Attitude

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A player must maintain an attitude of self-confidence throughout the match and strive to the limit of his possibilities to achieve victory. Bad attitudes can be not running enough, thinking about issues other than the match, being influenced by the public or losing confidence if the match does not go as planned.

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Communication

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Good communication between all team members is essential. Players from experienced teams constantly talk to each other. Passes are sometimes requested and the receiver of the ball can also be alerted if they have space to turn around or are closely marked. The goalkeeper usually shouts at the defense to warn them that he is going to catch the ball and avoid misunderstandings; he can also tell them to go ahead to keep opponents offside, as he has a better view of the field. Defenders communicate with each other to coordinate movements, keep the defensive line balanced and divide the defensive work. Other forms of communication are intimidation or provocation of opposing players and attempts to influence referees.

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Field of vision

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The ability to see the space in which the game is taking place is very important. An attacker who does not have the ball should try to move into the open spaces, while an attacker with the controlled ball can either advance to the nearest open space or look in those spaces for his teammates to pass the ball to him. Organising midfielders have a central role in the field vision to send passes to open spaces, while attackers are specialists in moving without the ball into these spaces.

 

Player Movement

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The movements of players on the field of play play a fundamental role in tactics and are usually determined beforehand by the coach. There are more restrictive coaches who greatly limit the movement of their players, while others grant more freedom. There are specialist players who are given more freedom of movement, such as midfielders and organisers, especially if they are world stars. Whatever the movement, it is very important that the players are not static and are clear about where they should move according to the situation, as this will determine a more orderly game with more possibilities of attack.

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Fair play or foul play

 

The player should avoid unnecessary cards, for example by not protesting the referees or making excessively strong tackles. It is also advisable to have a respectful attitude towards opponents, avoiding insults, humiliations when winning by several goals, etc.. There are those who believe that everything that serves to win is lawful in a field of play, so it is common that in football today are seen situations like:

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* Simulate an injury to delay the game or get the opponent to get a card.

* Insulting, spitting or hitting the opponent to destabilize him.
* Trying to pressure the referees.
* Scoring goals with the hand as if the head had been used.
* Simulate fouls and penalties.
* Deliberately wasting time.

 

In some countries foul play is more accepted than in others. For example, in England the simulation is generally frowned upon while in Spain or Italy it is common almost in every match. Although some fans and players still see foul play as part of football, FIFA is constantly changing the rules to prevent it and campaigns to promote fair play.

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Editor: GFDL, v.o., Granfutbol.com, 2007.

original by: https://www.granfutbol.com/habilidades-mentales.html