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Things Players Do To Help Their Opponents Win
If you can think of any ways players help their opponents win please take a minute and complete the Feedback box at the bottom of this page and let us know what they are.
6. Running Along Side Your Opponent Many players run along side of their opponent. How does this help your opponent win?
7. Always running to your own side of the ball
Almost all players naturally run to their own side of the ball. How does this sometimes help you opponent win?
8. Your Teammate With The Ball Dribbles Too Much
How does dribbling too much help your opponents win? When your teammate with the ball dribbles it slows your teams attack down and gives your opponents more time to recover and to help their team win the ball back. Unnecessary dribbling helps your opponents win.
9. The Referee Makes A Bad Call
Soccer is an emotional game and when a referee makes a "bad call" some coaches and players lose focus and dwell on the bad call. This loss of focus on playing well can help an opponent win or at least play better. In a evaluation of referees by Dr. Arthur Seiderman, O.D., director of the Sports Vision Centre of Philadelphia, found that:
Referees, coaches, players and spectators all need to understand and accept that:
10. Yelling for the Ball When You're Marked By An Opponent
Players want the ball and often yell for the ball when they are tightly marked (guarded) by an opponent.
In soccer the player in possession of the ball should ALWAYS look for their teammates in the "Best Position" to help their team if the ball is passed to them. If no teammate is in a "Better Position" than the player with the ball then the player with the ball should keep the ball until a teammate moves and is in a "Better Position". In soccer you don't pass to the player yelling for the ball, you always pass the ball to the teammate in the "Best Position" to help your team. A player in the "Best Position" is usually not marked in the third of the field your team is defending or the middle third. A player in the attacking third is often marked and may still be in the "Best Position" if they have the best chance to help the team if the ball is passes to them. Having the chance to help the team may make the risk of losing possession acceptable in the attacking third of the field. Vision and hearing can fail any of us in games. Recently in a game, Coach Harry, who was far from the action, pulled a player who didn't pass to a teammate who was yelling for the ball. The player in possession didn't pass because their teammate was yelling for the ball and pointing to their right side, asking for the ball there, which is exactly where the opponent's strongest defender was standing. What Coach Harry couldn't clearly hear or see was that the player he pulled from the field had very correctly told their teammate who was so tightly marked to move to be in a "Better Position" to receive a pass and to help their team. |
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