david.almorza@uca.es

arturo.prada@uca.es

gonzalompp@hotmail.com

*Profesor de la Universidad de Cádiz

Departamento de Estadística e Investigación Operativa

Facultad de Ciencias del Trabajo

Entrenador Nacional de Fútbol (Nivel 3). Ha sido Vicerrector

de la Universidad de Cádiz durante doce años, llevando a su cargo

el Área de Deportes de la Universidad

**Profesor de la Universidad de Cádiz

Departamento de Anatomía y Embriología Humana. Facultad de Medicina

Es Director del Departamento de Anatomía y Embriología Humana

de la Universidad de Cádiz

***Profesor de la Universidad de Cádiz

Departamento de Anatomía y Embriología Humana. Facultad de Medicina

(España)

Reception: 08/04/2019 - Acceptance: 04/11/2020

1st Review: 04/03/2020 - 2nd Review: 04/06/2020

 

Abstract

    Tactics from the roots is a book (ISBN: 978-84-617-5830-2) about soccer, written in English by Maor Rozen, a former football player and a professional football coach (UEFA PRO), and printed in Spain by e-Versus. This work is based on Maor’s life experiences, both playing and coaching, in many varied socials and sportive environments, from the poorest to the wealthiest, from the street and neighborhood clubs to clubs with large structures, both in Uruguay the country where he was born and grew up, and at the intercontinental level. This book makes just a formulation of tactical principles, concepts, football thoughts and a methodology to put into practice, because having different origins they managed to get a place in soccer, with a clear adaptation to the current times. In short, it is a humble and deep work coming from a soccer coach to colleagues, who have the spirit to continue extending their capacity of analysis and knowledge.

    Keywords: Soccer. Tactics. Coaching.

 

Resumen

    Tácticas desde las raíces (Tactics from the roots) es un libro (ISBN: 978-84-617-5830-2) sobre fútbol, escrito en inglés por Maor Rozen, ex-jugador y entrenador profesional de fútbol (UEFA PRO), e impreso en España por e-Versus. Este libro se basa en experiencias de la vida de Maor, tanto como jugador como entrenador, en muchos y variados entornos sociales y deportivos, desde los más pobres hasta los más ricos, desde las calles y los equipos de barrio hasta los clubes con las más importantes estructuras, siempre en Uruguay, el país en el que nació y creció, y a nivel intercontinental. Este libro realiza una formulación de principios tácticos, conceptos, pensamientos sobre fútbol y una metodología para ponerlos en práctica, porque teniendo orígenes distintos lograron hacerse con un sitio en el fútbol, con una clara adaptación a los tiempos actuales. En resumen, es un trabajo humilde y profundo que llega de un entrenador de fútbol a colegas que tengan el espíritu de continuar extendiendo su capacidad de análisis y conocimiento.

    Palabras clave: Fútbol. Tácticas. Entrenamiento.

 

Resumo

    Táticas das raízes (Tactics from the roots) é um livro (ISBN: 978-84-617-5830-2) sobre futebol, escrito em inglês por Maor Rozen, ex-jogador de futebol e treinador de futebol profissional (UEFA PRO), e impresso na Espanha por e-Versus. Este trabalho baseia-se nas experiências de vida de Maor, tanto no jogo quanto no treinamento, em muitos ambientes sociais e esportivos variados, dos mais pobres aos mais ricos, dos clubes de rua e de bairro a clubes com grandes estruturas, ambos no Uruguai, país onde nasceu e cresceu, e no nível intercontinental. Este livro faz apenas uma formulação de princípios táticos, conceitos, pensamentos sobre futebol e uma metodologia a ser posta em prática, porque, com origens diferentes, conseguiram um lugar no futebol, com uma clara adaptação aos tempos atuais. Em suma, é um trabalho humilde e profundo vindo de um treinador de futebol para colegas, que têm o espírito de continuar ampliando sua capacidade de análise e conhecimento.

