Before & After: It’s Much More Than Just ‘Moves’

It's about learning how, when, where and why, not just what, actions apply and the desired outcome one is trying to achieve.

My entire football playing and coaching career I’ve focused on developing technique and teaching players how to use these effectively in game situations. It's one thing to teach individual technique but another to enable skill application. Where and when to execute the action and the risk and reward in all parts of the field in also something critically important. Will this action work here, or there? What is the end result... a shot... a cross... a pass... will I need to shield the ball? These are the questions that should be answered before you make the action.

Effective individual dribbling often begins with ‘pre-moves’ and ‘pre-movement’ which engages the defender and makes use of deception to create even small increases in time and space. There is also the consideration of 'input-output,' which involves the total and synchronized control of body, feet and mind, all while interacting with and directing the ball with a consideration to the dynamics that a game offers and to outcomes of your actions. These actions are relevant to individual and group tactics. For instance, the concept of ‘offloading’ the ball at the end of a dribbling sequence, or an individual movement on the ball, requires a player to consider both their individual situation and the team, the opponent and environment, and make decisions while incorporating both contexts.

The physical and (team) tactical elements of the game should never supersede the technical and cognitive aspects — this is the overarching theme and underlying foundation of my work. The better the acquired technical skills, the better the options available to a player and team and the more effective, successful and entertaining the team is.

A player’s movement on the ball also impacts movement off the ball. So my work also focuses on the tactical support for the dribbler. The most challenging thing to teach is training players around the dribbler because players are traditionally trained to get into receiving positions based on pre-arranged passing sequences which I call 'painting by numbers', a danger to creativity and spontaneity in young players.

Wiel Coerver’s material is much more than 'moves and turns,' as some erroneously believe. In reality, Coerver’s material has a very relevant and real-world application.

When we worked as Wiel's assistants, he used the word ‘actions’ frequently to describe what others called ‘moves.’ ‘Actions’ are different to ‘moves’ because action has a broader meaning. Whereas many see ‘moves’ as the actual stand-alone movement which can often be eye catching and where a duel can be won or lost, many other things actually go into creating that magical game-changing moment.

Players can only improve these movements through consistent training with the ball. I was fascinated by WHERE on the field and in WHAT situation each actions could be applied and so I exhaustively went through every beginning and end result of these actions. I knew that a right foot step-over (I now call this a 'step-across') and a right foot lunge behind the ball on the right side of the field would result in me moving inside the field (left foot shot?), whereas on the left side of the field doing exact same thing I would end up going wide (left foot cross?), so I created a huge chart with every action and movement and combination of movements - both shadowing, mirroring in front, side and behind and in every part of the field. It was a massive chart with every outcome, and it’s now in my head, and in a much larger visual chart now! I used to go to the field on my own and go over every action, working on deception, on the reception and what technique to use to reach the desired outcome, for example, shot, cross, pass, dribble, etc.

By maximizing individual abilities and then learning to apply them, players cross what Wiel Coerver calls the “conversion bridge.”

The “conversion bridge” takes players from pure skills capability (solo ball mastery through un-pressured repetition) via stress (graduated pressure increased through altering conditions) to success (full pressure in game situations).

Developing excellent technique produces effective players with attacking confidence and creativity regardless of a player’s position. Emphasizing proven methods such as use of imagination, unopposed/individual/isolated training through imitation of movement (shadowing, mirroring) training, Wiel used explicit instruction to achieve implicit outcomes, i.e. rehearsed specific exercises with gradual introduction of un-pressured passive and active opposition, altering the speed, complexity, conditions and equipment of the drill, then finally through competition.

In the first stage, ball and body mastery is necessary to provide a platform. Wiel’s methodology focused on numerous technical repetitions which results in deeply ingrained muscle memory. It is much like a music student learning scales to provide a foundation.

“Ball feeling” is designed to improve stance, balance, coordination, agility and help players become limber. Coordination, equilibrium, posture and fluidity - the hallmarks of high level, technical and creative players - can only come with frequent repetition and continuous and focused training on, around and with the ball specific to realistic scenarios. Specific movements on the ball that enable players to 'drive/run/carry' the ball and 'bridge' techniques (dribbling, passing, shooting) requiring balance, coordination, mobility and posture need to be taught and learned. These acquired and specialized movements allow a player to perform the appropriate skill and require them to constantly physically and technically readjust if they wish to change the skill while executing the original technique.

In addition to ball comfort and mastery, speed of footwork, dribbling and ball manipulation, his material delved into developing dexterity, flexibility, mobility and suppleness, which enhances balance-coordination, agility, and develops superior touch and feel and control. This supports and enhances the ability to feint, turn/twist/rotate/change direction and cut, shield and protect through effective positioning and re-positioning (mobility and body control). All of this influences receiving, passing, kicking, shooting/finishing, explosive dribbling, decelerating-accelerating with the ball.

In the final stage of the “conversion bridge,” previous and continuous acquisition of these skillsets enables players to dominate in 1 v 1 and 2 v 2 and competitive game situations.