Today's tip involves the Three (3) Tactical Zones. Remember, there
will be a test!
In tactics, we divide the field into three zones. They are the Defending
Zone, the Midfield Zone, and the Attacking Zone (Look at the
attachment).
Which zone your team is in and if you are in possession of the ball affects
what tactics you are going to use. What does that mean? I compare
the
zones to the lights on a traffic light:
The Defending Zone = RED LIGHT - STOP!
All tactics here are to keep the attacking team from
advancing the ball
toward our goal. We DELAY the player with the ball, and COMPACT
our team
between the attackers and our goal. We MARK all players TIGHTLY.
If we get
the ball, our effort must be to get the ball out of the RED zone as quickly
as possible. We never fool around or take wild risks in the RED zone.
Dribbling is limited to two or three touches. Long passes to the
midfield
are the priority!
The Midfield Zone = YELLOW LIGHT - CAUTION!
If the other team has the ball, we want to DELAY to allow
our defense to
form goal side of the ball. We want the opposing team to be forced to
pass
back or attempt to switch fields to allow us a chance at the 50-50 ball.
If
we have the ball, we are looking for making the PENETRATING pass into the
Attacking zone. We want to keep possession, so accurate passing and
shielding the ball while we dribble is important.
The Attacking Zone = GREEN LIGHT - GO, GO, GOOOOOOAL!
If the other team has taken the ball, we IMMEDIATELY want
to PURSUE, and
GET THE BALL BACK! It is better to get possession near their goal than
to
have to bring the ball (and RUN) all the way back up the field. If we
have
the ball, every effort is made to SHOOT and SCORE. We take risks and
fight
for every chance to SHOOT. Basically, if you are in the Attacking zone,
you
GO CRAZY! One touch passing and quick ball control dribbling are the
skills
needed in the Attacking zone.
Next time you watch a soccer match, try to key in on the way teams play in
the different zones. If you have any questions about this tip, just ask.
Coach Rob
