Introduction to the Fundamentals of Collective Play

 Introduction to the Fundamentals of Collective Play

INTRODUCTION TO THE FUNDAMENTS OF THE COLLECTIVE GAME (COLLECTIVE ACTIONS)

Trends in modern football look at different game models, which have a common denominator: Any player has to know WHERE HE SHOULD BE and what he has to do at every moment of the match.

In this way, the holder can decide the action to be taken in relation exclusively to the opposition, knowing what his colleagues will do, therefore gaining in efficiency and speed of execution.

THE FUNDAMENTS OF THE COLLECTIVE GAME:

• They allow the coach to determine and train, in each GAME SITUATION, (according to the Game System used), the optimal location/position and displacements for each player without a ball, which will ensure the non-loss of their possession, a controlled progression and the consequent completion.
• They are manifestations typical of football, which occur during the development of the competition through the different Game Situations that manifest themselves.

These manifestations have always been given, but have not been systematized within the training, being considered, until now, only as simple considerations of the game.

• They are objective conclusions based on the SPACE/TIME factors and the OPPORTUNITY factors, which condition the player's game at every moment of the match.

They are manifested in training based on REAL GAME SITUATIONS, for the improvement/reduction of decision making in the development of ASSOCIATIVE GAME and/or POSITIONING.

• They become:
  • An element of the game that is essential to master, to be able to play correctly, using the control/associative game style.
  • An absolutely fundamental aspect on which football learning is based (this being its most transcendent characteristic).

We consider the following variables in relation to collective play:

• Automations: Dictatorship... lack of freedom.
• Basic order: freedom... without harming the teammate.
• Libertine: chaos... I "crack" the rest to run for me.

The concept of “foundation".

It was chosen according to the meaning obtained from the Royal Spanish Academy, which defines it as "Main reason or reason for the purpose of entrenching and guaranteeing something”.

In this way the FUNDAMENTS of the Collective Game are intended to be objectives/criteria (typical of decision-making) that allow to act/play football correctly.

The proposal of the fundamentals is based on the player learning the direct relationship between a certain Game Situation with the CONSIGNA that solves it (Optimal Response (RO- for each player that will allow him to adequately solve each situation).

The fact that the player directly relates the Game Situation in which he encounters the action to be performed (CONSIGNA),allows:

• Ensuring the development of a correct game, as the "chosen" action will undoubtedly contribute to solving the game situation.
• That you can master control of the ball, the game and the match.
• Reduce drastically:
  • The stimuli the player has to attend to.
  • The process of analysis of the decision mechanism as the complexity of the analysis is much less (although it always exists), both the player without the ball and the holder.
  • The times the player will need to execute any action, since it will not be necessary to wait for the complex mechanisms of perception and decision to be executed. This time reduction allows you to:
    • Focus attention on technical action, which will undoubtedly help to increase the level of execution (accuracy) and the speed at which it is performed (execution speed).
    • Use this time to manifest talent/improvisation actions.
  • The possibility of the loss of the ball

The player must learn and execute "this CONSIGNA" when the corresponding game situation arises, since for the aspects of space, time and opportunity that define it, there is no other answer that objectively allows, to solve it more effectively.

THE CONSIGNAS are always individual since the actions to be performed by the player(s) affected, are the ones that will allow to solve the game situation (relating its effectiveness with the sum of the slogans that each partner has to execute).

In order for these slogans to cause the desired efficiency, when executed, the basics/previous aspects of collective play (BASIC TEAM STRUCTURE), both in defence and attack, must be manifested at all times.

THE FUNDAMENTS try to make "less open" the situations in which the player islocated.

THE APPLICATION OF THE FUNDAMENTS PROVIDES US WITH THE FOLLOWING ADVANTAGES:

• Specifically and unequivocally train the causes that have caused the errors manifested in the competition, rated whether the error was caused by an execution factor or the lack of mastery of a Collective Gaming Foundation.
• Respect and enhance the actions of improvisation and individual talent (especially the holder).
• Train respecting the specific globality of football.
• Improve the effectiveness of our Collective Game, developing a correct game.

The current level of game intensity and opposition, forces to play at high speed, a fact that together with the extreme complexity of the game prevents in many cases the possibility of making correct and coordinated decisions among the players of the team.

