Every team has playing principles. The hard part is proving they actually show up on the pitch. Numbers alone do not tell the full story, and video alone takes hours to search. That is why, at Forward Football, we believe the answer lies in using both, side by side.
Our CEO Beer Flik used this PSG vs Bayern sequence to make this point. Football is a continuous chain of situations and actions. So to coach it well, you need to see that chain clearly.
Playing principles in practice: width to play depth
Beer used one general football principle as an example: width to play depth. When a team plays wide, it changes the Football Situation: the moment on the pitch in which players have to act. The opponent has to shift, and that shift can open space to play in behind.
It sounds simple. But how do you measure whether your team really does this? And how do you know if it works?
Start with the data
In Technoleon, our performance analysis software, coaches and analysts do not treat data and video as two separate processes. First, you start with the numbers:
- How many passes did the team play into width?
- When and where did they happen?
- Which players were involved?
These numbers point you to possible examples of the playing principle. They show you where to look. But they do not yet show you quality.
Validate playing principles with video
Next, you switch straight from the data to the matching video clips. Now you can ask the questions that really matter. Did the wide pass move the opponent? And if so, was there space behind the defensive line? Could a teammate recognise and use that space? Finally, did playing wide help the team play deep?
“Data shows where to look. Video shows what happened. Together, they reveal the Playing Principle.”
Make playing principles coachable
This is where data finally becomes actionable. By moving quickly between data and video, coaches also spot patterns, select the right clips and turn them into specific feedback for players and teams. So you spend less time searching and more time coaching.
Want to learn more about our approach? Explore our video and data analysis services.
Conclusion
Playing principles only become useful when you can see them, measure them and coach them. The numbers point you to the right moments. The clips show you what really happened. Combine the two, and your game model moves from the whiteboard to the pitch.
How does your club currently identify and validate its playing principles? Get in touch and let us know.
Forward Football
Football improvement company from Amsterdam. We help clubs and academies develop players with data, video and technology. About us
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This article is based on our original LinkedIn post.