Peter Milkovich in Control

Off The Crossbar Coaching Series

In all team sports, it is paramount that each player is fully aware of the circumstances around him at all times. Examples are the location of team mates and opponents when he comes into possession of the ball, or the exact position of certain boundaries on the field (the location of the circle, etc.). The opposite of this awareness of position is commonly called "ball watching", and is a great frustration for coaches and players alike.

There are always some players who have an exceptional awareness of position, usually they are the best players by far, and most of us assume that these players have a “natural gift”. Awareness of position on the field is a skill I call “watching off the ball”, and it is a skill that can be learnt by every player. And, it must be considered an ability that can be improved at all times.

Developing the skill

A. In every drill, including warm-ups, the player must always carry out the following steps:

Pass (hit or push) the ball to a team mate.

As soon the ball leaves your stick, you must scan or look around you. You should scan with your eyes (you shouldn't have to turn your head) and you should be able to identify what you saw. You don’t need to know where everyone is on the field, but you must know your local vicinity, e.g., where is my right wing, where is the goalkeeper, etc..

Return to watching the ball travel to your team mate.

The reason you have time to scan is that you do not need to see the ball travel the complete distance of the pass when you aren’t the receiver of the pass. The only person who “watches the ball” the complete length of the pass is the receiver.

To summarize, you must pass and scan. And, coaches and players alike must re-think the terms for their drills such as “hitting & trapping”, and call it “hitting, scanning & trapping” as an example.

You can develop “watching off the ball” by thinking about it away from practice and games by visualizing step A over and over again.

B. In multiple player situations, during a game or in drills with many players, watching off the ball is done in the following way:

One of your team mates (A) passes the ball to another team mate (B);

As soon the ball leaves the stick of (A), you must scan and look around you

Return to watching the ball travel to (B)

C. During a game, you substitute the above by scanning whenever an opponent passes the ball to a member of the opposing team.

Note that most goalkeepers naturally do point C so they can keep an eye on the players off the ball near their scoring area

Conclusion

Watching off the ball is a skill I emphasize over other skills and fitness requirements. Developing this skill will make you a better player and will allow a team to effectively execute its tactical plays.

The above article is the copyright of Peter D’Cruz. The author has given permission that the article can be copied and used in whole, or in part, as long the information is presented accurately, reflects its intention and theme, and the author is credited for the information.

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