Soccer Awareness Model of

Team Development by Wayne

Harrison
My model is implemented at professional Academy level. I believe in
developing teams to reflect the most up to date and successful Professional European
models of Soccer development.

The 8 v 8 Program of Development

The FIVE Phases of Play at the 8 v 8
We employ the 3-3-1 system of play. Using it from U6 to U10 with all our teams; we
endeavor to teach a particular style of play that is popular, fun to play and successful
and which teaches the players all the best aspects of soccer development.

This is how we develop our individual players and at the same time we are encouraging
and helping players on how to use their imagination in 1 v 1 dribbling situations in the
attacking thirds of the field. We want to develop technically great passers AND
dribblers.

Remember the Art of great coaching includes changing the team shape / plan /
style; based on the game situation; so prepare your teams with this in mind.

We are trying to make the transition from 8 v 8 to 11 v 11 as simple as possible.

The 5 Phases of development for the 8 v 8 are almost identical to those of the 11 v
11; so moving from 8 v 8 to 11 v 11 is relatively seamless for both the coaches
and the players

Players in our 3-3-1 system of play

This is the defensive

team shape start
position of a 3-3-1
Double Diamond
We number our players from 1 to 11 for simplicity of understanding when we teach them
their individual positions.
All that is missing are numbers 4, 5 and 8.
We teach (6) to play centrally as a center back as we want to develop 4 and 5 at the 11
v 11 as a 6.

The initial attacking Phase of play

 
Attacking shape is now a
3-1-3.  

Zone 14 is the area

between the opponents
back players and their
midfield
       

The full attacking system of play

 
This is the attacking team
shape now a 1-3-3.

The attacking team shape

we change to when we are
chasing a game; perhaps
losing 1-0 and wanting to
be more positive in attack.

So this now would be the

start position.  
The full attacking system of play

For the more defensively

minded. Greater strength
defending should a counter
attack occur.

Rotation of (9) and (10) to

create space in front of the
ball

Attacking through the middle from the back

(6) Runs forward with the

ball, (2) and (3) tuck in after
initially offering themselves
up wide for a pass from the
keeper

The interchanges in the attacking system of play

Movements up front have

been effected and players
interchange.

These are Very simple

movements to introduce.

(3) And (11) and (2) and

(7) work together. (9) And
(10) interchange
High Pressing
When defending we try to
win the ball back as close
to the opponents goal as
we can.

More complex Combinations Movements to Teach

Very easy to teach in

training in a shadow play,
the secret is when players
can identify it on the field
“for themselves” when and
where to do it in the game
situation.

Here we have 4 players

rotating
 

 
 
 
 
 
The 4-2-3-1 System of Play at 11 v 11
We employ the 4-2-3-1 system of play as our starting point of development. Using it
from U11 to U18 with all teams; we endeavor to teach a particular style of play that is
popular, fun to play and successful and which teaches the players all the best aspects
of soccer development.

The curriculum of development is second to none in the country and already the fruits of
our labor are showing in both the style and systems of play and the results thereof.
We believing in both develop and winning; and particular winning the RIGHT WAY
which is basically a cross between development and teaching the correct skills to win
games at the older ages.

In the United Arab Emirates where I was the Youth DOC of Al Ain Professional Football
Club my model of development was used over my two years in charge there. We won 7
Professional club National Youth Championships in those two years; we were THE most
successful professional academy in the Country.

It was described by Marco Monte of Inter Milan as the closest academy model to the
standards of the best European clubs.

How the 4-2-3-1 system of play works: Is it rigid or is it free-

flowing?
Systems of Play: Are just start positions; every team needs to have a point to build
from and from those positions we can develop vast arrays of movement that are
designed to challenge the opposition in many ways. The 4-2-3-1 system of play is the
most popular and prevalent system in world soccer today.
Style of Play: This is an entity in itself and a style can be applied within any system of
play.

The most popular and successful style of play currently in the professional game is one
based around very quick 1 and 2 touch passing and movement and tactical
development focused on off the ball positioning to help the player on the ball; and to
present as many options as possible to that player.

This is how we at Surf are developing our individual players and at the same time we
are encouraging and helping players on how to use their imagination in 1 v 1 dribbling
situations in the attacking thirds of the field. We want to develop technically great
passers AND dribblers.

The 4-2-3-1 is THE most free flowing system of play in the game today and we need
players and parents to understand this and to understand how and why we teach it..
We work on 5 phases of development in how we teach the 4-2-3-1 system of play and
within it the particular style of play we teach.
The Five Phases of Development at 11 v 11
This is the STARTING POSITION shape for a 4-2-3-1. We number our players from 1 to 11 for
simplicity of understanding when we teach them their individual positions.