• Improve player performance (both in collective situations and in the aspects of technical, tactical, psychological and physical execution in the competition).
• Gain an advantage over opposition in manifestations of technical-tactical situations during competition.
• Give the game a great and effective execution speed, since the holder will know what his teammates will do so that, for example, the pass can be made to space, receiving the running partner and appearing in this space, and thus having the time necessary to play the ball.
• Enhance the specific training of the individual aspects of the technique and tactics, so that the player experiences and masters all possible variables that each of the actions can present. This aspect will allow the player to use the most suitable for each game situation.
• That for the first time work objectives appear that are really GLOBAL OBJECTIVES, which is the main requirement posed by football, and that respond to the situations that players will encounter in the competition.

The fundamentals, depending on the characteristics of the game situation and its corresponding /s slogan/s, affect different areas of the game:

• The BALL HOLDER (P).
• INDIVIDUAL DEFENSIVE ASPECTS OF THE PLAYER WITHOUT BALL (D).
• INDIVIDUAL OFFENSIVE ASPECTS OF THE PLAYER WITHOUT BALL (A).
• COLLECTIVE SITUATIONS (SC).

Impact of fundamentals on the player.

The Basics have a different impact on the player depending on the situation in which he is:

• The fundamentals in relation to the holder
  • They allow, through the movements of the teammates, that the holder has between 4 and 5 game options.
  • They allow you to choose, from all the options, the most appropriate to your talent level and the priority recommendations established in the Consignments.
  • They allow you to guarantee the possession of the ball and its progression through the various options that will manifest.
  • They affect, on time, and only in some cases, the elimination of some of the 4-5 game options presented to the holder.
  • They enhance and facilitate the manifestation of talent actions of the holder, since it is he, finally, who decides the action he will take and will also have more time to do so.

In principle, the holder has two basic game possibilities:

• Pass the ball (pass, center, finish, clear).
• Progress with the ball (driving, haggling, wall).

The decision between passing or progress is absolutely at the discretion of the holder. For this reason, in the Fundamentals, it is only incides that the decision is made as soon as possible (before receiving the ball), performing the action of passing or progressing immediately after receipt.

The Fundamentals that affect the holder determine the elimination of one of the possible options. This is because it is the only option that is not logical depending on the game situation manifested, so that if executed it is almost certain that:

• Possession of the ball will be lost, or
• Even if it is not lost, the resulting playing situation will be much more unfavourable, wasting the most advantaged situation that would have been generated by implementing the slogan.

On the other hand, the Fundamentals "advise" the holder on the priorities of his game, as well as the aspects to be taken into account for the execution of the most appropriate technical action quickly and effectively.

However, the space, time, and opportunity factors (e/t/o) that define a game situation are highly variable, even within the same situation. This endpoint enables the application of a different action:

• Such "different actions" require a high level of talent/improvisation/execution:
  • The player can execute them once they have internalized the slogans specific to each game situation.
  • The player's talent can modify decisions but always from an established reference that allows the rest of the team a coordinated development of the game that collectively makes this variable effective.
  • In these circumstances we will allow the player to improvise alternative actions, as they greatly help to surprise the opposite.
  • The coach should assess whether the application of a different action than the setpoint was correct depending on the aspects of e/t/o that were manifested.
  • If the result of the action IS EFFECTIVE:
    • A talent/improvisation action will have been achieved.
  • If the result of the action IS NOT EFFECTIVE:
    • The coach will try to make the player assess the possibility of having executed the setpoint, noting that in addition to having avoided the loss of the ball, he could have taken advantage of the location and collaboration of the teammates in the game situation that would have been generated.

Even if the action has not been effective, if it was correct depending on the e/t/o aspects, we should not criticize the player for their attempt at improvisation, or prevent them from trying to make further attempts.

Despite this, if the player applies the setpoint, he will ensure that the action is always effective and correct (this being one of the most important features of the Fundamentals of Collective Game – ensuring a correct development of the game collectively.

Note that the player, through the Fundamentals, knows the slogan to be applied (knows, before receiving the ball, the action to be executed), which is why he will have "more time" to execute it (since the complexity of the analysis of the situation, and subsequent decision-making is reduced).

