By Danny Carvalho
Question - “JI'm coaching a boys varsity high school team and our season has just started. We have not had a season for two years due to Covid, so I'm still getting to know most players. I'm going to be playing a 4-2-3-1 and am wanting to see who would fit best into each position. Any suggestions for games or drills that would help me sort out who should play where?"
First of all, I must say that in my opinion a youth coach should play the formation that best suits the team you have instead of the team suiting the formation. “Play with the team you have, not the team you wish to”.
But if you insist, here goes a few good activities to sort that out.
Before that, a few tips:
a) Ask each player what position they want/like to play and feel most comfortable.
b) Ask the other players what position they feel that “Johnny” is more effective.
1- Rondos
In rondos you will mainly be able to identify who can pass, receive and turn well which are all good attacking features of midfielders. In the defensive part of it, you will be able to see who is good in pressing and trapping the opposition into play the ball where they want to so they can win it.
I recommend you to start from a simple 3v1 and progress into a 5v2
3v1 – instruct player on the outside to try to be near the corners and always providing passing lines to the player on the ball
5v2 – instruct players on the ball to have one on each square line and one free to move centrally in the square. They must work to move the ball around in order to spread the defenders and pass the ball through them.
2- Attack vs defense
Any activity that have a player trying to score a goal and another one trying to stop them will be good to identify forwards and defenders.
In this one below, start with a 1vGK, progress to a 2v1+GK and finish it with a 3v2+GK.
Black players are the attackers and yellows are the defenders. Black in the middle starts and goes alone against the GK. After this play is over, black from the left starts a new play and the yellow right next to him runs to defend as the 1st black player joins the play to make it a 2v1.
After the second play is over, black from the right starts a new play with the yellow right next running to defend as all other three players join the play, making it a 3v2+GK.
In this activity you can assess:
1vGK – who can score in a clear goal situation (Striker)
2v1+GK – who can combine, make runs and take on a defender (Striker and Wingers) and who can defend well outnumbered (Center Defender)
3v2 – who can make plays and distribute the ball (Center Attacking Mid), and who can press or cover in defensive situations (Center Defenders and Center Defensive Midfielders)
If you just change the set up a little bit, you can also assess who has the ability to drive the ball, combine and cross, as well as recover, force to the outside and tackle like fullbacks.
Start a 2v1+GK on the left side with the third of the field split in two to force the play to happen on the left attacking wing. After this play is over, a second play starts on the right wing with one attacker and two defenders joining the play, making it a 3v3+GK
End with a scrimmage and observe how each of them do in the actual game.
By Danny Carvalho, DOC at Corinthians Campinas Youth Club, Brasil
