Soccer Rules & Vocabulary

Program Playing Rules

1)  First to the Ball – Win all 50-50 balls! We win 30-70 balls! Be aggressive, you have you want to beat your opponent to every ball. Winning the ball back immediately is ALWAYS 1st step for possession dominating teams

2)  Receive Passed Ball with Body Open to the entire field & AWAY from/ BEATING 1st defender à pull next defender, THEN PASS!

3)  NEVER let 1st Attacker Turn – When approaching an opponent who is receiving a pass. Get there fast, arrive slowly! Pressure receiver so they have to turn their back and shield you from the ball.

4)  Attack as a TeamàDefend as a Team! If you lose the ball get it back – If you LOSE the ball, YOU MUST run them down and get it back even if you have to chase them from one end of the field to the other -you must get back the ball your decision making lost! Principles of ATTACK and DEFENSE (1st, 2nd, 3rd Attacker = Pressure/Cover/Balance)

5)  Communication – If you are on the field you are all directing your team mates. Must know vocabulary. Learn common visual cues and vocabulary to communicate with team mates!

a.  Ask Questions – If you do not understand what the coach, trainer, referee, or teammate wantsà then tell them you do not understand. TEAMS only succeed when communicating quickly and effectively.

6)  No Standing/No Watching (Must have FOCUS & INTENSITY) – If you are on the field, you are moving, engaged, and BEING PRODUCTIVE. Watching & standing only permitted on the sidelines. Production is adherence to our Program Playing Rules. YOU NEED TO BE Constantly beà innovative, creative, and sneaky. Make things happen! BE A LEADER!

Basic on Field Vocabulary

1)  360 Vision – Head on Swivel. You need to know what’s going on around you???

2)  Team Shape/Spacing - Principles of ATTACK and DEFENSE (1st, 2nd, 3rd…etc.)

3)  Goal Side - Defending by keeping your body between the 1st attacker and your goal.

4)  Near Post – The goal post closest to the ball.

5)  Far Post or Back Door – The goal post farthest from where the ball is.

6)  Take Space – No defenders are around you, so dribble… pull next defender… find team mate…make pass! DO NOT STAND BEHIND DEFENDERS. 360 Vision? Rule #6

7)  Time – You have time, no defenders close to you. Look up and decide to Shoot, Pass, or Dribble. 360 Vision?

8)  Numbers-Up Always – WE ALWAYS get more players into attack and more players back to defend(intensity, conditioning, intelligence)

9)  Turn – You have Time to receive the ball, turn toward opponent’s goal and decide to Shoot, Pass, or Dribble. 360 Vision?

10)  Man On – A warning to a teammate with the ball when a defender is coming quickly. 360 Vision?

11)  Square – Teammate is directly to the ball handler’s right or left and it available to receive pass

12)  Drop – Player in a support position behind a ball handler, drop pass should trigger switch fields/switch point of attack.

13)  Switch Fields - Switch/change point of attack (ball) to the opposite side of field. Usually triggered by Throw-ins, Drop passes, and #6. Long driven pass or series of short passes.

14)  Diagonal or Diagonal Run – The run is made on a forward angle (toward a corner flag) across the field to the sideline. DO NOT RUN IN STRAIGHT LINES IN YOUR POSITION STRAIGHT DOWN THE FIELD

15)  Overlapping Run – A player in support moves out of position and runs forward between the ball handler and the sideline into Open Space behind defenders. Player could either become passing option or distract a defender.

16)  Peel-Off- Move off opponents in a way that keeps both options (pass to feet or pass to space) open until the marking defender reacts, players’ first need to learn how to make space for themselves so they can receive the ball while facing up field.

17)  US Soccer Defines 4 TYPES OF SPEED soccer players need to POSSESS, DEVELOP, REFINEà

a.  Pure Speed à Ability to overcome distance between 2 points in shortest amount of time.

b.  Technical Speedà The ability to control and manipulate the ball w/body, legs, or feet at speed.

c.  Speed of Actionà Processing information quickly in the game and choosing an appropriate response quickly to the developing situation.

d.  Mental SpeedàAbility of the player to be aware of all factors, conditions and options inside and outside of the game (Opponents, teammates, crowd, referees, etc.)

“GOOD PLAYERS TRAIN UNTIL THEY GET IT RIGHT GREAT PLAYERS TRAIN UNTIL THEY CAN’T GET IT WRONG!”

….….WHICH ARE YOU?