I am shocked to see that coaches do not use a Soccer field diagram to teach the kids various soccer formations. Or else, they are unable to make the kids understand the meaning of 4 important positions. These include Forwards, Midfielders, Defenders, and Goalie. We’ll chat about these one by one.
Forwards: These players are positioned next to the opponent’s goal. Their role is to convert the passes into goals which they get from their fellow players on different positions. For this reason these players need to be the strongest since they shoot the maximum goals. This is important even if they do not have other skills of great quality.
However, it is obvious that all the players keep moving from one position to another. When forward players play in the middle, they are known as strikers and wings when near the touch lines. Yet, consistent with main role as forwards, they should be physically strong and have powerful shooting toes.
Mid-fielders: As is clear from the name, these players play in the middle of the soccer field. Their role is to grab the ball, pass it to the forwards so that they can further score the goals. Their count is normally 5 or 6. A soccer field diagram should clearly name their position.
The coach should focus on improving the tackling and dribbling abilities of the players. This is what helps them in stealing the ball from the opponents and thereby aiding repeated attacks on the opponent’s goal. Apart from this, they should be good at passing the ball. These are one of the most important soccer positions on the field diagram.
Defenders: These players protect the goal from attacks and hence are called defenders. As you can visualize, their position is crucial. They are 3 to 5 in number and stay close to goal to avoid attacks.
In addition, their task is also to take the ball from the goalie and pass it to the players. A skill that is of paramount importance to them is to kick the ball to the midfielders and the coach must lay special emphasis on it.
Goalie: The all important person who takes charge of goal post and has to make every effort to save the ball from crossing over to the goalpost. When the defenders are unable to stop the charge towards the goal, it is the goalie who has to take the charge.
Since the goalie has the advantage of using his or her hands, the coach should use his creativity to invent special soccer tactics, drills and exercises that help him make the most of it.
Now that you know this, design a soccer field diagram and then discuss it with your players. This will let them understand the significance of the various positions. Our youth soccer coaching community is home to several such useful articles, newsletters and videos. Subscribe today and make good use of them.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andre Botelho is the author of “The Expert Youth Soccer Coaching Guide” and he’s a recognized expert in the subject of youth soccer coaching. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun in less than 29 days! Download your free pdf guide at: Soccer Practice
