Tom Parry on opposed and unopposed practice

According to the old saying, practice makes perfect – but which form of practice is most effective? In this Science Explained session, Dr Tom Parry draws on his experience as a sport scientist and as a coach to explain the latest research on opposed and unopposed practice in football. He then goes on to consider how to incorporate these insights into an ecological dynamics-based approach to developing players. His presentation is followed by a Q&A, hosted by FIFA’s Professor Paul Bradley.

Part 1: Background – why we practice
Before we can analyse training methodology, it is important to underline that we get involved in sport because we enjoy the game itself. Practice should hone skills that are relevant to match play, otherwise players will lose interest. With this in mind, Dr Parry begins by questioning the assumption that technically-focused training will necessarily produce better players than a more game-based approach, and by highlighting that opposed activity can be used to teach technique in context.

Part 2: Skill acquisition and teaching methodology
One way of thinking about skill acquisition is in terms of overlapping constraints. such as an individual player’s physical attributes, the characteristics of the playing surface, or the way exercises are designed. Whenever coaches introduce a constraint, there should be a clear rationale behind it. Moreover, the constraints must leave players with more than one way to solve any given problem. In a game, no action ever occurs in a vacuum, so players need to learn when to use a skill, not just how to execute it.

Part 3: Opposed v. unopposed practice
Dr Parry emphasises that both opposed and unopposed practice can be useful, depending on the intent behind them. Unopposed drills can help players explore different techniques by themselves, but in team practice they should be used sparingly, and feature some level of interference or unpredictability. Opposed practice is invaluable in team sessions, because it is representative of match play and incorporates some of the valuable information sources found during matches. Since opposed exercises can also teach technique, players do not have to practise a skill unopposed before using it in a match.

Part 4: Practical examples
To conclude his presentation, Dr Parry talks us through footage of both opposed and unopposed training activities. Coaches can exert significant influence on training exercises by changing the design of these activities. For instance, unopposed exercises can be rendered less predictable by asking players to adapt their movement to what their team-mates are doing. In opposed drills, by contrast, coaches can manipulate the number of attackers and defenders to maintain an appropriate level of challenge.

00:29
My first question is about the complex process of training young players. Which factors should guide the way we use opposed and unopposed practice with youngsters?

02:52
We see professionals doing unopposed drills all the time in training. Should youth coaches be doing the same?

05:31
I wanted to talk about foundational-stage players (between the ages of six and twelve). How should we be using opposed and unopposed practice in this age group?

08:54
As a researcher who also coaches, what factors influence your own approach to coaching?

15:20
How important is technical development when applying the principles of ecological dynamics to coaching?

19:29
You mentioned perception-actioning coupling in your presentation. Could you explain this concept in more coaching-focused terms, and outline how it can affect practice design?

22:50
You have a unique background that combines coaching and academic research. Can you tell us a bit about your coaching philosophy and approach?

25:41 
We know it can be useful to combined opposed and unopposed exercises when working with young players. Is there a way we can combine these approaches within the same drills?

30:16 
What are the key messages you’d like practitioners to take away from your session today?