In this blog Mark ***, an FA futsal coach developer, shares how he has explored the significance of set pieces in his coaching.

Coaching set pieces

As a coach and manager of any team players will inevitably look to you for guidance, information, support and leadership. Whilst this can come from and sit across many areas of the game – we shouldn’t forget its specific application to set pieces. As showed statistically with set pieces accounting from 25% to 33% of goals in high level tournament matches, providing leadership and clarity of communication on set piece plays can be the difference between winning or loosing.

Preparation is Key for Tactical Solutions

Like most things in coaching, working to the age old sayings of “failing to prepare is preparing to fail” and “keep it simple” goes a long way to achieving a positive effect.

As previously mentioned, the majority of our attacking set pieces have multiple attacking options from the same starting position. However this doesn’t happen by accident, it’s a consequence of thorough planning by coaches and analysis of players within their squad. As coaches, we all like to unpick the tactical detail of games, systems and opponents. Looking for solutions to overcome and exploit the opposition using the tools and players at our disposal. Set Pieces provides such an opportunity.

For example, assessing which players are best suited to each role (the taker, 1^st receiver, blocker or ball striker from distance among many other roles…) as well as their preferred foot. Within our team we are blessed with only 2 left footed players, one is confident and competent striking the ball from distance with power and accuracy and the other who whilst is willing to try would rarely be able to execute. This puts us at a disadvantage that on certain set-pieces we would be limited with our ability to execute on certain sides of the court (more suited to a left footed taker or ball striker). To overcome this, we had to look and prepare alternative moves that could still bring about a scoring opportunity from both sides of the court.

Combining the need to overcome tactical problems form your own team and players, as well as counteracting the tactical problems from opposing players and coaches, you start to begin to unpick the complexity of set pieces and the need to be prepared for many possibilities. From an opponent’s perspective and preparing a team and players to face them, a coach may need to consider past performances against them, what were their strengths or weaknesses, which players were key to them at set-piece situations, and maybe with any luck you might be able to recall their specific attacking set piece calls. Knowing this information then starts the process of analysis and preparing appropriate solutions.

A very recent example of this came when we played our first opponenst of the season again at home. We knew the challenges we faced from their attacking set pieces from the first match of the season where we were on the losing end of the organised and effective set pieces. However, we recalled their calls – particularly their most effective corner routine “Donkey Kong” which taken from the left-hand side resulted in a powerful left footed strike from a very talented player who came late to the play from the opposing side. To counteract this we identified the player and came up with a specific plan which frustrated them during the 1^st half to our cheers from the bench and their despairs. So much so they tweaked the move in the second half that our reserve GK noticed after their second attempt of quick successive corners, but was too late as we conceded against their half-time tactical tweak to counter act our planned strategy.

This is a great example of how set pieces are very much a smaller tactical game of cat and mouse within a much bigger tactical game of cat and mouse, and how preparation by a coach is a key to achieving success. You wont just be able to have a plan A, you will definitely need a plan B and quite possibly a plan C.

Clarity of Communication

My own planning and preparation for introducing and delivering attacking set pieces to players worked on keeping the moves and plans being simple to set up, execute and most importantly remember during the competitive pressures of matches. To assist me in this process I have been highly conscious on ensuring clarity in communication to players.

The intricacies of attacking set-pieces with positioning, body shape, timing of movements to deceive and/or receive has challenged me as coach to communicate information to players with clarity. To support this, I have developed a greater range of communication strategies than previously used. This process has challenged me to become more adept at clipping, editing and using short video clips to show how the set-piece looks in action (performed at a higher level and where majority of set -pieces have been “borrowed” from). Its challenged me to be clear with verbal communication of the details, trying to summarise each roles position and requirement into a maximum of 3 key coaching points to be used as triggers by players themselves. I have also developed and become more comfortable with being uncomfortable in filming the set-pieces on a tactical board with my talking as a voice over. For me there is nothing worst than hearing my own voice on film, but these short videos are repeatedly shared within our teams WhatsApp group before sessions and matches to remind key points and calls.

The Devil is in the Detail

The preparation and of sharing set-piece work with players cannot be underestimated. When looking at defending set pieces, ourselves like most other teams have a preferred set up and system to apply. Whilst this can look very simple on paper, sharing, communicating and helping players understanding of their roles within the system can be a whole other story. What looks from the outset as 5 starting positions (GK and 4 outfield players) quickly turns into layers of specific detail that the coach needs to consider;

• Players positioning
• Players body shape
• Distances between players
• Responsibility of opposing player and/or areas to cover
• Timing of any movements from triggers
• Discipline to carry out the role given

There are many more specifics to consider and this will change on the level of players, the playing level performing at and the defensive system itself. However, what’s consistent across all defensive systems and even more so I would suggest in attacking set -ups is the need to provide the appropriate level of detail required for your players and at their stage of development. Within my context I was quickly aware that I overloaded players with too much detail to begin with that they lost sight of the bigger picture. It takes time and patience as a coach to build up players understanding of the why as well as the how, when and where to perform specific actions.

The use of set pieces as a platform to add layers of details to coordinated moves between players and individual technical actions provides an opportunity for coaches to plan this delivery of detail. Applying the relevant information to the relevant player at an appropriate time in their stage of development.

Look out for the following parts to this blog and feel free to ask any questions in the comments as we go.