I
What are the most
n modern football, a
key to the success of
a team is the ability,
on the part of the
coach, to be able to
adequately convey the principles
of the tactical game system of
choice.
How to transmit these concepts
to the team?
Learning in training is essential.
Learning on which we build
the success of a team, training
should be organised so that
the time available is used to
maximum effect, looking for
ways to involve the entire
squad. Themed games, games of
location and situation etc ... are
some of the methods available
for coaches at all levels to try to
build the team in his image and
likeness.
TRAINING
THE TACTICAL SYSTEM & THE
STARTS OF PLAY WITH EXERCISES
OF 11 VS. 11
Author: Michele Tossani. Trainer UEFA Pro
Photos: Getty Images
appropriate methods in a
given situation? It depends
on the characteristics of
available players. However,
some general rules have
changed over the years. For
example, in the 90's the game
of movements, or 11 against
0 without opposition, seemed
the most appropriate method
to teach players how to behave
and what movements to make
in the offensive phase. Today,
situational exercises, with the
presence of active opposition,
are considered more
functional and successful in
order to accustom players to
cope with the different game
situations.
Within these means of
learning, there is a special
role for games of 11 vs. 11.
While the exercises with less
confrontation, such as 6 v
6 or 8 v 8, are not unusual,
when you want to train to
educate players in certain
tactical behaviours, the games
of 11 vs. 11 are usually used
by teams, sometimes using
these 11 vs. 11 to training for
the weekly friendly against
a smaller team than the
traditional weekly microcycle,
which in Italy usually takes
place on Thursdays. But these
games of 11 vs. 11 could be
proposed as training all week,
even daily.
 TACTIC
Exercises 11 vs 11
ADVANTAGES &
DISADVANTAGES
Exercises of 11 vs. 11 like any
other training exercise have
advantages and disadvantages.
Here are some;
ADVANTAGES:
■They are greatly appreciated by
the players;
■Train all the squad at the same
time without 'dead time'
■Involve a high degree of
intensity and competitive level
▶Require holders to give
everything and put the reserves
in a position to challenge the first
choices directly, giving the coach
a better overview of the level of
the entire squad
■Train players in real game
situations similar to the
competition environment
▶Allows training of goalkeepers
in the same context as the rest of
the team
DISADVANTAGES
▶Some players can "hide" in
these games
▶ In an 11 v 11 each player has
less chance to touch the ball
than during games with fewer
players
▶ The physical load may not be
the same for all players
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▶ To gain the trust or attention
of the coach, some players may
abuse excessively the competitive
spirit, with the risk of injury
▶Time is needed for other types
of exercise, and these are time
consuming
However, calculating the benefits
and finding a remedy to the
disadvantages, this type of
exercise, is highly formative, and
could be the backbone and the
main choice of team workouts
during the weekly microcycle.
This is good for the teams that
have few training sessions and
must, therefore, take a broader
1 approach to team training and
because they do not have much
time to work out details, but
they are also beneficial for the
professional or semi-professional
level teams , who have more
training sessions in a week.
We will examine some
examples of weekly training of
a professional team and who
within a week of work, can
dedicate some exercise sessions
to 11 vs. 11.
2 3
MONDAY:
Active recovery
11 vs. 11
Surface of midfield with headed
goals as warn-up, followed by
11 vs. 11 unopposed to develop
starts of play from defence to
midfield and attack.
IMAGE 1
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 TACTIC
Exercises 11 vs 11
TUESDAY: rest
WEDNESDAY:
Situation of collective play
11 vs. 11 for possession of the ball
and defensive pressing, plus counter-
attack in reduced space.
IMAGE 2
11vs11 in one half of the pitch, a team
trains the movement of the ball under
pressing situations by ultra-offensive
rival and the other team trains ultra-
offensive pressing
IMAGE 3
THURSDAY:
Situation of collective play
11 vs. 11 in a reduced space, between
the two lines at three-quarters level
of the pitch, to work on offensive
pressing, the start of play, the high
defensive line and the offensive and
defensive transitions.
IMAGE 4
FRIDAY:
Situations of collective play
11 vs. 11 in reduced space, with
two teams alternating according
to the tactical system of the nearby
opponent.
IMAGE 5
SUNDAY: Match
IMAGE 5
26 / ISSUE 98 FUTBOL-TACTICO
CONCLUSIONS
The proposals are just
some examples of
exercises of 11 vs. 11
that can be used by a
team during the weekly
microcycle. Obviously,
the dimensions of the
pitch and the playing
time of each exercise
4 will vary depending on
the physical load that
each coach has on any
given day. Likewise,
the exercises may vary
depending on the specific
tactical principles that
every coach wants to
convey to his team.
What this article aims
to show is that 11 vs. 11
exercises in training have
high value and can be
used in every workout,
taking into account the
5 6 intensity modulation
and physical burdens,
which means they do not
need not be undertaken
in reduced spaces only
at set time in the weekly
training and are often
underestimated■
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