Model It Model of Play

The model of play is an idea, the coach’s idea (Oliveira et al., 2011; Oliveira, 2014a). Coach Soldano strengthens this idea, when he tells us that Italian coach Menotti once said, “The coach is an idea, we are all an idea, which should not be betrayed at the first adversity”.

The Model of Play makes the Knowledge Generation for CPP a Process of Pedagogical Reasoning and Action. It is the Model of Play that guides

“comprehension and reasoning, transformation and reflection” (Shulman, 1987, p. 1) within this process. It is of no surprise that the Model of Play is considered as the coaches’ ‘soccer bible’ (Mark).

That is what makes ‘conceptualisation’ within the Coaches’ Process of Knowledge Generation for CPP, so important. Without it, the process would be incorporating a scarce level of pedagogical reasoning. It is this that

differentiates any other coaching process from this process. A Model of Play

The importance of the Model of Play is confirmed by eight of the ten participants, who explain what a Model of Play is.

Coach Paul recognises a good coach when his players would always know what is expected of them into the most detailed level; “for instance, the players understanding the changes needed with each particular substitution”. This is only possible when coaching is based on a Model of Play, which acknowledges soccer as chaotic, but at the same time is in control of every situation as it provides a “clear understanding of what the coach wants from his team at every moment of the game” (Hugo).

When going to the training pitch, the coach has a clear understanding of what he wants from his team at every moment of the game. So, I think when the coach designs his Model of Play, even though he needs to be aware that soccer is chaotic, still you need to be control freak, in a way that you know all the answers for all the situations that can occur. (Hugo)

The Model of Play incorporates a detailed plan of a soccer idea (Oliveira, 2014b) starting:

…from the very broad principles of soccer through to the idea of the major objectives, within each moment of the game, the sub-objectives and sub-sub objectives, down to the individual skills within each position and the group skills. (Andy)

If I want to play from the back through midfield and getting to the attacking third with a number of solutions, I have to start to build-it up. (Andy)

A Model of Play is not about the formation (4-4-2, 4-3-3 etc) (Mark, Soldano), as much as it is about:

…how we are going to play – the where and what the midfielders are going to do, and what the striker is going to do, and what the fullbacks are going to do. (Mark)

“This ‘bible’ has to be flexible. It must be ready to adapt and to change”. It provides a foundation for every situation, “but then you stretch it, adapt it a little” (Mark). The same Model of Play needs to be applicable to at least two different formations (Mark, Soldano).

This view of the Model of Play as the coach’s idea which provides organisation through a set of principles is shared by many authors in the field (Delgado-Bordonau & Mendez-Villanueva, 2012; R. Oliveira, 2014b, 2014a) Principles of Play

When designing the Model of Play, the coach starts looking for the PoP (Delgado-Bordonau & Mendez-Villanueva, 2012; Jankowski, 2016) which are specific to the players’ game within their own position and the expectations arising from them (Soldano). These deep principles, which are based on the scrutinised environment (Hugo), are descriptors coaches use to explain consistent behaviours, that in the end are expected to happen in the game (Ray). These descriptors allow the coach to have principles that guide his/her decisions instead of coming up with solutions randomly when a problem arises (Hugo). Table 5.2 provides examples given by the interviewed coaches.

Coach Principle Notes

JOSEPH “width and depth” “The way we do that can vary. For instance, using the winger for width, or using the fullback while the winger goes in”. JOSEPH Receiving with the right

angle and looking vertically PAUL Getting aggressive when

our opponents get into our middle third

BRIAN The 13 seconds rule – keep the ball, no panic.

Aimed at introducing the idea of patience in his team, when attacking.

Table 5.2: An example of PoP.

Coach Paul explains how the principle of play links with the training session itself and how this has nothing to do with systems of play (formations). He explains it as follows:

Principle: I want my team to become aggressive when my opponent gets into my middle third.

Training: So, in training, I need to create situations where when they get into the zone, I need to be aggressive.

Principle: When in possession, as soon as we lose the ball, we apply the 'few seconds rule' and we press immediately in that same zone where we lose the ball. We do not just run back.

Principle: If we are in our own third, as soon as we win the ball there, we play early forward.

