How to read the play better?

[bluebob1]

demand the ball verbally, when injured watching training drills (circle work etc) i was surprised how often the loudest player got the ball not the player in the best position

 

[Luv_our_club]

My advice and that used to work for me is to aim to lay a number of tackles.

Often i found that I didn't get near the ball because I was playing the game in my head like it was a film that I could predict or visualise and in which i got a possession. Every game is different and "reading the play" can be a myth unless you are a gun.

Lay tackles, get involved, and i bet things will change..........and team mates will start giving you the ball too.

 

[gavaniacono]

Some find this particularly helpful.

 

[Thetrader15]

Hello , ive played league footy and A grade footy and now coach junior squads.

In my opinion, "reading the play" is based a lot around instinct, you either have it or not.

That being said even players who can/do read play well often have slumps particularly when playing in a midfield type roll as you get caught chasing tail going both ways.

I had a similar slump when I was playing and to break it I ended up playing in a back pocket/half back flank . This meant I only had to read the ball/play going one way and if all else fails, stick to your man shut him down and if he is any good he will lead you to the ball.

I spent 6 games in the backline that year then moved back to roving duties and found it really helped.

Agree with this. Having played almost every position on the ground (except rover) HBF would be one of my favs or easiest to play. You can zone off and put youself a kick and a half behind the ball between the pack and the oppo goal.

Cut down the angles. If the ball is on your right hff and the oppo switch, more than likely it will end up on the left wing with the next kick.

Look at where the space is and the direction of the ball. 90% of the time, the ball doesn't change direction too much (the hawks do this really well in a pack, they do subtle changes of direction which puts opponents out of position, especially in their forward line) so it's likely to go in the same general direction towards space or to a kpp leading into space.

I agree though, get yourself onto their go to player and they will lead you to the ball. Then it's a 1 on 1.

Always keep an eye on what is behind you and don't be afraid to call you team mates across to fill in a gap or cut off a lead

 

[Thetrader15]

I did this back in 2011 because I played back flank. Watched Grant Birchall for a whole game. Incredibly he got the 3 Brownlow votes and I won most improved player that season. Absolutely works.

Also, if you have the confidence, play a step or two in front of your direct opponent (if you are defending), and never stop moving. Move in to the line of the ball between your opponent and the bloke with the footy even if its 100 metres away. Watch the running angles of the bloke with the footy and mirror it so you are always a step ahead.

Good advice. I liked to play a step in front and to the side with them on the outside ( ie I was closer to the middle of the ground). This was unless they ran behind and around me (thenlong way) they almost always had to run to the pocket. Give them.some space to do that so they think they can get some space, but you will be waiting for them.

Only problem is when they run straight at you and push you, but they usually still run to the pocket. If they get a mark, it's a hard kick.

Having said that, it didn't work playing on Ben Holland at school footy - he just ran straight through me or stood there and took mark after mark. 8 goals later I was happy to head home!

 

[Thetrader15]

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If your a defender, play on a good opponent. He'll take you to the ball. You have to be in the contest before you can win it.

If your forward, lead hard to space when your team is nearing kicking distance from you, demand the ball.

If your a mid, much harder, but youve really just gotta hunt at stoppages, break when your team has the ball, attack the ball hard when its in dispute.

Really hard to do any of this though if you arent fairly fit.

Always liked the lead up as a fwd not directly to the space but near it then a sharp turn towards it for a couple of extra m of space.

As someone else said, keep moving - once you stop to a walk it's hard to start again, so keep jogging if only slowly

 

[Cold Sober]

Maybe golf is your forte
If not, watch more games and play along in your head, ie. what would I have done there, Imagine yourself one kick behind play all game, in other words get where the balls going.

 

[Maylandsman]

do some boundary umpiring in your spare time. you have to position yourself well and read the play.

reading the play also entails reading the opposition players around you. watch the great fullbacks. they read it beautifully.

apart from that it is something you have to learn.

 

[Moshie The Mook]

Get as fit as possible.
Get to as many contests as possible.
If you miss the ball, make sure you collect an opponent on the way through.

