John Morrison – How to teach players to read the game

onor Gormley was famous for his blocks, a skill he perfected because of his reading of the game

John Morrison says that the three attributes which a player needs to read the game are Perception, Attention and Concentration.

In his Gaelic Life Column this week, he explains that being able to read the game allows players to force turn overs, which are the holy grail of a football team as they provide a massive advantage.

But coaching the skill of reading the game is not easy.

Fortunately Morrison has some advice for coaches.

“Coach players to use their opponent’s body position, plus the communication of the opponent’s team mates plus the probablity of the player succeeding.

“After a period of time (months to years) players will develop their game-reading skills to a very high level.

“This demands that performance practice is carried out at speed, under fatigue, under pressure consistently under championship conditions.”

Morrison goes on to explain fully how to develop players’ concentration and attention speeds.

Read the full article in the current issue of Gaelic life. Buy the online edition here