| Origin Of Creative Latin Play
 Futebol was introduced in Latin America by Charles Miller from England and in 1888 the So Paulo Athletic Club was formed. At first Futebol was only played in schools and athletic clubs for Europeans or individuals of European ancestry. The vast majority of the population, lacking the resources to attend the schools or join the athletic clubs where Futebol was played, fell in love with the game but could only play pick-up games wherever, whenever and with whatever they could.
In 1930 in Montevideo, Uruguay Juan Carlos Ceriani created a 5 versus 5 Futebol game, including goalkeeper, for children that was played on hand ball courts. Because large fields of publicly owned flat land are not available in most of Latin America, the small sided version of Futebol played on a small court or piece of land quickly became very popular.
The original 5 versus 5 game system was a static 1-3 with a single defender who never attacked and three attackers who never defended. In 1950 the static 2-2 system with two defenders who never attacked and two attackers who never defended became popular. These static game systems, like static full sided soccer game systems that restrict a players movement, keep players from learning the skills and understanding of the game that are required to play well.
In the late 1950's the first dynamic game system with player movement to create greater goal scoring chances, the 3-1 (played as a 1-2-1) was first introduced. The modern 3-1 features three defenders and a single point (or target) player up top, but with dynamic movement by all four players to create scoring chances on the attack and to apply pressure and deny scoring chances on the defense.
Small sided games with dynamic systems of play force all players to learn all aspects of the modern game. The result is close to Rinus Michels (FIFA's Coach Of The Century) vision of having teams were all players are capable of attacking and defending as individuals and as a team . . . what many came to call Total Soccer. The first dynamic system most players of the 5 versus 5 game learn is the 3-1 and it is the system we cover first. |
U.S. Soccer Workshops At The
2008 National Championships
Spain's National Men's Team Coach
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Previous Issue Recap
- Attack With Urgency When The Attack Is On (has a reasonable chance of success). An urgent attack with a good chance of success keeps a defense off balance and can create the chance for a shot on goal.
- Patiently Possess The Ball When The Attack Is Not On (has little chance of success). Possess the ball to give your teammates time to quickly move forward from behind. Players moving quickly forward forces defenders to adjust and creates chances for a shot on goal.
- Create Width To Create Space In The Creation Area. The more space between teammates the greater the opportunity for one or more players to make creative runs and create a shot on goal.
- Provide Defensive Cover And Balance when outside defenders make attacking runs forward.
- Provide Ahead Of Or Behind Square Support for any defender with the ball. Avoid square passes.
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 Successful teams attack with urgency when the attack is on. For example D the defender can pass to P the point player. As the ball is passed players L on the left and R on the right can make slightly curved runs at speed towards goal. If either L or R are not covered and are open then P deflects the ball to them for a one touch shot on goal. Very direct and very effective against opponents who do not defend or mark well.
If the quick attack is not on players L and R must cycle back towards their own goal so that players P and D can use the space created when they cycle back.
The catch is that teams that attack with urgency against more modest teams soon get promoted to play against teams that defend and mark well. When the quick attack is not on a team must be patient and keep the ball to give teammates from behind time to rush forward to support the attack and create scoring chances. See Creating Chances The Easy Way and Creating Chances With Movement below.
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Teaching Creative Play
 "The difference between creative ball handling and playing creative soccer as a team is what every player does when he/she does NOT have the ball." Jack Wall, 2007
In small sided 4 versus 4 games you have width, depth, support, cover and most of the other game elements you have in a full sided game. What you don't have in a small sided game played in a small area is anywhere to hide. You are either a player who plays most facets of the game well or you need to become a more complete player so your teammates in the full sided game do not always have to cover for your mistakes.
Playing creative soccer as a team requires good ball handling and other skills, which are covered in many online videos, video tapes, clinics, camps and coaching courses. The subject of this email series is teaching creative team play using simple movements by four field players to create chances to score.
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Create Chances The Easy Way
 Even very simple movements can create a chance to score.
When playing an opponent who uses man marking (guarding) when defending, a simple carousel rotation of four (or even three) field players can quickly confuse one or more opponents and create a chance for a shot on goal. The key to success is for the player with the ball to keep their head up and to keep looking for a teammate who becomes open for a quick shot on goal. Of course, the player with the ball may find they have lost the player marking them and that they are open to shoot.
The carousel rotation is also a very simple teaching tool for coaches. It is very simple to point out that when Dick runs from one place to another, he creates space for Jane to move into. Learning that space for teammates is made when you move to a new position is key to players learning how to make space for teammates and to see the space that is created when a teammates moves.
 When the opponent is tight man marking any movement of players who are in a diamond or triangle can quickly cause one or more players to become open for a quick attack on goal. This rotation is also worth trying on teams playing a zone defense to see if they know how to correctly adjust. If they know how to adjust correctly this rotation will not be as effective. If they make errors in adjusting this rotation can create chances to score. Rotations can, of course, be clockwise or counter-clockwise.
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Creating With Movement
When the quick attack with urgency is not on. When a carousel rotation does not work. Then the fun for the players, coaches and spectators begins.
In soccer and in FIFA's 5-a-side Futsal game every player on the pitch must support their teammate with the ball at all times. The player with the ball should have a minimum of two safe options at all times in both games.
 When you are playing a quality opponent you create your own chances as a team. Opponents will usually react to movement of the ball, their teammates and the players on your team. Because not every attempt to create a scoring chance will be successful, an attacking team must constantly attempt to create scoring chances. This constant attempt to create chances to score is mentally and physically exhausting for opponents who eventually make mistakes leading to goal scoring chances for your team. When a player moves forward but can not create a chance to score they need to re-cycle back into defensive support to create space in the creation area for other teammates to make supporting runs forward.
In the diagram above player D (defender) passes to player R (right) while player P (point) makes a run to the same side of the pitch. This single pass to R starts any of over a dozen different creative movement patterns that can lead to a chance to score.
Take an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper, draw a pitch on it and take four coins out of your pocket. Consider just two options. Option A the central defender did not follow P. Option B the central defender did follow P. In both cases the supporting players must move to support the attack while having at least one player available to be a safe outlet pass for R. What movement patterns can work and what do you teach players to help them learn to solve this problem? What role does the goalkeeper play in creating space?
Next Week - Some Of The Movement Options For This Problem
Next Week - Teaching Supporting Movement Exercises and Games
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 The creative game is based on the players shared understanding of the game as a team, because team movement to create goal scoring opportunities requires that all players work together and share a common vision of how the game is played. In many counties players on the same team watch their national or favorite professional team all of the time and share a common view of how the game is played. This common vision of how the game is played is essential to playing a successful creative game.
Jack Wall
Washington Area Futsal League, Training Director |
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