Not on the ball, but still working

Some simple maths will tell you that in a game of thirty players, on average every player will have two seconds on the ball in every minute of play. So, if the ball is in play for 30 minutes, that’s just one minute. Some players, like 9s and 10s, will have a disproportionate time with the ball. Some players may not even touch the ball at all.

To democratise ball touches, we train our players to catch and pass more effectively. But we can’t change the simple maths: for over 90% of the game, most players won’t be touching the ball.

Training close to the ball

We must work on skills off the ball in attack. That’s true of defence as well as attack. Each player must understand how they can affect the game when they are not directly in touch with the ball.

First, they should focus on their direct support roles – the players closest to the ball. That’s easy. They know they have a good chance of receiving a pass or perhaps helping to win the next contact. As a coach, you are looking in, checking this. There’s instant feedback because passes are caught, or dropped. Contact situations also contain the nearest few players.

Training without the ball

Yet, what’s happening with the other players. For example, in attack, we will have a ball carrier, up to three support players, a clearing passer, a first and second receiver. What about the other nine players? The same could be said for the defence.

There’s a tendency for the players who are not directly involved in the hub of the action to lose direction. Yes, they might put themselves into a good position, hope the ball’s coming their way or listening out for system calls.

Better players should be plotting. In attack, they should be spotting weaknesses, talking to the players around them about possibilities, calling into the hub of action if they need to have the ball now. In defence, they must be adjusting to the attacking shapes, reading the body language of the attacking decision makers, covering or being prepared to cover spaces.

How do you develop that level of sophistication? By watching these players as much as the hub. By asking them questions on what they are thinking and why. And by playing plenty of dynamic games where the players who aren’t involved can still make a difference.

Try out the adaptive games on page 6 for plenty of off-ball training situations.