Soccer Field Diagram – Tips On Soccer Positions
I am shocked to see that coaches do not use a Soccer field diagram to teach the kids various soccer formations. Or in case they do it, they fall short of making the players appreciate the significance of 4 main positions. They are Forwards, Midfielders, Defenders, and the Goalkeeper. Let’s discuss these individually.
Forwards: These are players who position themselves near the opposition’s goal. Their job is to translate passes into goals made to them by other players in various positions. As these players make the majority of efforts to shoot goals, they’ve got to be very sturdy. This is still very essential even when their other skills are of modest quality.
Nevertheless, let it be evident that other players shall continue to progress from one position to a new position. Forward players when playing in the middle are known as strikers and when playing close to the touch lines, they are called wings. However, in accordance with their chief job as forwards, they need to have a tough body and strong shooting toes.
Mid-fielders: As is clear from the name, these players play in the middle of the soccer field. Their task is to get the ball, then pass it to the forward players so that they can move them into goalposts for scoring. Usually they are 5 to 6 such players. Define their position clearly in the soccer field diagram.
The coach should emphasize on improving the tackling and dribbling capabilities of the players. This is really helpful in snatching the ball from the opponents and attacking the opposition. Apart from this, they should be good at passing the ball. These are vital soccer positions on the field diagram.
Defenders: These players protect the goal from attacks and hence are called defenders. As you can imagine, their position is critical. They are about 3 to 5 in number and remain close to the goal to protect it.
Apart from this, their task is to collect the ball from the goalie and pass it to the players. An ability that is important to them is to kick the ball high to midfielders and so the coach must focus on this skill.
Goalie: This is the person who defends the goal post and never allows the attacks to convert to goals. When all other players are unsuccessful in defending the goal, the goalie must use his powers to subvert the attack.
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 are armed with this information, you must create a soccer field diagram and then discuss these positions with your players. This will help them in appreciating the importance and requirements of every position. Our youth soccer coaching community contains a lot of informative 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 Training