Undoubtedly, a core characteristic of modern football is the particularly high speed of play. With the evolution of the players but also of the game itself (from a tactical point of view), the speed of execution, with or without the ball, has been significantly reduced.
One of the changes you will feel the higher you climb up the football pyramid is the speed of play. This change stems from various performance factors (technique, tactics, psychology). We will analyze them all in today’s article.
THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF A FAST SPEED OF PLAY
Technical Skills
Qualitative and quantitative characteristics distinguish the technical ability which is an integral part of a fast speed of play. In addition to the quality of the actions, their consistency during the game is also necessary. If you’re good technically but can’t express that with quality actions throughout the whole game, then something is going wrong. But let’s get a bit more specific!
A fast gameplay mainly depends on the passing game. As we all know, the ball “runs” faster than the footballer. Therefore, a key component of a fast gamespeed is the ability to pass the ball fast and accurately- not speedy players as many wrongly argue (do not misinterpret me, fast players are VERY important)!
In order to achieve this fast-paced game, you NEED to get comfortable with one-touch passing. This ability is a necessary technical element, especially in the elite tiers of football.
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Cognitive Skills (Perception – Action Coupling)
The cognitive skills of the player are often neglected, however, they form the basis for a successful passing game that’s based on one-touch football.
Everything starts with an external stimulus. This stimulus can be visual, verbal, a touch, or even a combination of them all. Our brain processes that information in order to give the appropriate (game-specific) command to our body. Then our body reacts to it by performing a specific, targeted action (PPP – Perceive – Process – Perform). The faster you process, the faster your gameplay can be.
Therefore, our training goal should be to improve the mind-body connection to enhance our decision-making process.
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THE TACTICAL SIDE OF A FAST SPEED OF PLAY
Undoubtedly, the tactical intelligence of the footballer also plays its own important role in increasing the speed of the game. The better the player understands the game, the more efficient and fast he can take decisions. Of course, this knowledge should be accompanied by technical competence for the best possible results.
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The Principle Of Pass & Support
A basic principle of a fast passing game is the creation of triangular formations to “fuel” the game with continuous passing and supportive options. In other words, the triangular formations constantly create passing lanes. However, the creation of these triangles requires collective effort. The importance of off the ball movements should be fully understood, to create supportive passing lanes throughout the field.
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Improving Tactical Intelligence
The tactical development of the footballer should be an integral part of the weekly workload. In addition to practicing the team’s tactical model during team training, further tools can be used to improve tactical intelligence, such as analyzing game film, reading books related to football tactics, tactical talks between players and coaches, etc.
Without a doubt, the evolution of the footballer’s tactical knowledge can reduce the time he needs both to capture the information / stimulus and to process it.
A “tactical mind” with great technical skills, has the ability to make immediate and successful passes.
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THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SIDE OF A FAST SPEED OF PLAY
I will never stop preaching that psychology is the “umbrella” of sports performance. In phases of the game that usually require a faster passing rate (e.g. high press scenarios), psychological skills are also a must in addition to the ones already mentioned. In cases of high offensive pressure, it is important for the footballer to be possess psychological characteristics such as calmness, clear thinking, self-confidence, etc.
Although our minds do not go straight to this area of performance, the truth is that psychology was, is and will remain a very important factor in sports success. EVERYTHING starts from the mind.
Watch our video: Speed Of Play | Every SECRET To A Faster PPA
CONCLUSION & PRACTICAL TIPS
Increasing the speed of play requires the development of various performance qualities.
Technique, tactical knowledge, cognitive skills, psychological performance, etc. are all aspects that need to be developed in order to acquire a faster speed of play in football. Below you can find a list of some key-points to improve your perception-action coupling and in general your ability to play faster football.
Here are some key-points and tipc that will help you improve your speed of play!
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