You may have heard the term Soccer IQ, but what does it really mean? I don’t know if Soccer IQ is the best term to use today, but the concept of game intelligence is vitally important to youth soccer. Until a better term is coined, I will stick with Soccer IQ. I believe there are three fundamental principles that make up Soccer IQ: 1) Decision Making, 2) Movement off the Ball, and 3) Reading the Game.
Decision Making
The most important aspect of Soccer IQ is decision making. Consistently making good decisions is often the difference in a game. We have all seen the game where nine good decisions are followed by one bad decision. Often, that one bad decision ends up being the difference in the game. Soccer is a thinking game and players must make good decisions until the last whistle blows.
It is nearly impossible to come up with an exhaustive list of every type of decision in a game, but here are some examples: to pass or not to pass, who to pass the ball too, which player to mark, where to defend an individual player (shading), when do you abandon the position you are in on the field, when do you give ground, when do you shoot, when do you play a fast break, when do you slow the game down, and when to foul.
Not an exhaustive list, but all things to consider. The wrong decision in any of these scenarios can have disastrous results. The Coach can’t be in the player’s ear once the game is flowing and these decisions must be made in an instant. Decision making is improved at practice and play. The scope of this article does not allow for an individual explanation of every decision and players are encouraged to discuss with their coach the different scenarios they may encounter.
Decision making must be taught and practiced, just like dribbling, shooting and fitness. Spending time on building a smart soccer player will pay off.
Movement Off the Ball
There are three main components of movement off the ball: support to teammates, becoming open to receive the ball, and defensive positioning. Each of these components is important in their own way.
Support
Supporting teammates with off ball movement is key to a team keeping possession and also when playing defense. Players without the ball should position themselves in positions where there is a clear passing lane and the ball can be passed to them without a chance of interception. If a supporting player is covered or hiding behind a defender and not giving the player with the ball a good passing lane they need to move to “open up.” The player with the ball should have three options at all times and at any given moment to pass to different teammates.
The first defender provides the pressure on the attacking player, and the second defender is the supporting defender. The supporting defender must have proper movement off the ball to actually support the pressuring defender. Players have to learn to move quickly and to the right position off the ball to support, otherwise the team defense breaks down.
Openness
Players often “hide” behind defenders and are not available to receive a pass. Understanding how to get to open space in order to be available is two fold. First the player must understand tactically where to move to be open. This tactical understanding requires feeling out the space and reading the passing lane. Second, and equally as important, is that a player must want the ball. Often the reason a player is not open for a pass is because they have chosen to remain covered up.
Defensive positioning
Just being in the right place at the right time defensively can make all of the difference. Off ball movement to establish proper defensive positioning must be coached up in young players. As players raise their Soccer IQ, they tend to naturally flow to the right part of the field. Proper positioning also prevents players from becoming exhausted chasing the ball, so this little nuanced piece of the game has significant impacts on results.
Reading the Game
In its simplest terms, reading the game is defined as the ability of a player to anticipate what is going to happen next; it is a measure of tactical sophistication (per the MLS). When a player can read the game properly, decision making and movement off the ball become much easier. Leaders on the field are typically very good at reading the game. These leaders use this reading ability to help direct teammates who don’t read the game as well, moving them to the best position to support the team.
A few vocal players with great anticipation can work wonders for a team by directing teammates and setting the shape and position of the rest of the team.
How to improve Soccer IQ
1. Watch Professional Soccer players that you think are good and try to emulate those players, copy what they do and why they do it.
2. Watch yourself play and have an HONEST ASSESSMENT of your decision making. If you begin to point out instances where you had better options this is soccer IQ and you will start to recognize these situations more frequently in games. Parents can help with this as getting video of players can be tough.
3. Get out and PLAY. Play, play, and play some more. Especially competitive small sided games. Putting players into positions where they can experiment and try new things or get beat and have goals scored against them is the best way to learn. The game can be an amazing teacher and the higher the level being played, the more lessons being learned. When in these games ensure players are communicating, giving teammates verbal cues will help them understand the game.
4. Get feedback from your coaches and teammates. Players usually have a mental image of what they look like on the field and that mental image is often not consistent with the reality of the situation. Soliciting and then accepting feedback from others will help improve your soccer IQ.
Many Thanks to Fabian Caudillo (CFA San Clemente Coach) for his thoughts on how to improve Soccer IQ.
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