DECISION MAKING EMAIL + TRAINING STAGE 2 RESTRICTIONS

During the week I received an email froma reader asking about "what I've learnt about decision making" and here's what I sent back:

"...Thanks for the kind words mate.

In a nutshell decision making can probably be put down into 2 camps:

1) Learning to Solve the Same Problem Many Ways

- Using clearences as the example you might use a 5v5 scenario at training to simulate a game but put in constraints (rules) to attain a certain result, or skew your players closer to what you want. For example you might want to use the quarterback position and then go wide from a stoppage, you might want to go forward/gain territory at all costs (Richmond) or use a heap of handball to clear congestion (Western Bulldogs). You have the same scenario/problem (5v5 clearence/stoppage) but you create an environment where the players must learn different ways to carry out the game model/plan within it.

2 - Learning to Solve Many Problems 1 Way

- Again using clearances as an example you might just want to use the quarterback player as often as you can regardless of the set up or position on the ground etc so you'll need to create the right player and ball movement to allow this to happen.

With that being said, players knowing where they are meant to start and then move to and their personal role (inside/outside) in different situations is a big part of the decision making process that gets overlooked.

If I know I'm an inside mid and that John/Joe will be outside mids and Sam in the quarterback position then that's already decreased my decision making requirements right there as I have a fair idea of where each player will be and they know where I'll be and I'll know their voices too.

Also we can all start to "guess/cheat/predict" a little bit as we see the play unfold (Richmond again) to get posotional advantage.

Individually it's hard to train decision making as there is zero chaos/constraints/rules that only having opposition can provide but you can focus on clean hands/ground balls etc which improves the physical and some technical aspect of decision making from having more time/space from not having to handle the ball for as long.

Throw all this at the wall you have Scott Pendelbury..."

Piggy backing off of this I came across the AIS Framework for Rebooting Sport Post Covid-19 and what we're looking at when we get the all clear is the following:

1. Controlled ball kicking/marking/hb drills (passing drills)
2. Zero tackling/contact
3. Small groups of 10 maximum, including coach/s

Whether 10 person grouping rule means we can run multiple groups of 10 in different parts of the same oval adequately seperated or if it's simply 10/oval is not clear right now.

What is clear is that you're going to need plenty of new training drills specific to small groups, of which I'm working on as we speak, so if you're not a level 3 member of Aussie Rules Training then you'll want to be pretty soon!