FineSoccer Kids 32

Welcome to the FineSoccer Kids Newsletter. Today's subject deals with short, short long passing.

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Short, short, long passing is both an exercise coaches' use in training and also a great way to successfully play soccer. Too many teams either play all long ball (where every pass is over 30 yards) or all short passes (every pass in the 5-10 yard range) when they should be varying it up and playing some short passes and then a long pass.

The team that has done this longer and better than anyone over the years is the Brazilian Men's National Team. For decades people have talked about their ability to maintain the ball with quick short passes and to see them string together pass after pass after pass really is quite amazing. However, what people seem to forget is that they do this and the next thing you know is that they have hit a 50 pass to a player making a brilliant run on the far side of the field. What they do is suck an opponent in with their short passes and create the space for the long ball (and their ability to play both the short pass and the long pass has been extraordinary over the year). This is what has made Brazil one of the dominant nations in soccer.

You can effectively go in either direction with this system. You can play short; short long as the Brazilians tend to do or you can look long in the beginning to stretch the opponents out defensively and then play short into the spaces you have created.

The point is, the team that varies their attack using both short and long passes, are the ones that are most often successful.

Any questions, comments or suggestions should be sent to kidscomments@finesoccer.com  or be posted to the New FineSoccer Forum at http://finesoccer.net 

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Have a great day!

Lawrence