I. Football Teaching Unit by João Aroso (Patreon)

Structure of a Football Game

Basic Forms

Stages of Football Teaching

The Football Teaching Unit

Factors influencing the development of a Football Teaching Unit:

• Objectives and syllabus content;
• Number of hours (number of classes);
• Material resources;
• Class structure.

The planning of the Teaching Unit should take into account the different levels of the various groups, with the consequent adjustment of the objectives to be achieved, contents to be covered, and methods to be used, so that all students can successfully participate in the activities developed in the classes.

Therefore, before planning their Teaching Unit, the teacher should conduct a Diagnostic Evaluation, observing and analyzing all students to determine their current level, with the aim of forming homogeneous groups.

The criterion used should not be the students' age, gender, or grade level, but rather the level of play they demonstrate.

Once the groups are formed, it is important to focus on positively changing the students' behaviors, whether through the transmission of content or by eliminating or mitigating actions that prevent correct motor performance.

Students should progress through increasingly complex game structures (2-players game, 3-players game) until they potentially reach formal play (5v5, 7v7, 9v9, or 11v11).

In "constructing" the 2-players and 3-players games, we should introduce situations of offensive numerical superiority, with progressively increasing difficulty, as seen in the following sequences: 2-players game (2v1+GK; GK+2v2+GK); 3-players game (3v1+GK; 3v2+GK; GK+3v3+GK).

The Football Teaching Unit

General Objectives: Introduce fundamental tactical-technical elements and apply them in game situations; Address the fundamental rules of the game.

Notes: 

1) This Teaching Unit is merely a theoretical model proposed by us, which should be adapted based on the number of lessons, year of study, number and levels of students, available space, and materials. 

2) Considering the students' level (which we believe is fundamental), adaptations should primarily concern the complexity of the forms used, allowing, for example, advanced-level students to reach formal play, while elementary-level students might achieve 3v3 or 4v4. 

3) If conditions allow, progression from lesson 11 onwards could advance to 7v7, 9v9, and 11v11 games.