Make a Decision and Learn

Soccer has no patience for indecisiveness. Soccer will not wait for uncertainly to fade or allow a player to over analyze any situation on the field before making a decision. Soccer is extremely impatient and it expects a player to make choices immediately and often. Any hesitation or second guessing will be punished with a loss of possession and mounting frustration. The game rewards confidence. Confident decisions, right or wrong, gives the player the opportunity to be successful or the opportunity to learn and get better. When a player makes no decision, not only will he lose possession of the ball, but there is nothing to be gained or learned… well except that next time a decision needs to be made.

When players get the ball on the field, it is important that they try to do something with it. Whether it is dribbling into space, controlling the ball and finding a pass, taking a shot, turning, etc… the player should always make a choice with the ball based on what the player sees. Often a player receives the ball, and is paralyzed by uncertainly on what to do next. Either he has it in his mind already what he wants to do, but that option is not available, or he sees multiple options and is not sure which one to choose. He wants to make sure he does not make a mistake, so the player just sits on the ball waiting for the game to force him to do something. Although, normally a defender takes possession of the ball before anything can be done.

I tell players to do what the game is asking them to do. Not the coach or a parent, as it is the game that presents the problem and has a solution. The player should have an idea of what to do with the ball before having possession BASED ON WHAT IS SEEN going on in the game, but also should continue to evaluate that decision as the ball arrives. Players should constantly scan the field to see what is happening around them instead of just following where the ball is with their eyes. Players rarely look to see what is happening in other areas of the field since they are only focused on the ball.

Once the ball is on their foot, the player needs to make a decision. Based on what is happening in that moment of the game, a choice needs to be made. The longer the player sits idle with the ball and takes no action, the more time defenders have to close down the space, take away options, and win possession of the ball. The faster a decision is made the less time defenders have to prepare or anticipate what the player may do with the ball.

Another side of this is when a player is looking for a “better option” with the ball. The player really wants to go forward or take a shot, but currently there is no opportunity to do so. The player has an option to play the ball back or across the field, but chooses to sit and wait with the ball, hoping a “better option” will present itself. Instead of playing the pass or taking space that is available, the player spends too much time looking for something different and eventually loses possession or tries to force something to happen that is not available.

Now, I am a coach that advocates that players should know what they want to do with the ball before the ball arrives. The goal is that the player can prepare the ball for his next move with the controlling first touch and execute a decision quickly. Unfortunately, I have found that many players, when asked to do this (especially young players), have a hard time changing their mind once they decide what they want to do when they get the ball. When the player gets the ball, as I wanted him to do, he knows what he wants to do with it and goes with that decision. The problem is that things in the game are constantly changing, so players need to make sure that what they wanted to do is still available. If something has changed, then the player needs to react and play according to those changes. So yes, the player needs to make a decision, but it needs to be made in real time, even when the player has an idea of what to do with the ball before gaining possession. As the pieces move on the field and the situation changes, the player needs to be decisive in that moment. Making a decision too early, too late, or not at all, are all costly when trying to keep possession of the ball.

The biggest benefit of the player making a decision and acting on it is that it gives the player an opportunity to learn. By making a choice and trying to play, the player will get immediate feedback from the game. Either the choice worked or it did not. The thing player’s have to be careful about when evaluating those situations is when something does not work, is it because the decision was not the right one, or did it not work due to a technical deficiency of the player (i.e. – an inaccurate pass)? In both situations, the player will have learned a valuable piece of information that will help improve his level of play. Either a player’s decision making or ability to execute those decisions will be challenged or affirmed.

When a player hesitates on the ball or just kicks the ball away without any thought, there is no opportunity to evaluate or learn from that moment in the game. The only things evident are: 1) the player either lacks the skills or confidence to try anything with the ball, 2) the player does not know what to do with the ball, and/or 3) the player is afraid to lose the ball (usually due to being ridiculed by coach, parent, or teammate).

Like at any other time in our lives, it is better to fail confidently than it is to fail from inaction or fear. Doing nothing accomplishes nothing, and it provides no opportunities to learn and grow. This is why it should be demanded that players constantly make choices on the field based on what the game is asking of them, and confidently execute those decisions and learn from them each time. Those choices should not be about avoiding losing the ball. Instead, those decisions should be focused on trying to keep the ball and improve the technical and tactical skills required to play the game.

In short, the game is the best teacher ONLY when it has a group of kids who are willing to actually play the game, make decisions, and learn from those decisions.