Professor Keith Davids: use pitch markings instead of more cones to design effective practices
Practice | Activities | Keith Davids | Fabian Otte | 04.06.2021
Using pitch ‘landmarks’ and embracing uncertainty can lead to better practice sessions and more learning, says Professor Keith Davids.
Learning:
• The importance of providing pitch ‘landmarks’ for young players
• Why practice design should reflect the uncertainty of the game
• How players search for ‘information’ whilst playing the game
Coaches can embrace the uncertainty of the game by removing excess cones in practice sessions and utilising ‘pitch landmarks’ instead, explains Professor Keith Davids, expert in skill acquisition at Sheffield Hallam university.
“A lot of coaches will be tempted to use cones to structure the practice environment,” explains Davids.
“And sometimes that could be useful, particularly if you haven't got any field markings.
“But normally you would be practising on the field and using the markings. That’s important because of the information available that's relevant for the player to pick up.
“Where the field markings and goalposts are help the players learn to orient themselves.
“When a player is in the game it is a very uncertain environment and you might be facing the wrong way.”
“It’s important to facilitate games and activities that contain the sort of information that they use on the field.”
