The Coaches' Room
11v11•Adult•Out of Possession

I got caught high twice and now I'm scared to go past halfway

Asked by LastBusBack
1600 views 4 replies
I've been trying to overlap more but we lost the ball behind me twice in one game and both attacks came down my side. Since then I'm holding back even when the coach is telling me to go. How do I work out whether the mistake was going forward or just the timing of it?

VERIFIED COACH RESPONSE

Getting caught high does not automatically mean the forward run was wrong. Review what happened just before the turnover. Was the ball secure when you went? Was there cover behind you? Did the pass break down unexpectedly, or were you running forward while possession was already unstable? If the structure was good and the team simply lost the ball, your job is to recover and learn from the transition. If you went when there was no protection, then the timing needs adjusting. Do not respond by removing the attacking part of your game completely. That solves one risk by taking away something the team wants from you. For the next match, give yourself one clear cue before going: secure possession plus cover behind. If both are there, commit to the run. Confidence comes back faster when you have a decision rule rather than relying on whether the last attack went well.

COMMUNITY DISCUSSION

Join the football discussion. 4 replies

G

GavHere

Coach

One bad transition can make a young full-back go too far the other way. If the role asks you to attack, staying home forever creates a different problem.
E

earlystart7

Coach

Exactly. I'd rather give the player a better cue for when to go than tell them 'be careful'. Careful usually just becomes passive.
S

ScottN

Referee / Match Official

Did you get caught because you went, or were you just high when somebody else lost it? Those are different. I'd separate them before deciding the overlap itself was wrong.
B

ben_m

Referee / Match Official

Players often remember where they were when the attack started, not whether the turnover was actually avoidable. Useful distinction.

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