“D-QASM” Football Training

My football show has triggered a question: What is D-QASM? Here’s the answer.

First of all, I want you to think about what sets great players apart from others. Think about why some players have great techniques and skills and others don’t.

Now, consider this quote: Football is a game of decisions based on quick thinking in relation to surrounding, the area of the field, and moment of the game.

Courtesy: YouTube

With all of that in mind, know that D-QASM is my football training method/philosophy. It puts decision making at the center of what players do during training and matches.

D-QASM is an abbreviation for

D: Decision Making
Q: Quick thinking
A: Area of the field
S: Surrounding
M: Moment of the game/team philosophy and strategies.

In my philosophy, I believe decision making is critical–more important in youth football training than techniques, skills, and tactics — which is what you often hear. Why? Most players and teams make mistakes associated with improper decision making.

Decision-making is fundamental. It’s what makes the difference between players at all levels. The key is to develop good decision-making and eliminate (as much as possible) poor decision making. But doing that requires more than admitting bad decisions. It’s about being disciplined about making good decisions consistently.

Toward that end, let me highlight six areas that influence decision-making quality.

1. QUICK THINKING and AWARENESS: This is the ability for players to think fast and think ahead. Awareness means knowing where you are on the pitch, the position of the opponent, your teammates, the ball, and choices available before making a decision.

2. AREA OF THE FIELD: To help identify area of the pitch, I cut the field into thirds–defensive third, midfield third and attacking third.

3. SURROUNDING: Understanding the surrounding is critical. Because situation changes constantly in the field, players must be aware of how to maneuver to get the best results.

4. MOMENT OF THE GAME/TEAM PLAN & STRATEGIES: There are three main moments of the game: own possession, opponent possession, and the transition to attack or defend. The attitude and behavior of players, the type of actions they take, and decisions they make should be the outcome of team tactics, strategies, and plans–as applied during the three main moments of a game.

5. PRINCIPLE OF PLAY: The principle of play influences the way we play and the type of decisions we make in football. There’s the Attacking Principle (• Width •Depth •Support •Penetration •Improvisation) and Defending Principles (• Delay •Cover •Support •Concentration •Pressure •Communication).

6. THE PERIOD OF THE GAME AND SCORES IN THE GAME: The way teams play differs from one period to another in a game. Players must adjust accordingly to make quality decisions throughout the game.

Finally, it’s important to know the factors that impede quality decision making. Those factors are poor coaching, lack of physical ability, lack of psychological strength, lack of adequate technical ability, and lack of tactical understanding.

Watch my video to help you internalize the basics of D-QASM.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEcBdbxN–M