FREE-KICKS
Wherever a free-kick is conceded on the pitch, this can be dangerous for the defending side. Obviously, free-kicks in and around the penalty area are more dangerous than those conceded further up the pitch. However, players still need to be conscious of the threat from a quickly taken free-kick, even in the opposition's half. Defending layers can be out of position and even caught arguing with the referee and decent opposition will take advantage of this. Players should challenge the kick (standing in front of the ball) as well as immediately taking up positions where both attackers and space can be successfully marked. Similar disciplined procedures must be employed when defending direct and indirect free-kicks in the final defending third of the pitch.
Indirect free-kicks in the defending third: If an indirect free-kick is conceded just outside the penalty area, a defensive wall should be set up as in the case of a direct free-kick (detailed description below) and all the defenders must have pre-defined tasks and positions. Defenders should always be aware in this situation that the ball must be played another attacker in order to shoot. Thus, they should aim to cut down the shooting space and angle as quickly as possible.
If the indirect free-kick is positioned inside the penalty area which is rare, then all eleven players should be brought back to defend. If the the free-kick is less than ten yards from the goal line, then all defenders should position themselves on the goalline, with the goalkeeper in the centre of the goal. As soon as the ball is touched, all the defenders should move towards the ball in an effort to block any shot at goal. The goalkeeper may be advised to stay on his line in case the shot finds a way through. In this situation, the defenders need to be brave and determined.
Direct free-kicks in the defending third: Having conceded the free-kick, the first step is to make sure every player is involved has a clearly defined role and takes up their position quickly and calmly. This should become second nature through training. For free-kicks near to the penalty area it is advisable to set up a defensive wall of players to protect part of the goal. Whose task is it to build and direct the wall ? If the goalkeeper takes charge, he needs to stand at a post and will leave a large part of the goal exposed to a quickly taken shot and he may also lose sight of the ball. It may be better to allow an outfield player to direct operations using pre-determined hand signals. Their is absolutely no point in trying to position the wall closer to the free-kick. The referee will no doubt move it back disrupting the positioning and leading to the possibility of being cautioned.
The designated player should make sure that one player is placed in line with the post farthest from the keepers position. The players who will make up the wall need to be already pre-planned. The tallest player should go in line or even slightly further past the post to prevent the ball being bent over the wall. The rest of the players should be positioned next to the tallest player according to their size - tallest - on outside to smallest - on inside. It is also important where possible to leave defenders out of the wall as they will be better employed defending in their normal positions.
Another important point is the number of players in the wall. This depends on the positions and distance of the free-kick. More players, say four or five are useful in central positions just on the edge of the penalty area. For free-kicks at the side, one to three defenders may be sufficient. Goalkeepers should not be tempted to pack the wall as too many players will block their view of the ball and may not leave enough players to mark their opponents and cover to space. However many players are used, the goalkeeper should always be in a position where he can see the ball. Figure 3 demonstrates the correct positioning and number of players in a wall for a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area. We can see how all areas of the goal are protected. Note that it is unwise to place players on the goal line to block the shot as this will allow the opposition to take up deep attacking positions without the fear of being caught offside.
The players in the wall must be positioned close together and protect themselves by crossing their arms in front of their lower abdomen as well as slightly bowing their heads to protect their faces. They should avoid linking arms as this lowers protection and makes it harder to break out of the wall. When the attacker strikes the free-kick, the defenders in the wall should avoid jumping as the shot may be played underneath leaving the goalkeeper no chance. The wall should only break once the kick has been taken. One player positioned to the side of the wall, may attack the ball to try to put the attacker off his kick. The wall should attack the ball as a group to narrow the shooting angle.
Concentrating on creating a wall is not the only important factor to be respected when defending free-kicks in and around the penalty area. Correctly marking space and opponents is required and depends on the position of the free-kick. Teams should bring back all their players to defend and have drilled everyone in training on their defensive roles. Figures 4 & 5 give an idea of how to defend during such situations.
Free-kick situation 2:
Firstly, we can see that all the opposition forwards are marked.
The goalkeeper is positioned to see the ball and cover the far post.
Player 1 has two aims, to block any shot aimed at the far post and to cover the space behind him.
Player 2 aims to defend a cross to the back post.
Player 3 aims to pressure the kicker and block any shot.
Player 4 in the wall must stand his ground and prevent the attacker next to him pushing him
to create extra space to bend the shot around the wall.
Free-kick situation 3:
Only 2 defenders are needed in the wall.
Here, the defence has 4 defenders covering the back post area in case the ball is crossed (a
cross is often hit to this area from the side of the penalty area).
2 defenders are covering the central area.
1 defender is covering the central area on the edge of the penalty area.
Finally, 1 defender is positioned next to the wall to cover if the ball is played sideways to
make a better shooting angle.
To coach and organise free-kicks practice, the coach should employ similar methods to those used for corners. Also, make sure all players are involved in the practice. It may be useful prior to practice, to utilise a tactical blackboard to explain player roles. Practice free-kicks without and then with opposition and from different positions and distances from goal. When a 11-a-side game is played in training, the coach may want to stop the game from time to time and award a free-kick to analyse the player's reactions and the way they carry out their tasks.
There are several important points at all levels of the kick that the coach must observe and analyse.
Positions & numbers: Analyse the positions of the goalkeeper, the wall and the other free defenders. Is there the right number of defenders in the wall and are they positioned correctly (tallest-smallest) in relation to the free-kick ? Who is in charge of setting the wall up ?
Marking: Analyse the marking of space and opponents by each free defender. Is the marking tight or is the player often caught ball-watching ?
Technique: Are the defenders protecting themselves correctly ? Do they stay still in the wall or do they jump to block the kick ? Is there a free defender who puts pressure on the kicker and tries to block the kick ?
Mental: Evaluate the capacity of the players to adapt to the different free-kicks. Are they determined in challenging for the ball and is the communication and discipline good ?
SOURCE : http://www.soccerperformance.org
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