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When called on to bunt, players can assume two body positions, or stances: Square Around If a bunt is called for, after receiving the sign from the coach, the batter should assume his normal position in the batter’s box. Pivot As in the square-around position discussed earlier, the batter first assumes his stance, but when the pitcher begins his delivery, the batter pivots his body into bunting position without moving his feet. Bunting Strikes A common mistake that bunters make is bunting ...
Situational hitting is the ability to assess changing game situations and hit accordingly. As you know, game situations vary enormously, so each time a batter comes to the plate, he must take into account the game conditions before he decides what he should try to do with the bat. Strengths and Weaknesses of OpponentsYou and your players must account for your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses to know how your batter should hit the ball.
Three keys for being a stellar defender are stance, hand positioning, and footwork. Hand PositioningHand positioning is important for a defender. Your players can use three basic hand positions to their advantage when playing defense:1. To pressure the shooter, the defender should keep one hand up (the hand on the side of the lead foot) to defend against a shot.
This rule is more crucial against the zone because offensive players tend to stand around more when playing against a zone defense. If the zone shifts quickly from one pass to another, offensive players may want to use pass fakes to force the zone to shift without the pass. If the ball is passed quickly—quicker than the zone defenders can move—offensive players will be open for shots.
Defenders can do this by making the offensive player go in the direction of the help defenders, using the lead foot to force the player in that direction (the lead foot is the foot positioned higher than the offensive player’s foot). When an offensive player comes off a screen using the dribble, the defenders should force the player back in the direction the player came from. The defender must play the offensive player close as the player comes off the screen on the dribble (if a switch ...
Sending Effective MessagesYoung players often have little understanding of the rules and skills of soccer and probably even less confidence in their ability to play the game. ”State It Clearly and SimplyPositive and honest messages are good, but only if expressed directly in words your players understand. Nonverbal MessagesJust as you must be consistent in the tone of voice and words you use, you must also keep your verbal and nonverbal messages consistent.
Step 2: Help Players Understand the GameAs your players are playing a game, look for the right spot to freeze the action, step in, and ask questions about errors that you’re seeing. Although it takes longer to teach a ball skill or tactic to players in the discovery games approach to practice, what they learn sticks more permanently and develops more self-reliant players. Step 3: Teach the Skills of the GameOnly when your players recognize the skills they need to be successful in the game do...
It’s difficult to reward players when they don’t execute skills correctly. As players focus on mastering a new skill or attempt to integrate it with other skills, their old, well-learned skills may temporarily degenerate, and you may need to relax your expectations. For example, a player has learned how to shoot the ball and is now learning how to combine that skill with the dribble.
We’ll take a closer look at three types of passes: chest pass, bounce pass, and overhead pass. Chest Pass The chest pass is made when the ball is thrown with two hands from the passer’s chest area to the receiver’s chest area. Overhead Pass An overhead pass is used when a player is closely guarded and is forced to pass over a defender—for example, when making an outlet pass to start a fast break or a lob pass to a player cutting backdoor to the basket.
At the 8 to 9 and 10 to 11 age levels, you probably won’t adjust your team tactics, or plays, too significantly during a game. Rather, you’ll focus on the basic tactics, and during breaks in the game, you’ll emphasize the specific tactics your team needs to work on. As games progress, assess your opponents’ style of play and tactics, and make adjustments that are appropriate—that is, those that your players are prepared for.
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