The Emergence Of Power Plays

Nearly 20 years ago, I developed a piece of software call 3dcoach, which was designed to allow coaches to illustrate and give clarity on any game plans and tactics they wanted to use. The software was very useful, but had limited uptake among coaches. The selling of the 3D coach revealed one simple flaw that I had overlooked. The game of gaelic football was dynamic, high paced, and outside of kickouts and the odd free kick, there was very little time on the ball to " Get Set Up". As one coach said to me at the time, it's not American Football we are playing. They were right.

How times have changed.....

In most sports, the term power play is used to describe the moments where teams have a numerical advantage and they want to ensure they get a score during this period.

In Gaelic games, the term power play could describe a set play used to to break down increasingly organised and disciplined defences. As defensive tactics have become more sophisticated, simply relying on skill, speed and agility is no longer enough. Coaches have started to emphasise the importance of controlled build-up play and defined strategic strategies to outmanoeuvre these well-structured defences.

Signals such as arms in the air and specific calls from certain players are now the triggers to take your shape, and get ready to run the play.

Two of the most advanced teams in the country for power plays are Armagh and Galway, and it will be interesting to see what they bring to the table next week. It will also be interesting to see how the teams counter each other during these moments. It might come down to one of the oldest coaching cliches in the book " Don't give them time on the ball".

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