Ivan Kepčija is a soccer coach and expert with over 15 years of experience coaching at various levels. He has developed a comprehensive soccer curriculum focused on long-term player development and the possession style of play. The curriculum is based on scientific principles and aims to unify coaching across a country through developmental phases tailored to age groups. It emphasizes technical, tactical, physical and mental skills through periodized training that progresses from isolated to competitive conditions.
2. Presentation today
• Experiences
• Top football analysis
• Curriculum
• Methodology
• Periodization
• Exercises for development
• Coach competencies
3. Who am I?
Ivan Kepčija
• Coach since 2004
• Masters degree in Sport Science
– Research in sport psychology
• UEFA Pro candidate
• Collegiate and youth coach
• Dinamo Zagreb Youth Academy
• Croatian U19 National Team
• Legia Warszawa Sporting Director
5. Fundamental
curriculum
Unifying the work
of all country
Easier adaptation
in youth national
teams
Scientific approach
Aid to coaches
Desired
style of play
Sensible phases of
growth
Facilitates planning
and control
8. CURRICULUM BASIS
• Long-term development plan
• Sensible phases of growth
• Optimally adjusted to the age
• Efficiency in usage of training time
• Principles of motor learning
• Principles of training
• Training on the edge of ability
• Coach to accelerate learning
9. Ability Age and sensitive phase
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Coordination /
Motoric Development
The rate of reaction on
sound and visual sign
Spatial orientation
Rythm
Balance
Endurance
Strenght
Speed
Flexibility
Sensible phases in growth
11. Biological vs chronological age!
#1 #2 #3
Height (in cm) 149 164 185
Weight (u kg) 39,8 49,8 71,6
Chronological age 14,4 13,5 14,4
Expected time of
accelerated growth
15,5 13,8 12,8
Biological minus
chronological age
-1,1 -0,3 +1,8
12.
13.
14.
15. STYLE OF PLAY
Style of play based in progressive ball possession.
Why?
1. CROATIAN TRADITION
2. OPTIMAL CONTROL
3. MOST
DEVELOPMENTAL!
4. ANALYSIS OF BEST
TEAMS SAYS SO
16.
17. PROGRESSIVE BALL POSSESSION
Key characteristics:
1. Large number of successful passes
2. Large percentage of succesful forward passes
3. Small number of passes backwards
4. Large number of final 3rd and penalty box entries
5. Many players in the box finishing the attack
25. 1. UNIVERSAL TE-TA PRINCIPLES
2. SPECIFIC TE-TA PRINCIPLES
3. SITUATIONAL TE-TA PRINCIPLES
10 DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES
26. 10 DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES
UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES
1.QUICK AND CORRECT PASSING AND RECEIVING
2.DECISION MAKING AND BODY POSITION WHILE
RECEIVING
5.WALL-PASS – PLAY TO THE THIRD PLAYER
3.INDIVIDUAL SPACE CREATION
4.COLLECTIVE SPACE CREATION
27. 10 DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES
SPECIFIC and SITUATIONAL PRINCIPLES
6. PROPER SPACING OF PLAYERS IN POSSESSION
7. PLAYING BETWEEN THE LINES
8. SWITCHING THE SIDE
9. INDIVIDUAL PENETRATION
10. CREATING PLAYER SURPLUS
27
28. DEMANDS (sub-principles):
✓ Quick passing and receiving
✓ Firm passes on the ground with the inside of the foot
✓ When the player is alone, playing to the far foot
✓ When the player has a man on, playing to the foot
away from the opponent
✓ Passing with the inside of the foot
✓ Receiving with one foot, passing with the other