    Unitermos: Futebol. Táticas. Treinamento.

 

Lecturas: Educación Física y Deportes, Vol. 25, Núm. 263, Abr. (2020)

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Tactics from the roots

 

    From the concept of tactic presented in Chapter 1: tactics are all the offensive and defensive movements developed by the players with or without the ball, which can be carried out in order of surprise or to neutralize the opponents during the game with the ball in play, with the main objective to score more goals than the adversary, the book continues in Chapter 2 talking about what the author illustrates as roots: coming back home, changing clothes and shoes, taking the ball and meeting with the friends of the neighborhood, playing on the hard concrete of the sidewalks or on small areas of grass where the goals were the trees, trying to imitate idols, playing hours until late at night.

 

Figure 1. Book cover

 

    Chapter 3 is focused on Coaching Premises, including KIV (Knowledge, Inventiveness and Vocation) since a Coach must have skills; OPM (Objective, Planning and Methodology) as the components for the success of a Coach's management; and OAEDE (Observation, Analysis, Evaluation, Decision and Execution) as the process that any Coach should incorporate in his daily work.

 

    Football parameters are included in Chapter 4. These parameters are classified as Direct and Indirect Influence Factors (DIF and IIF). They are developed through the Chapter and, when it is possible, there are explicative exercises with illustrative and full colored diagrams in this Chapter and throughout the 284 pages of the book (Rozen, 2016).

 

    Chapter 5 includes tactical concepts by establishing a primary classification: offensive and defensive tactics. In this way this Chapter continues the discussion on the style of play, a projection of the football idea of a Coach, and includes several examples with diagrams about styles in attack (direct attack, combinative attack, counterattack) and styles in defense (zone marking, man to man marking, combined marking, mixed marking).

 

    “Tactical principles” is the title of Chapter 6. The players must dominate the different aspects of the game, and those aspects are known as ‘principles’ that are divided into offensive and defensive. Tactical offensive principles are width, mobility, penetration and improvisation. Tactical defensive principles are delay, concentration, balance and control. This can be considered the main Chapter, as it includes tactical actions that support the tactical principles, and it continues in Annex I in which the author talks about the tactical excellence, and also in Annex II with a simple and very useful structure of a weekly plan for kids under 12, and finally in Annex III dedicated to the correction of errors.

 

    Chapter 7 completes the tactical principles with a very interesting content entitled Offensive principles vs Defensive principles, and organized by pairs: width vs delay; penetration vs balance; mobility vs concentration; and improvisation vs control. In each of these pairs the explanation is divided in objectives, phase of teaching, most common mistakes and advanced exercises.

 

    The Block Methodology is defined in Chapter 8 as the moment when the team moves harmoniously as a coordinated body, with a high degree of solidity that prevents and controls the invasion of opponents into dangerous zones and between lines of play. The concept of the block is established from exercises 4 vs. 4, including a methodology of the teaching-learning process, and then it is transferred to 5 vs. 5 and finally to 7 vs. 7. In this Chapter it can be also found different tactical games in different situations: numerical equality, numerical superiority in defense and numerical inferiority in defense. This Chapter concludes with the transition to an 11 players team.

 

    The final Chapter is called “Conclusions”. As Maor says: “The art of football will never die as long as we keep its roots”. This is Maor’s second book (Rozen, 2008), and at the end of each one of them, Maor remembers the commitment to continue analyzing, developing and adapting methodologies that adjust to socio-cultural and sports circumstances that will ultimately allow the revitalization of football from its roots.

 

References

 

Rozen, M. (2008). Táctica: metodología del gol. Cádiz, España: Federación Andaluza de Fútbol (FAF) y Centro de Estudios, Investigación y Desarrollo (CEDIFA).

 

Rozen, M. (2016). Tactics from the roots. Cadiz, Spain: E-versus.

Lecturas: Educación Física y Deportes, Vol. 25, Núm. 263, Abr. (2020)