Phase One: Defensive Team Shape

Phase Two: Attacking Team Shape

This is the attacking team shape (attacking “start-position”) for a 4-2-3-1. For U11, U12 and U13
to affect the minds of (7) and (11) we may call it a 4-2-1-3 as a start position so they think in a
more positive and an attacking mode to move to this 3-1-3-3.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Phase Three: An Overload in Zone 14
Zone 14 is the area between the opponents’ back three or four and their midfield players and is
an area we look to exploit. We want (7) and (11) to cut inside to support (9) and (10), and clear
the space wide for (2) and (3) to overlap and join in the attack.

This is the attacking team shape now a 2-1-3-1-3 or 3-1-3-3 depending on the moment. The
main change is (6) brings the ball out from the back (or moves forward in attack without the ball)
and plays in front of the two centre backs. This can also be the attacking team shape we
change to when we are chasing a game perhaps losing 1-0 and wanting to be more positive in
attack. So this now would be our start position.
 
From this very fluid movement players may end up in very different positions on the field from
their own designated start positions. The beauty of this means they have to understand other
techniques, skills and tactical development to be able to be successful within the game when
they move into a new part of the field in a different position.

So all the time just by playing within this system and with this style of play they are
learning different positions and what those positions require to be successful; which in
the long run will make them far better all-round players.

In other words absolutely the OPPOSITE to perhaps perceived rigidity in

terms of individual and team play for each player.
Phases Four: Interchanging Positions in Attack
We teach a lot of interchanges between positions in attack. If we lose the ball we have to be
tuned into being defensively concentrated and disciplined
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As you see from the positions represented by numbers our players have freedom of expression
in terms of their movement off the ball.

So we have a staged pre planned movement in free play but decision making based on the
opponents reaction to these movements and so the end product can be different in each
situation; based on this.

WE offer the FRAMEWORK for the players, we encourage them to make the decisions for
themselves within that framework.

With this system of play defenders quickly transition to attacking positions as you can see above
where our defending back four “wingback” (3) is in a goal scoring position.. Altrenatively our
linking midfielder (8) drops back into defense to cover for the wingbacks attacking should there
be a counter attack.

So 4-2-3-1 offers up great fluidity of movement for the players in the units and between
the units.

It is difficult for the opponents to predict where the ball will go next or where particular players
will be; due to the fluidity of the style of play within the system.
Phases Five: A FULL team Press in the Attacking Third
Our preference is to win the ball back as high as possible and as quickly as possible as shown
below.

If we can’t win the ball immediately where we lose it high then we recover our team shape for a
4-2-3-1 which you can interpret as a 4-1-4-1.

The main thing is we get as many players behind the ball as possible and as quickly as
possible.

What are the Main Components of this Program?

ü Development models starting at the base of the pyramid and the

younger ages.
ü Age Related Coaching and Training Curriculums
ü Developing 8 v 8 programs that directly relate to how we play at
11 v 11 effectively teaching 11 v 11 principles at ages 7 and older
but on a smaller scale.
ü A structured flexible and player orientated 4-2-3-1 System of
play that we implement with every team at 11 v 11 from U11 to
U19
ü Using the Numbers system to identify and explain individual
positions.
ü A Style of Play throughout the club that all teams will play
consisting of ball possession “with a purpose” and vast rotation
and freedom of movement of players around the field.
ü Structured Coaching Clinics to train and develop the coaches
ü A propensity to play quickly and with few touches when the
occasion demands involving training teaching players the
 importance of fast thinking; fast movement; and the importance
of developing great decision making (The Skill Factor).
ü Developing alternative ways to play when the need arises in any
game situation.
ü Building team from the bottom up through a well developed
Recreational Program
ü Promotion of players from within a club environment is one of
our long term goals for clubs as players all know exactly how to
play our system and style at each level and each age group;
which not only improves their Soccer Intelligence but it also
means the longer they are with the club then the greater their
understanding, the better they can become.

This is just an overview of a system and style of play I believe in.

The “style” can be applied in any system you favor, I happen to like
the 4-2-3-1 the best, but as you see it is not just about that shape in
isolation it is about a starting point for which great things can
happen.

For much more in depth information on this you can contact me as

shown below.

Wayne Harrison
Soccer Awareness Coaching Programs
wayneharrison@soccerawareness.com
www.soccerawareness.com