Game intelligence is the ability to understand and react to the information around you as it happens. As part of our mentoring programme we will equip you with the ability to sustain your best performance and continue to thrive under pressure
How does football IQ manifest itself on the pitch. Does an elite footballers brain have superior powers to that of an amateur playing on a Sunday morning
An elite footballer performs 150-250 intense actions during a game, according to a study in the Journal of Sport Sciences. For each of these actions , there’s a mass of information to digest – visual cues, instructions from the coach , calculating force and angles, spatial awareness of a wide area – all of which a player has to process in real time to make a quick, potentially game changing decision. On top of that, they have to (in normal circumstances) cope with emotion teeming from the stands
Spatial awareness is a fundamental of game intelligence, this enables you to constantly scan the pitch to access the position of your teammates and the positions of your opposition. With this you have created time to make a smart decision to step ahead of play
The mental skills that enable spatial awareness
Spatial Intelligence
Having a second nature which enables you to know exactly where your teammates and opponents are on the pitch without too much thought
Imagination
Having the mental capacity to imagine a specific situation of play from different perspectives You can anticipate the path of the ball and set up your play based on the position of your teammates and opponents
Peripheral Vision
This enables you to see teammates or opponents outside of your direct line of sight
We believe it is optimal to strengthen the connections between the brain and the body. Hardwiring the pathway of communication between a thought and an action -I.e. scanning before receiving the ball in a congested midfield to speed up pass selection – will make a player more efficient
Football intelligence is not about thinking, its about bypassing the thought process and going straight to the action. In all sport if you think you’re done. You will not achieve. You have to see it and feel it which then enables you to do it. To be at our most effective are generally not consciously processing actions
We want to achieve the process of not thinking just happening
The physical side of football is extremely important from both the academy and first team side of the game.
These are a few of the areas that we focus on
Movement Skills – Skill Acquisition
Skill acquisition is also referred to as motor learning and control. It is how players learn and retain new skills. Skill acquisition involves voluntary control of joints and body segments in an effort to solve a motor skill problem and achieve a task goal
Speed and Acceleration
The maximum rate of acceleration occurs during the initial phases of sprinting; moving from a stationary or low/moderate speed to a maximal high intensity effort. This involves a rapid change of velocity.
Addressing mechanical issues an athlete may have is one effective way of maximising their acceleration ability. For many coaches this method of training is often neglected due to time restraints, although incorporating mechanical drills within warm ups or individual speed sessions can be effective.
At PFS we try to develop the movement capabilities of athletes at an early age so that when we come to improve their muscular strength, the athlete possesses the skill and competency to demonstrate efficient acceleration technique.
Efficient acceleration requires the athlete to maximise velocity by applying force in a horizontal direction. In order to do this adequate torso and hip stability is required to minimise rotation of the upper and lower body and avoid lateral movement and loss of force through inefficient application.
The development of hip mobility and stability allows the athlete to maximise hip extension forces that are applied to the ground, ultimately increasing acceleration speed.
Finally, ground contact needs to be solid and quick, using a front foot strike with good ankle stiffness in order to minimise braking forces.
Agility
Agility is a complex skill and it is dependent on several factors (physical, perceptual-cognitive). Agility can be termed as rapid changes of movement velocity, direction and mode in response to a stimulus.
Change of direction which is the physical aspect that underpins agility involves the ability of the athlete to absorb force (braking), produce force (acceleration) while controlling the body position during various multi-planar movements. The ability to rapidly change speed, direction and mode of movement is considered advantageous in football as the players need to constantly move in different movement patterns on and off the ball.
We also focus on many other areas of physical performance
INNOVATION
Innovation is crucial in football as it allows team to establish a competitive advantage over their opponents. From tactics to training techniques, innovative ideas can revolutionise the way the game is played and give team the edge. The four areas we focus on regarding innovation are:
Set Pieces
These play an essential role in football as they provide teams with controlled opportunities to score goals, and recently contributed 30% of goals scored at the Qatar World Cup in 2022, highlighted their importance. These moments require precision, strategy, and teamwork to be executed successfully, making them a valuable aspect of the game. Coaches often spend considerable time analysing opponents’ set-piece strategies and developing an own to gain an advantage, and there are significant strategies to ensure that optimal benefit can be achieved continuously.
Tactical flexibility
Tactical flexibility is essential in football as it allows teams to adapt to different situations, opponents, and in-game conditions. Coaches who prioritise tactical flexibility can adjust their team’s formation, playing style, and individual roles to exploit the weaknesses of their opponents and continue creating opportunities for their team. By being flexible, teams can also respond to unexpected situations such as injuries, changes in momentum, or shifts in the opposition’s tactics. Ultimately, tactical flexibility can make the difference between winning and losing, and is a crucial aspect of modern football.
Setting triggers
Setting appropriate and recognisable triggers for your team is a vital component of a cohesive team unit, providing timing, context and structure for your team instructions. Coaches who are able to create and maintain these indications for their players, will be able to establish sustained success as players are able to interpret the information around them and make the right decisions confidently even in extreme pressure situations. Therefore, being able to set triggers, manage your players’ recognition of them and the response, coaches will be able to influence performance consistently and create sustained autonomy for their players.
Managing external pressure
Being able to manage external pressure as a coach, whether it is from media sources, league competition or the expectations within your organisation, is a cornerstone of sustaining success and best performance. However, the skills required to recognise these demands, both emotionally and psychologically, as well as the ability to manage them, are a complex and extensive system. Gaining support and structure to help recognise and manage this variety of challenges will help to compete and be successful in the long term.
High Performance Football Package
Express – 1 Week
You would like some advice on one specific area.
TBC
- Includes:
- 1 45 minute call
Growth – 1 Month
You would like some advice and demonstration on one specific area.
TBC
- Includes:
- 2 60 minute calls
Improvement – 6 Months
You would like some advice, demonstrations and help with programme planning.
TBC
- Includes:
- 12 x 60 minute calls
- Club visits are avaliable
- 20%discount on online tool and training app
Season – 10 Months
You would like to learn by working directly with a highly qualified and experienced member of our team.
TBC
- Includes:
- 20 x 60 minute calls
- club visits are avaliable
- 40% discount on online tool and training app