 

[juss]

Largely this depends on the level you are playing at too. For lower levels of local footy, you can be a pretty handy player if you can run fast and longer than anyone else, eg. training and fitness instead of meat pies and beers like big Jonno at 190 cm 120kg sitting in the forward pocket.

 

[Leeda]

reading the play better comes from knowing something from the beginning and then for my mind having groups of three or four or five over
the ground.

I liked the play better when there were structures from end to end. It doesn't do the play any good to have a plethora of players crushing in groups of 30 or something equally extraordinary
from one end to the other.

It is clean and clinical and allows for long kicking and all those wonderful things like marks and soccer kicks and so on.

But the best is allowing players to not be congested in packs and ruin the game by either creating injuries or else getting
umpires involved, and god forbid those pesky things called runners.

 

[bkozican]

What position are you playing?

 

[total football]

Having spent a bit of time playing league football, this is my response to the age-old 'reading the play' myth:

1. Being a good player isn't about how much of the ball you win and it's not just about getting to as many contests as possible. Sometimes it's better to not impact a contest by providing options in transition/dragging opposition players away from the ball. Note the diagonal running patterns of modern players.

2. Have a clear understanding of your role in the team and what's expected of you.

3. Have a clear understanding of the abilities and limitations of the players around you.

4. Work hard. It's a numbers game and more often than not, your running won't be rewarded. You need to back up.

5. Be disciplined. You can't/shouldn't cover every blade of grass.

6. Do the basics right. Be front and square at contests, provide options from behind, operate in central areas, know when to be in front and when to be behind your opponent etc. You were taught these things as a kid for a reason.

7. Be confident and use your voice/presence to demand the ball. Players will often take the loudest option.

For the most part, good players don't rely on 'instinct' or some intrinsic/unteachable trait - they're good because they're the hardest working, loudest and most confident (physical and technical skill sets notwithstanding).

 

[Benharvey5]

So I've been playing footy for a number of years, and my biggest weakness was reading the play. I don't get many touches in the senoirs side, and I recongised it was because of my lack of footy sense and reading the play. Games like keeping offs, where it touches the ground, turnover. I am the worst at, and rarely get a touch. Because of my weakness. So I was wondering if anyone out there could give me any tips or advice as to where to run, and things like that, thankyou.

You’ve got to understand were the space is if the ball is coming out of the back half work towards the flanks your the get out option transitions if the ball is being heavily contested on the wings do some running through the middle of the ground to be a lateral option it’s all about reading the angles and understanding what’s happening on the day if it’s raining itlll be more contested more up the line kicks the ball will drop shot be at the feet and no matter where you play on the field you have to do in rewarded running also this is what I do a lot if it’s our kick out I stand on the middle of the 50 so when the Bali gets kick out I’m standing on the side of the contest so if we get it I can sneak forward for a goal for a hit up or if we get it more on the defensive side I can be a switch option it’s all about smart running and if it’s a throw in or a ball up stand on the 45 though the middle or stand a kick and a half defensively and or attack for a rush kick

 

[76woodenspooners]

I've always found the higher I sit in the grandstand the better I can read the play.

This is actually really good advice.

To study how players read the play, you need to watch what they do off the ball - and that’s best done watching games at the ground with the pieces moving below you on the chess board.

Forget watching games on TV, that doesn’t show you much.

 

[powerrrrrrrrrrrr]

I think one of the biggest keys to reading the play is having confidence in yourself and making the decision to go or stay and not getting stuck in no mans land.

Back when I played, I played every position from tagger, centre, wing or on the flanks and was one of the fittest on the team and could run all day. Only issue was I lacked the confidence in myself to run off into the space as I was more worried about loosing my opponent and being caught out on the other side. I was therefore just more an inside player dishing out from packs rather than being involved more in the link up around the ground and having the impact of someone who could “read the play”.

Have the confidence to leave your man and go into the space. Doesn’t always pay off and can look bad when it doesn’t, but that was my biggest mistake and limits your game by being more worried about the opponent than my own game