Switching Play - Key Points & Consideration
Each session within these pages contains individual coaching points relevant to that specific session. The below are general, dribbling related coaching points, presented in line with the FA's 4 Corner model.
Switching Play - Key Coaching Points (FA's 4 Corners)
| Technical | Psychological |
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- Movement into space one step ahead of the play to create an option for the switch. Timing of these runs is crucial to creating effective options.
- Quickly move the ball from where the congestion is to where the space is.
- Type and execution of the switching pass - could be an aerial ball, a driven pass on the ground, several quick, shorter passes (ensure players understand the technique required for each of these)
- Ball control / first touch
- Passing empathy - where does the player receiving the switch want the ball to allow play to continue at pace?
- Body shape when recieiving the ball - how do we receive the ball to allow us to play quickly? Across the body, open body stance to allow us 180 degrees of options, onto opposite foot etc.
- Play with your head up so you know what's around you.
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- Recognise when to switch play, individually and as a team (and when not to).
- Individual decision making (when to make a run into space, when to provide support, when to play a pass to switch play and when not to)
- Communication (tell the player on the ball what to do with it)
- Confidence to try things outside comfort zone (a long pass for a player who is more comfortable playing short for example)
- Awareness of where the space is and when we might switch the play (both for the player on the ball and the player receiving the ball)
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| Physical | Social |
|---|
- Speed and fitness to get into space to create an option.
- Strength / power to strike a long range pass effectively.
- Balance & agility (first touch, receiving)
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- Working as a team
- Encouraging team mates to be positive and try things.
- Communication
- Have fun!
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The KEY thing when considering switching play and why we do it is having the players understand that we want to move the ball quickly, from an area that is congested and allows us little opportunity to move forward, into an area where our players have space because there are fewer opponents. The ball moves faster than a player can run, so if we can move it quickly, we can create opportunities for ourselves before the opposition can cover.
Switching play can be across the pitch, horizontally or diagonally, it can be from back to front, it can involve one long range pass or a series of shorter passes executed quickly, or even a long throw in. Whatever form it comes in though, it's about quickly getting the ball into an area where there is space.
Considerations for Setting Up Switching Play Sessions
A few things to think about for any switching play session...
- Size and shape of area - to effectively be able to switch play in a match situation, your players need to have practiced it in an area that's realistic to the size of area they may have to pass over to switch play, so practicing in an area that allows them to replicate this is going to be useful. Some of the skills required to switch play effectively (particularly the mental skills of thinking one step ahead, awareness etc.) can be replicated in a smaller area though, so if you only have access to a small area, you can still work on some aspects of the topic, just make the players aware that they then need to "scale up" when going into a match situation.
- The make up of the teams / groups - are you trying to develop everyone equally on this topic so go with constant rotation of roles (probably at the younger age groups) or are you trying to develop patterns of play with specific groups of players to whom those patterns are relevant (perhaps more with older players). You can replicate game situations by putting the usual starting players in a practise that mimics their game day positions (a switch from your right back, through the centre mid to your left winger for example). Not saying anything is right or wrong, but based on what you want to get out of the practice, think about how you set up the teams / groups etc.
- Avoiding queues and lines - this goes for virtually any kind of session, especially in cold weather.
- Developing everyone - give every player the chance to get used to both playing passes that switch the play and also receiving those passes (and defending against them). Having each player understand all the possible roles involved (including your goalkeeper, who could be crucial to switching play) is essential to developing them around this topic. So rotate roles, especially at younger ages, as much as possible.
- Make things game realistic - having players practise the techniques involved in switching play is useful to introducing the topic and building an inderstanding of what's involved, but on match day they will have opponents closing them down, team mates around them and potentially the pressure of a result hanging over their heads. To prepare your players for this, you need to move on from the technical introductory practices and allow them to practise working on switching play in more game-like situations. Introduce pressure from opponents, use goals or targets in the practice to make it directional and make it competitive to start to replicate the pressure of a game situation. Also, kids love playing matches, so letting them do that, whilst giving them a topic to focus on within that match is a great way to coach that topic. If required, you can add in restrictions or conditions that allow the players to find themselves in situations where a switch of play might happen more often than normal.