Hi,

You know that kid who is smaller than everyone else, but somehow doesn't get tackled, dispossessed or even look stressed in the heat of a match? I had a teammate like that growing up, and it was great to play with him. And equally, it was extremely frustrating playing against him in practice.

As an adult, I've realized that his super-power wasn't his technical or tactical abilities (although to be fair, he could probably have played professionally had he wanted to). He simply knew when, where and what to look at, to scan better than everyone else on the pitch. And that made him be 2 steps ahead of everyone else with and without the ball.

Part of the reason was that his dad was the coach, and he had played at a decent level himself. So he was fortunate that he grew up in an environment that valued perception as much as technique.

And you can do same the thing for your kid.

By placing them in situations where they need to look, you make the search more natural. Don't tell or yell "Scan!" or "Look over the shoulder!". Ask them what they see and what it means.

The Lab Tip

Set this up in your Backyard Lab:

1. The Teammate: The Master Chef faces a wall (the 'Teammate').
2. The Predator: You stand 3-5 meters behind them in their blind spot.
3. The Game: They pass to the wall. As the ball returns, you move to press or tackle. Don't announce your direction.
4. The Constraint: They must 'Escape' to a target (a post, a gate, or a fence) without being tagged. How they do that is completely up to them. Turn, dribble, feint, do a pass-and-go with the wall?

If they get tackled, don't provide the 'Recipe' (don't tell them where to look). Instead, ask: 'Where was the 'Heat' coming from that time?' or 'What did you notice about the space behind you?' When the heat is on, the Master Chef will naturally begin to 'Search' for the information they need to survive. This is how you build an Un-Rushable player."

Ideally, make it a fun little game. See if you can't turn the difficulty up, challenging them in more ways as you practice more and more times. And when team practice or the match comes around, ask them if they remember what they can do to keep themselves oriented.

If you happen to be a coach for your kid's team, the most effective way of practicing scanning is on a full (as big a pitch as your kid plays on, 3v3, 5v5, 7v7, 11v11 etc) pitch with full teams. This is because they get to experience all the possible ranges of passes, shots and running-lanes. In small-sided games on the other hand, immediate pressures and touches on the ball increase, but those long-range invitations and opportunities no longer exist like they do in a real match.

Best,

Hans Martin

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