Tactics involve the WHAT of soccer: what the player chooses to do given a determined situation. At all times during the game players make decisions–hundreds, even thousands of them! Their ability to make fast, sound decisions under pressure is deeply related to your ability as a coach to teach them proper tactics.
Good coaches will have their players memorize situations and actions to take: “if this happens, you have to do this… if that happens, you have to do that…”
In contrast, great coaches will help their players think for themselves: “where are your teammates? Where are your opponents? What are your options right now? Which is the best one? Why do you think that?”
Keeping this in mind, read on to better understand useful and practical tactics and how to teach them to your players.
4.1 – Positioning for goal kicks
4.2 – Attacking waves
4.3 – Monkey in the middle
4.4 – Keep-away and small sided scrimmage
4.5 – Scrimmage with neutral wings
4.6 – Scrimmage on divided field