It NEVER fails.  For 18 years now – that’s how long I’ve been coaching at the college level – I ask the new players what is the biggest adjustment they have to make when they get here.  The answer is always the same.  “The game is so much faster.”  We like to use the term Speed of Play.  And we work on this pretty much every day we train. The faster we can play, the harder it will be for our opponents to keep up.

Watch how playing fast creates great play….and a great goal!

 

Now, playing fast doesn’t just mean running fast…there are several ways in which you can increase your speed of play. We talk about 5 main areas…and here they are…

1. Clean Skills – This is fairly obvious…no? Have you ever seen a player struggle to collect a pass?…dribble the ball without much control?…It seems like they take forever to make a play with the ball. If you can control the ball cleanly, that gives you more time to think and get to the next play. It also give your opponent less time to react. Sharpen your receiving skills, make your passes more precise, dribble with better control…these will all help you play faster.

2. Reading – It’s important to know what you are going to do quickly. Many players wait until they get the ball before looking up and making a decision. This can slow down the whole team. And causes missed opportunities…We talk about looking around and reading before you get the ball. Even if you’re not the fastest player in the world, you can read quickly…this will help you play faster.
3. Running – Well, of course if you run fast you will play fast…but we are also talking about “running” off the ball for your teammates. If you run into open spaces, you will help your team play more quickly. Sometimes, “running” can just mean moving one or two steps to improve a passing lane…but it can make all the difference.

4. Transitions – Soccer is a game of mistakes…the ball is being turned over constantly during the game…hundreds of times each game. Turnovers include steals, give aways, balls going out of bounds, fouls, even goals. And each time there is a turnover, there is a transition…one team goes from offense to defense and the other has to change as well…Guess what?…If you can transition more quickly than your opponent, you will gain an advantage. This is another area that can help you and the team play faster.

I love to show this classic sequence from a  Real Madrid – Getafe game in 2008.  Real Madrid scored an apparent goal in the 2nd half to go up 1-0. They were all celebrating in the corner…well, the referee had called offside. Getafe put the ball down so quickly, they were racing to the other end with a 3 on 2 situation…and they scored at the other end…wow! Now, that is great transition…Click on the link to see it (it was so fast it even fooled the camera man!).

5. Communication – Letting your teammates know what you are doing helps to play faster. “Turn!”  “Man, On” are simple phrases you can use to help your team a lot!  Now talking is an obvious form of communication…but this is not always possible. So, this also includes pointing, eye contact, body language, hand signals…you name it. And, of course, listening always is an important part of communicating.

So, there you have the 5 ways…practice these at every training session…even if it’s just a pickup game. You’ll see the difference.