Dominating a game of soccer is not just about displaying technical skills, but it is also about displaying intelligent decision-making. However, now and then, you’ll find a player in your team making bad decisions during the game. Such poor decision-making skills can cost you and your team, which is why you must identify and understand why your players are making these bad choices, and how you can rectify them.
A lack of vision
The idea behind ‘soccer vision’ is quite simple – players need to know how to scan the field around them. They need to know what and who is ahead of them. Their vision has to have the ability to identify a potential cross or through ball to a player on the opposite end of the pitch. If your players want to dominate the match, they need to think beyond their technical abilities, and have to learn how to scan the pitch, especially when they’re breaking for a run towards the goal.
A study conducted back in 2018 explains how soccer coaches should focus more on training players the ways of scanning the soccer pitch, instead of the regular technical skill development training. This type of training should be provided to players at a youth or academy level. Only then can they understand the true need for soccer vision, and how it impacts their decision-making abilities.
Poor reflexes and reaction times
Sometimes, a soccer player makes bad decisions because of a lack in their physical abilities. Poor reflexes and reaction times often lead to bad decision-making. Players who are unable to react quickly end up giving the ball away, or making a pass that somewhat slows down the momentum. Thus, it’s important for them to work on their reflexes and reaction speeds.
Every second count in a game of soccer, which is why players need to be able to have a good reaction speed. They need to know what’s where and how they can continue playing the ball forward towards the opposition goal. To do so, you as a coach, need to incorporate modern training facilities in your training sessions.
Long gone are the days where players have to run through an array of cones to train and improve their reflexes and reaction times. These days, digital systems are widely available in the market, like BlazePod for soccer coaches. These systems can help your teamwork on those split-second decision-making abilities, improve their agility, and can make for a more fruitful training session.
Selfishness
Selfishness is one of the worst attributes a soccer player can have. As a coach, it gets even more frustrating to see your player’ selfishness playing a big role in their poor decision-making skills. If professional soccer has taught us anything, it’s that being selfish is not for everyone. If your players’ selfish acts can get your team goals and win you matches, it’s fine (to some extent; selfishness as a concept is a big NO in soccer). However, when the same selfishness can cost you missing out on goal-scoring opportunities, or even losing matches, you’ll know that it’s a major problem.
Sometimes, the player’s lack of vision and their selfish attitude join hands to give rise to an even bigger problem. As a coach, you’ll have to teach your players how their selfishness can affect the game, and their ability to make good decisions. It’s one of the most remediable, yet problematic reasons behind the poor decision-making skills of soccer players. They must also be taught the difference between taking a calculated risk and being selfish.
Recklessness
Playing recklessly leads to a lot of problems. Not only do players lose sight of the game entirely, but in the heat of the moment, they also lose hold of some of their technical abilities.
Players should be made aware of the consequences of such reckless behavior. You should also give them an in-depth idea regarding the differences between a reckless challenge, and a tactical foul. Reckless behavior should be penalized, not only during the match but in training as well.
A soccer player might have anyone or multiple reasons for making bad decisions. As a coach, you’ll have to identify them, and then work out ways for rectifying the situation. The list discussed above deals with some of the most common reasons behind such poor choices. Yet, there are more reasons out there, which you as a coach need to explore and understand on your own.