Originally published 8 by ALEX ORTIZ
((Note: I did not write this article, I am just sharing it in English because I think that the concepts presented here are interesting and important. A link to the original article and the author’s website can be found here. – Scott))
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“The laws, principles and other concepts borrowed from individual sports and traditionally used do not apply to team sports training.” Seirul-lo (2005).
Soccer, being a regulated sport (there is regulation) gives rise to a series of regularly stereotyped technical-tactical attitudes and behaviors. In other words, within the enormous variability of actions and interactions that the game offers, many of the behaviors performed by the players on the pitch have a certain similarity. From the analysis of the game we can extract behavioral action patterns (pass, tackle, wall pass, dismark…) and situational patterns (Situations of symmetry [2vs2, 3vs3…] and situations of asymmetry [3vs2, 4vs3…]
“If we think about any situation inherent to football, we will see how it is influenced by numerous factors of different natures, all of them interrelated in a certain way at all times, and that, as a consequence, give rise to an observable reality, always different and variable.” Arjol. (2011).
“Soccer performance can be considered as a multifaceted and complex phenomenon. The main factor of performance is the collective functioning, with more or less intervention of one or more footballers at all times”. Miñaro (2007).
Starting from two methodologies or systemic approaches such as Tactical Periodization (Vítor Frade) and Structured Training (Seirul-lo) we can extract two concepts that refer to the planning and structuring of training.
Concept of SPECIFICITY: This refers to the articulation of the different principles of the game model in particular, and not to the fact that training situations always include forms played with the ball, goals, rivals and other elements of the competition (Silva, 2008). The fundamental contents of the training process seek the acquisition and incorporation of collective and individual behaviors that make up the game model. That is: tactics.
Structured Training starts by considering the subject to be made up of a series of structures (conditional, coordinative, cognitive, emotional-volitional, socio-affective, creative – expressive and mental structures), all of which are interrelated. This premise is fundamental to understanding the concepts of specific and special training. Regarding the type of work, a distinction is made between generic work and specific work unique to football. At the same time, this acquires a different character depending on the number of the elements of the internal logic of the game that are present: space, time, teammates, opponents, goals, regulations, and the greater or lesser degree of involvement of the different structures of the subject. Thus, this specific work is subdivided into the levels: General, directed, special and competitive (Seirul-lo, 2005).
WHAT ARE SIMULATED PREFERENTIAL SITUATIONS?:
These are situations that simulate the game itself, and that affect some of the subject’s structures in a preferential way. These situations will be defined and extracted from the analysis and interpretation of the real situations of the game between the coach and each player. As the subject himself recognizes them, these situations will become meaningful to him during the performance of training. In each SSP, the intervention of different systems or structures of the subject that the trainer must identify will be required. Each player will put into action those systems that best respond to the situation created, according to their own self-organization process throughout their life, in such a way that each player will face it in a different way. These actions will be those that take the player to another level of self-organization of the systems and structures involved in the performance. ” Arjol (2011).
From the “Tactical Decision Learning Model” (Gréhaigne, Wallian et al., 2005), we highlight some relevant characteristics for its understanding:
The importance of modeling the game in the form of offensive and defensive action matrices that aim to limit (not eliminate) the complexity of the game within a system made up of a number of alternatives on which the players can act successfully tactically. These matrices, which have their origin in the prototypical configurations of the game (Caty, Greháigne & Loizon, 2007), allow players to interpret or even anticipate the general movements made during the game. In this sense, the tasks are organized in relation to three levels of regulation of the opposition: the total collective level, the partial collective level and the individual level. (López-Ros, Castejón-Oliva, Bouthier and Lloret-Martí, 2015
COLLECTIVE LEVEL: This contextualizes and give meaning to the actions of the game in their global context. (Two full teams)
PARTIAL COLLECTIVE LEVEL: This will model smaller and more frequent game situations and allow the identification of possible appropriate solutions in the context of the tactical problems posed.
INDIVIDUAL LEVEL: This emphasizes the development of a player’s tactical intelligence, primarily in 1 vs 1 game situations.
“The study of the interaction between the players (teammates and opponents) constitutes the decisive element for the relevance of any analysis” Gréhaigne (2001).
In order to exemplify the proposal, I present three situations for the start of the game Salida de Balon from zone 1, in which the goalkeeper, who starts as the player in possession, and several of the keeper’s teammates face high pressure from various players from the opposing team.
Following the operational principles of the Game (Bayer, 1994), and based on the Fundamental Principles of the Game proposed by (Worthington, 1974, Hainaut; Benoit, 1979; Queiroz, 1983, Garganta, Pinto, 1994, Castillo, 1999) [Exposed in the Chapter 7 of this same series] we can extract certain stereotyped guidelines, (always dependent on the game model and the conception of the game by the coach and players), which occur at the beginning of the game, for the teams that try to progress towards the opponent’s goal based on the associations and interactions of nearby and intermediate players:
Objective:
- Maintain possession and overcome the opponent’s first line of pressure.
Some behavioral guidelines:
- Create passing lines that ensure possession of the ball.
- Find free players who make progression possible.
- Find or create spaces for progression.
- Consider the options offered by the more distant players.
Typology of some of the SSP’s to train these situations:
- Passing patterns that include technical-tactical habits that can be present in this type of situation such as: the 3rd Man, Body orientation to attack the next line, all types of passes, feints …
- Rondos that influence the circulation of the ball in order to open intervals between opponents and filter advantageous passes.
- Positional Games that give importance to the sense of progression in the game, as well as the concept of attracting to move.
- Attacking-Defending situations in real game spaces that can include finishing zones.
- Matches in which game restarts can lead to a systematic repetition of this type of situation.
Aspects observed and extracted from different types of situations similar to those raised:
- In most of the actions, a numerical inequality is observed in favor of the possessing team. Situations of asymmetry occur in the midfield of the possessing team: (5 vs 4, 6 vs 5, 7 vs 5, 7 vs 6…).
- Movements of the opposing team’s players depending on the ball, orienting them towards preferential areas (usually outside lanes).
- Creating width for the team in possession of the ball seeking to take advantage of all the available playing space, while hindering the opponent’s defensive options and possibilities.
- Greater density of players in the central lane of play, both by the team in possession of the ball and the defending team.
EXAMPLE OF SOME SIMULATED PREFERENTIAL SITUATIONS RELATED TO THE ABOVE SITUATION:
Hatrik Soccer 
