. Often, creative and crafty is a simple, but unexpected, movement with purpose.
When it is with a purpose, and players recognize opportunities to use moves at the right times, it is like fishing in the right spot, at the right time of day, and with the right bait. You are more likely to beat the defender, just like you are more likely to catch a fish. Having a fishing pole and bait does not make you a great fisherman, just like knowing a bunch of skill moves does not make you a great player in 1v1 situations. Knowing how to use the tools in the right way is the key difference between being average and being great. As players need to develop the skill level to perform various moves with the ball, those skills then need to be put into context so they understand how, where, and why “to fish” with them in the game.
Like a veteran fisherman will tell you, there are not a set of rules about how and where to fish to get the best results. Often decisions are made by instinct and experience over a lot of practice and time improving their craft. For players, this is true as well. There are no set rules about how to use skill moves and feints in games. It is about finding the way it works best for the player. Over many attempts, successful and not, players can develop an understanding of how best to use the skill moves they learn. This is a key reason why it is important players are given the freedom to try those moves often in practice and games.
Eventually, those decisions are not even really decisions. At the speed in which the game moves, players will need to react almost subconsciously to what is happening around them and utilize the needed move without thinking about it. That only comes from a lot of time and experience trying skill moves in real game situations, and getting the feedback from the game on what works. Players begin to pick up on cues and movements of defenders which trigger a reaction that is appropriate and helps the player beat the defender or keep possession.
Think of it this way… when a defender steps in front of a player to win the ball, the player cuts the ball back away from the defender without a long thought process of, “Oh, here comes the defender, which foot should I use to cut this ball away from the defender and which way should I go?” It just happens based off of visual cues and what the player has learned over the years of playing. It becomes an automated response which appears to give the player more time and increases their speed of play. Without any hesitation or pause, the player makes a move. This is why at the professional level, it may seem that the players have a lot of time and space on the field, but in reality, the decisions are being made so quickly that it only appears they have more time.
Not only do we want players to learn a variety of skill moves and be confident in their use, we want players to develop an understanding of how to use them. When players understand why and how to implement skill moves in a game, it makes it very easy for them to “bait” defenders in and “catch” them out of position. Only through constant repetition, meaningful practice, and encouragement from the coach using guided teaching methods, can players begin to figure out how best to utilize their ability to beat a player in a game.
Over time, they will become expert fisherman with a “wall of defenders” to show off all their best catches.
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