This increased availability of time allows the player to "fix", and therefore perceive any of these specific details of the e/t/o factors that enable the manifestation of a different action than the slogan (manifestation of talent).

This aspect of greater "availability of time" discussed above we believe is the great contribution of the Fundamentals of Collective Game to the development and empowerment of players' talent actions.

As a summary we can draw the following conclusions:

The Fundamentals of collective play in no case prevent improvisation or the manifestation of talent on the part of the player (provided that the player has a minimum level), but they enable and enhance them.

The coach must allow these demonstrations, but taking advantage of the negative results to raise awareness among the talented player of the relevance of the team and the collective game (as essential aspects of football).

Not only do the Fundamentals of the game not prevent these manifestations of talent, but even enhance them without harming the order, correctness and effectiveness of collective play.

The fundamentals in relation to the player who does not own the ball:

The Basics determine, in each GAME SITUATION (SJ), that you MUST DO:

• Each player must know, in each SJ and in relation to the e/t/o factors that define it, the movement that is most effective (optimal response /CONSIGNA).
• The player must decide the Consignment in relation to:
  • Whether or not you are in the game orientation.
  • Whether, or not, is found.
  • The willingness and possibilities of the holder (pass or progress).
  • His position relative to the ball.
• If in each SJ, and at the appropriate time, the established Order is executed:
  • There will be no loss of the ball.
  • The progression of the ball will manifest with options to finish.
• If the command is NOT executed:
  • You will probably lose possession of the ball (in 1st, 2nd or 3rd play).
  • Even without losing the ball, in the next SJ, the situation will be clearly unfavourable, wasting the situation of advantage generated by the application of the Consignment.
• The RO / Locker of the player without the ball does not require the use of a special talent, since it is only about being in the right location and making the established movements:
  • The only talent factor required is opportunity, (performing the right action/displacement at the RIGHT TIME). This aspect will allow, for example: "APPEAR" not to "BE" in the free space...

The fundamentals in relation to the Collective Game.

Fundamentals are not automations:

• AUTOMATISMO: Single and planned action to be performed, whatever the SJ (with or without ball). These features involve that the automations:
  • Be predictable movements.
  • Be easily opposed.
  • Don't be effective practically ever in the real game.

Applying the Fundamentals at the collective level, in each SJ, the holder, whatever their technical level:

• Have 4-5 game options.
• Whatever option is chosen, the new holder (new SJ), will have another 4-5 options... and so on.

This causes that in each Offensive phase, the game possibilities will be almost infinite, so that in each Offensive Phase in which more than 5-6 properly resolved game situations manifest, there is no defensive opposition that can be effective.

Even with such a large number of possible combinations, training will not be a problem for the player, as:

• The holder is presented with only an average of 4-5 game options.
• The player without a ball in attack is presented with a maximum of 15 to 17 game options that must be considered in their activity.

TYPES OF FUNDAMENTS:

The Universal Fundamentals are divided into:

• PREVIOUS F.U.: allow us to manifest a BASIC STRUCTURE OF THE right TEAM, both in defense and attack. It is necessary to be able to develop any other type of improvement of the collective game.
• BASIC F.U.:
  • They are applicable to any player/demarcation.
  • Essential for both player training and high performance in Senior teams.
  • They are part of the objectives of the training stages.
• F.U. BY DEMARCATION:
  • They are specific to each of the demarcations and/or game lines.
  • They are part of the objectives of the Technification Stage (specialization of the player).

MOVEMENTS OF THE GAME SYSTEM BASED ON UNIVERSAL FUNDAMENTALS.

They are Basics of exclusive application to a game system.

They are part of the objectives of the Maximum Performance stage.

Any other game system has its own System Moves.

They are a "resource" as long as players are not available that during their formative process, were not included in learning the Basics.

The Game System Moves that the trainer will design to apply to the team, and which will be defined in relation to the system you use, could be similar to those used on any other equipment that uses the same system. 

