Attacking Principles

Every sports team needs principles so that the players and coaches understand what their team stands for and what their team represents. This offers a sense of guidance and direction for the team pertaining to how they conduct themselves for everything that they do. Embedded in this, teams need tactical principles that are implemented and taught by the coaches. Today, we will endeavor to discuss the FIVE attacking principles that can be easily used in ANY team sport. Here they are from 1-5.

#1) EXPLOIT - This attacking principle needs to be addressed by coaches as something that is highly important. This involves exploiting and taking advantage of the space that is in front of the player. Players, for the most part, should opt to take all of their free space until they are forced into making a decision. This principle also involves exploiting defenders. This requires confidence and awareness to dribble at a defender, juke a defender, run past a defender, or skate around a defender. Finally, this principle involves the idea that players need to penetrate the room in front of them. In essence, don't just move into space that is in front of you, absolutely explode into it - Exploit what is in front of you with absolute intentionality.

#2) SUPPORT - This attacking principle is all about supporting the player who possesses the playing object (i.e.- the ball, the puck, the disc, etc). The emphasis that coaches need to make in regards to this principle is that the player who has the ball needs angles for passes. The player with the ball also requires support outlets in front of them, beside them, and behind them while in the playing area.

#3) WIDTH - This attacking principle is based on the fundamental understanding of spacing. Playing areas may not be inherently narrow in terms of physical structure, but when you add players to a playing area, the playing area can easily become more narrow due to clusters of players. Coaches should stress the importance of stretching their opponent laterally in order to free up space in central areas. Additionally, having width when attacking allows a team to move the playing object (ball, puck, disc, etc) from side-to-side with greater ease.

#4) MOBILITY - This attacking principle is all about the players' willingness to become flexible while in regular game-play. Mobility/flexibility is meant, here, in a figurative sense; not in a physical or literal sense. Players must be willing to interchange positions while playing in order to attack more efficiently. Also, players should be mobile in terms of creating movement while in an offensive attack (i.e.- not standing still).

#5) CREATE - This attacking principle is based on the foundational understanding of creativity. Players should not be confined to being so fundamental that they aren't allowed to express themselves within their play. Coaches should emphasize the idea of creating space to move into an offensive attack. Coaches should also allow players to create opportunities through various passing and moving techniques. Lastly, coaches should emphasize that it is crucial to create attacking opportunities through their own individual skill. This gives the players confidence, a bit of freedom, and some room to express themselves in their play.

We have now learned all of the attacking principles that coaches should implement into their sports teams. It's important that these principles, and principles alike, are not just verbalized by coaches, but REINFORCED time-and-time again. If you want to put points up on the scoreboard, these attacking principles are a sure-fire way to aid your team in your offensive pursuits. Best wishes to all coaches and players. It's time to be a defense's worst nightmare!