Substitution Strategies

[nmwilliams99]

No one, except for one person, has really talked about substitutions out of the box and/or strategies on this forum. Can some people please give their insight on this subject and what your team does?

This seems like a giant secret that no one really talks about... or maybe, it's too easy?

I'd like to take my Team to a new level and I believe this is one area that some Teams excel sometimes just because of this one small thing with adding fresh legs and certain lines. I'd like to get away from using the "horn" as a crutch and randomly trading players "one for one" and get more used to using specialized lines!

Thank You!

[SpikeNL]

What we do in my team:

We have 4 specialized midfield lines:

1. one line for risky actions
2. one to calm things down (during man down, but when we have the ball)
3. one EMO line
4. one "playmaker line"

Each of these lines contain a face-off man & either a defensive midi or a LSM.

We give these lines names, and such can substitute lines on the go by calling out the name of the line instead of each individual player.

[gripitandripit]

Good question. We fielded a 27 man roster for my U15 team and I think I'm going to have to run 5-6 middie lines. I haven't worked with the kids yet but I'm anticipating a pretty large disparity between the most talented players and the least. Any ideas on how to fairly balance pt while not subbing so often that nobody has a chance to get in a groove?

[laxjunkie]

Put one weak player with two strong players. Some kids are stronger on defense as middies, some are strictly offense. Have your "O" lines and your "D" middie lines who get the ball back and make the transition, sub in your "O" line on the transition. But players that age are still developing their skills, so you don't want to pigeonhole them as only offense or defense, they should be working both sides of the field.

[Jjaylax09]

the biggest mistake many teams make is not staying balanced. they end up with their 3 best players on the field too long trying to keep up with the other team and then eventually end up with 3 less able middies on the field. like laxjunkie said, pairing off weak and strong players is the way to go. just make sure that they mark up as evenly as possible with the oppossing teams middies while playing D. however, contrary to laxjunkie, i dont believe in the specialized D and O midlines beacause of the possibility of the other team getting a fast break against players whose strong suit is not D. Like SpikeNL, i think it important to have a defensively strong middie on each line, though i think you do have to keep an extra LSM ready near the box so that as the other team move the ball down the field, you will be able to pull a middie off and send him on if the situation allows.

a lot of the substitution game relies on the players. the players need to drill enough so that they know to look to the box on transition, but as a coach, you have to focus on getting the players on and off in the best way for the situation.

good luck!, hope i helped

[nmwilliams99]

Well what about using "The Wheel" that I've heard about before... or any other types of ways to sub those lines out!?

Instead of subbing traditionally through the box, are these "other" ways a lot more effective?

[CApenguin88]

there is subbing through half which is like this:

on a clear you don't let anyone go near the box...including your LSM

once you get it on the other side of the field you give it to the attackman and hold on the ball

as this happens you sub out a dpole on the other side and sub in a offensive middie..the LSM then runs to the middle of the field...crosses the line and the offensive middie then goes over

after crossing half the LSM runs to box and gets replace by another middie...you keep on doing this until all your middies are in and set up your play

this does not allow the other team to sub out for their players making them more tired...if they decide to double the ball yell out a call for the guy coming off to turn around and cut