From this proposal, it will be each coach who will modify these movements so that they are exclusively in application for their team. These variants will be given in relation to the following aspects (both in attack and defense):

• Adapt the movements for each player in relation to their characteristics, so that the player must in no case develop tasks in which he is not a specialist, at the same time he can develop those that he masters especially. In this way, we will allow the manifestation of a high level of efficiency in the game of each player, and consequently an optimal level of performance of the team.
• From this adaptation of the movements to our team, in each weekly micro-cycle we will review and determine the variants taking into account the characteristics of the team against which we will compete, taking advantage of their weaknesses and counteracting their virtues. In this way we will be able to adjust the possibilities of overcoming it in the competition.

The Fundamentals of the system do not have their own "personality" as they are, in essence, the system movements that each coach develops for each player in relation to the different game situations related to the game system used ("system-specific space/time factors) and the variants that are determined for each match.

In order for these system movements to be considered System Fundamentals, the following characteristics must be presented and taken into account for their elaboration:

• That they have taken into account and that they do not contradict any Universal Foundation.
• Specifically concrete each Consignment, for each player, and for each game situation, related to the structure of the Game System being used.
• That allows the holder to perform:
  • One pass (maximum, if possible, 2 "tactical touches") to the space, in which a companion will appear (NOT "will be") in:
    • Depth (vertical and/or diagonal),
    • Horizontal (orientation changes), or
    • Emergency (security).
• That are:
  • Effective in the face of any kind of opposition.
  • Easy to assimilate and execute by players.

ANALYSIS OF THE BASIC "TYPE" CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OPPOSITION IN EACH GAME SITUATION.

The type features that the opposition can present allows us to determine some basic forms of their game. This aspect makes it possible to define in advance the Optimal Responses to be used, regardless of the specific opposition presented by the opposite:

• when defending: From our team's offensive perspective, we will obviously only assess the defensive phase of the opposite. In this sense we must take into account three generic concepts that any opposition necessarily presents:
  • Defensive structure used: -He has more players than us on his defensive line. -There will be a balance between your media line and ours. -As a result, you will present numerical inferiority of your line of attack to our defensive line.
  • Defensive forms used: We rely on the assumption that they use a tilting pressure zone defense. The different oppositions will place more or less emphasis on the area, tilting or pressure, but will mostly address these concepts:
  • It will hardly defend by performing an intense individual marking, which is why we do not contemplate this possibility, since it presents great facilities to be overflowing (through actions of 1:1, 2:1, through the incorporation of some man from our free defensive line, or movements to create and take advantage of free spaces).
  • Types of withdrawal used: We rely on the assumption that you use a medium/intensive retreat to your midfield. In the case of a forward pressure it will leave large spaces behind you, which can be taken advantage of using a long style of play (direct/in depth), or with changes in pace/orientation (short to long).

If these aspects are not met, the opposition will be easily overcome.

• when it attacks: To assess the success or failure of the defensive phase of our team, we must first refer to its objective: to recover the ball before it is topped, taking advantage of the mistakes that the opposite makes in its offensive evolutions, both individually and collectively.

If we fail in this objective we will analyze the different game situations that have manifested themselves during the defensive phase to detect the mistakes made.

In order to assess these errors it is necessary, previously, to have determined our "DEFENSIVE STRUCTURE", raising the specific defensive objectives of each line and each demarcation, in each of the 4 defensive sub-phases, largely depending on various aspects of the offensive phase of the opposite:

• Game system used.
• Number of players used on each line, relative to our lines in defense.
• Your style of play: Control (associative/positional). - Direct/deep. -Short to long. -Counterattack as the basis of your attack. 
• Its technical, individual and collective level.

Thus each coach (taking into account these aspects of the opposite) must determine the structure to be presented and the defensive objectives by lines and by demarcations for each of the game situations, in each of the 4 defensive sub-phases.

In this way, if our defensive forms (of the team, of each line and of each demarcation) are appropriate and executed correctly, they must provoke success in relation to the defensive objectives envisaged for the team, for each line, and for each demarcation, in each of the 4 defensive sub-phases.

If established defensive forms are consistent and support defensive success, we can objectively assess:

• Failure in the defensive game situation analyzed.
• The errors (decision, execution and/or the design proposed by the technical team) that may have been made in each of the defensive actions in relation to the defensive objectives of the team, each line and each demarcation, for each defensive sub-phase (avoid the effective game of the opposite, recover the ball, and / or avoid – in the latter case - the finish of the opposite).