The Defensive Midfielder in the 4-3-3 (point back)

Sourced from Nike Academy at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uczW42zDIk&feature=relmfu

If you are Coaching a Junior or Youth team you should be using the 1-4-3-3 system of play.

If you are coaching according to the FFA National Curriculum......

Younger teams play the midfiled triangle "Point Forward". Put simply, one player is at the point of the triangle is forward and behind the front three players, while the two other players are to the rear but in fromt of the back four players. Essentially, the emphasis is more on defence than attack.

However, at about 14/15 years the formation in the midfiled is changed to "Point Back". The midfield now plays a triangle that has the point in front of the back four, while the base of the triangle is now forward. With two players in the midfield triangle behind the front three, the empahsis is on attack.

Its really important that the young players get a chance to play this position and for them all to know the basic repsonsibilities of each position in the midield. Well all positions really. But give them a chance to play these midfield positions.

When you play point back, the single player at the base of the triangle has a lot of responsibility. He / she is now called a defencive midfielder.

The video below is very instructive on the subject of the Defencive midfielder.

Playing Out From the Back

Sourced from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdtOq_XlZAU

If you coach junior or youth teams, you should be playing out from the back.

Not just letting your GK kick the ball as far as they can. Conducting an aerial bombardment on the other team is not football, not even close to it.. Long ball second ball is bollocks for young players. Teaches them nothing. They won't get better at the game, they get far less touches, it reduces the beautiful game to kick and chase. Not Football!

Play out from the back. Take the time to make it happen, explain how it works at training, let the young players sort it out, let the game be the teacher. Don't let them stop just because it gets a bit hard or parents whinge. Explain what you are doing to the parents. If they don;t like it, keep doing it and tell them you are the Coach and this is exactly what the FFA  requires you to do for young players. Try keeping the ball rather than hoofing it up the pitch. There will be mistakes, you will get stuck in your defensive third a bit, there will be the occassional disaster, at least until the young players work out how to play their way out of it. It will take time. Be patient but stay on track. So many more touches on the ball and so much more Football!

If you have your GK kicking long, lets face it, you are pursuing wins. You should not be caoching junior and youth football. You are undermining the FFA National Curriculum and Development plans. If you play out from the back, you are developing your young players, you are doing exactly the things the FFA requires of you and in time, these lucky young players will be the winners and so will Football in Australia.

Here is an excellent instructional video from the Nike Academy on how to play out from the  back. Well worth a look.

Majura FC Under 13 Girls - Borneo Bound!

In a stroke of Junior Football genius, Majura FC is sending an Under 13 Girls team to Borneo to play Football against the local teams.

Majura FC Under 13 Girls - the wild girls of Borneo!

A very small number of ACT junior football clubs have sent teams to campaign overseas. There is an enormous amount of work associated with getting things organised. Woden Valley SC has a fine record in both boys and girls overseas tours. Monaro FC has a wonderful relationship with the South Korean Singok Primary school. But it's Majura FC that is cutting new ground in Asia.

Why is this important? Really important!

Simple. Asia is our region, they play a lot of very good Football in our region and we qualify through this region to compete in all the Age and Open World Cups, men and Women. It makes a lot of sense to go to Asian countries to develop the young players. There is an established Boys Borneo Cup tournament and next year there is the inaugral Girls Borneo Cup. And the Majura FC girls are doing a first rate Football recon.

This is the way to develop our young female players. Europe is nice, South America too far away - but Asia (Bornoe) is spot on.

So its the young Majura FC Under 13 girls who will pave the way for the rest of Australia at Club level. All research to date indicates that this is the first girls junior team to tour Borneo. What a coup for Majura FC!

Now remember, this is a community based club girls age team, not an ACT representative team, but they are certain to represent our football community in good style.

The Coach, Heather Fitt has them playing good football, following the FFA's National Curriculum, 1-4-3-3, playing out from the back and playing possession based football. In so many ways they are a model for how it ought to be done with our young players at every competitive level at Clubs. Just as the FFA Technical Director would wish it to be.

As ever, its the selfless efforts of Club officials, Coaches and parents that make these Football adventures possible. Just fantastic. This one started two years ago. The girls will remember it all their lives. They are only this age once! And one other thing - it may be the experience that inspires one of them to go all the way in the beautiful game. You never know what lies ahead. But perhaps more importantly, it is likely to be the reason they simply continue to play for as long as life allows. That would be a priceless dividend for the Club and the game in Australia.

Good luck to them all I say and plenty more of it from every other junior Club.

The Majura FC press release, with all the details  is below.