GAME INTELLIGENCE PART 2

In part 1 yesterday we looked at what Game Intelligence is and how elite and experienced footballers use it to their advantage.

Today we look at awareness.

From an early age you’re looking to see if a kid has spatial awareness which could present as positively handling play in congestion or finding dangerous space in open play.

As they get older, you start judging them by their position/s and what their specific roles and responsibilites are such as a half back does they know when to press up to play a forward half game and do they know when to drop back in defense by reading the play unfolding ahead of them.

As a coach you're also generally looking to see if they can take on instructions from yourself and then to themselves adapt during a game and all of it's thousands of actions.

Players need awareness of themselves, what's going on around them and how they fit into that but they also need to know what everyone is doing around them.

With these 2 sets of information they can than fit their own movements/actions into the chaos to create some form of advantage for them and/or their team

For example if a teammate has marked the ball about 60m out from goal then the next kick inside forward 50, the most important kick in football these days, will make or break your scoring chances.

As a forward option closer to goal you need the awareness of the following:

• What are the teammates capabilities with the ball and what can they do with it right now?
• What might they do with the ball right now?
• Have they got the time to do that? (Closed v Open Play)
• Will they kick to a short or a long option?
• What is their body language while the scan the field? Are they giving any subtle clues?

Once you've ascertained what they're going to do, or what you think they're going to do, then further awareness is required:

• What's your next movement/s?
• If the ball comes to your area then how's your timing looking to be in an advantageous position?
• Do you need to go fast or slow?
• Do you need to add deception to your movement/s?
• If and when you get the ball then how will try and score?
• Will you play on or go back for a set shot?
• Will you look for better options or take the kick yourself

All of this takes place in a matter of seconds and looks awfully complicated with plenty of moving parts which is very true.

So how can we get our players to run through this sequence repeatedly during a game in just a matter of seconds?

Check back in tomorrow I suggest.