1.QUICK AND CORRECT PASSING AND RECEIVING
29. DEMANDS:
✓ Checking over the shoulder before receiving the
ball
✓ Verbal communication
✓ Receiving the ball while the chest is turned to
opponents goal
✓ Receiving with the turn or one-touch pass back
✓ Receiving while escaping contact with opponent
and changing tempo of movement
2. DECISION MAKING AND BODY POSITION WHILE
RECEIVING
30. DEMANDS:
✓ vertically – check-to – run-away or run-away-check to
✓ diagonally - check-to – away or check-away - to
✓ horizontally – checking-to – opening sideways or opening
sideways – checking to
✓ emptying the space
✓ crossing (or interchange) of positions
✓ rotation
3. INDIVIDUAL SPACE CREATION
4. COLLECTIVE SPACE CREATION
31. DEMANDS:
• Wall-pass
• Playing to the third player
• Composure under pressure
• Proper timing for opening up and decision-making
5. WALL-PASS – PLAY TO THE THIRD PLAYER
32. DEMANDS:
• support of teammates in width and depth
• support of teammates by creating triangles
• dropping deep to support the teammate under pressure
• respecting the player in a better position
• opening up in spaces between the lines
• passing to the player in spaces between the lines
• using the space between the lines to shoot without a block
6. PROPER SPACING OF PLAYERS IN POSSESSION
7. PLAYING BETWEEN THE LINES
33. DEMANDS:
• after regaining possession, first touch „load off”
• first seek to play „forward”, then „wide”
• switching the side in situation of numerical inferiority
8. SWITCHING THE SIDE
34. DEMANDS:
• conquering space by dribbling the ball
• pulling the defender out of position
• creating player surplus 1v1
• changing rhythm and tempo of movement
34
9. INDIVIDUAL PENETRATION
35. DEMANDS:
• Creating player surplus by vertical or diagonal sprinting in
depth through or behing the defensive line
• Creating player surplus by overlapping
• Passing behind the opposition defensive line
• Finishing with 3-4 players in the box
35
10. CREATING PLAYER SURPLUS
41. TRAINING MODEL
TRAINING PHASES PRINCIPLES
INTRODUCTORY PART
and PREPARATION
Warm up
Physical development
(speed/coordiantion)
MAIN PART A TE-TA in isolated conditions UNIVERSAL
MAIN PART B TE-TA in eased conditions
UNIVERSAL +
SPECIFIC
MAIN PART C TE-TA in competitive conditions
UNIVERSAL +
SPECIFIC +
SITUATIONAL
FINAL PART Game
UNIVERSAL +
SPECIFIC+
SITUATIONAL
42. TRAINING PHASES U-9 U-11 U-13 U-15 U-17 U-19 PRINCIPLES
INTRODUCTORY
PART and
PREPARATION
Warm up 5 5 10 10 10 10
Physical
development
(speed/coordian
tion)
20 20 15 15 15 15
MAIN PART A
TE-TA in isolated
conditions
20 20 25 25 20 20 UNIVERSAL
MAIN PART B
TE-TA in eased
conditions
10 10 15 15 15 15
UNIVERSAL +
SPECIFIC
MAIN PART C
TE-TA in
competitive
conditions
0 0 15 15 15 15
UNIVERSAL +
SPECIFIC +
SITUATIONAL
FINAL PART Game 20 20 10 10 15 15
TOTAL TRAINING MINUTES 75 75 90 90 90 90
TRAINING MODEL
47. PRINCIPLES U-9 U-11 U-13 U-15 U-17 U-19
QUICK AND CORRECT PASSING AND
RECEIVING
4 6 8 10 8 6
BODY POSITION AND DECISION
MAKING
2 4 8 10 8 6
INDIVIDUAL SPACE CREATION 10 10 8 6 4 4
COLLECTIVE SPACE CREATION 0 0 3 5 7 9
WALL-PASS – PLAY TO THE THIRD
PLAYER
0 1 3 5 7 9
PERIODIZATION of
UNIVERSAL TE-TA PRINCIPLES
48. PRINCIPLES U-9 U-11 U-13 U-15 U-17 U-19
PROPER SPACING OF PLAYERS IN
POSSESSION
2 3 5 7 8 9
SWITCHING THE SIDE 1 2 3 4 6 8
USAGE OF SPACE BETWEEN THE LINES 0 0 2 3 4 6
INDIVIDUAL PENETRATION 10 8 6 4 2 1
CREATING PLAYER SURPLUS 3 5 6 8 8 8
PERIODIZATION of
SPECIFIC and SITUATIONAL
TE-TA PRINCIPLES