Training: I need to create situations in training, by which I tackle each of the principles. I am not yet talking about a formation I can then decide if I do that in my 4-3-3. I am not yet talking about a strategy, of how to use my lateral players based on each principle etc. I do not believe in a game being played with numbers. (Paul)

Having PoP guiding one’s training session does not necessarily mean coaching needs to be deductive. To the contrary, coach Joseph makes it very clear that he does not ell players what to do but allows principles to guide their decisions. For example, he makes it clear that it is within their style of play that they “always build up from the back”, but he still makes it clear that there is a

principle that guides the ball holder to decide. “The receiving player needs to be with the right angle to the ball and looking at the ball”. Hence, he clarifies, “if the

receiving player is not with the right angle to receive, not looking at [the passer], then the principle does not apply” (Joseph). When working on build up from the back, the coach does not say “this player stays here, or this player stays here”. He allows them to guide their decision based on the principle of providing the right angle, which allows the player to see the ball and look forward (Joseph), receiving in an open body position.

Sub-principles, sub-sub-principles, and individual principles

The Model of Play stands with the general principles, which provide “the whole picture in general terms” (Andy). These may help to explain the main concepts of play to your players on the first day of training (Joseph). After the general principles, coaches would “need to go deeper – starting from the individual” (Paul), followed by the sub and sub-sub-principles (Soldano, Paul).

Coach Mark determines:

…the position of every player and what is expected of every player tactically, mentally, physically…for example, the fullback needs to be quick, strong, able to get up and down, able to defend but also able to cross the ball.

These basic characteristics are only a start. Those are followed by the general principles, and then by the deeper sub and sub-sub-principles, and at the

individual principles (Paul). The sub and sub-sub-principles explain how to work as a group. The individual principles focus on how players need to function on an individual level.

It becomes very evident that CPP is about detail. Coach Paul identifies what kind of pressing he is talking about. “Pressing the man, pressing in the zone, pressing to eliminate the pass? Pressing them to make them play long?” The detail can be obtained through sub-principles, which look at deeper details such as “a diagonal run” and how to “go in and out” (entrare e uscire) (Soldano) and the deeper understanding of how these can be done (Soldano). “The

general principle is the big picture; the sub-sub-principles are massive…they are the foundation” (Mark). The sub and their sub-principles, together with the individual principles are the “pieces needed to get to that bigger picture” (Andy).

You got your PoP where you have the 4-3-3, this one should do this and this one should do that. But then we have the sub-sub-principles when I

am on the ball, should I play short, or play long, should I run with the ball into space? Create 2v1 situations. Where? At all times. If I go forward, I should support forward and think about behind because I can lose the ball. So, within each principle, there are so many sub-principles and sub- sub-principles, that you must coach during the week within small-sided games. The movement is important but for me the details - if I pass a square ball, I must drop five meters to create an angle, not only to get the ball and support but if he loses the ball, I am in a better position now to defend. (Mark)

Moments and Phases

It is important to have PoP for the whole team, for the departments and for the individuals, as it is these principles that guide all training sessions (Paul). There seems to be a general agreement that a Model of Play is divided in “attack”, “defence” and the transitions in between (Ray) which as explained by coach Paul are the moments when the team is in possession or loses possession, when the opponents are in clear possession of the ball, and when the team wins the ball (Mendonça, 2013). In view of appreciating the chaotic reality of the game, this is a way for coaches to decompartmentalise the game, “while trying to depict it in the whole” (Joseph) reality of the game. This will not only clarify “where every player needs to be in every phase of the game (when)” (Andy), but it will also specify how, why and what kind of behaviour is expected from each player.

System of Play and Tactical Strategies

Once the Model of Play is set, (with its principles, sub-principles and sub-sub- principles for the attack, defending, transition and set pieces), the coach can then teach two or three systems of play (Andy) which incorporate the same principles, to allow him/her flexibility through their variation. This need for more than one system of play (formation) is also expressed by coach Mark, who however suggests that formations are not changed too often to allow players to settle and master a formation (Mark).

Various coaches hold the idea that PoP stand, no matter the strategy. One might, for instance, start “by pressing for the first 30 minutes and then recover [physically]” (Soldano). The general principles of pressing or attacking

remain the same, even though strategically the coach might change the line of confrontation in pressing, or the players used to attack different spaces

(Joseph).