The Avila Scrimmage Philosophy: Improve Soccer IQ
Our scrimmage philosophy centers around a possession style of play which helps players improve their Soccer IQ
We start by laying out what "possession" really is, so that players can learn to read the game better, in smarter ways to achieve this aim. Because, Possession is a way of playing out of pressure into a position of less pressure, and that takes a thinker. We do this surgically. Not with a machete, but a scalpel–because Possession SOCCER IQ is not one thing, it's actually multiple things.
Connectivity
Like droplets of water that inherently want to band together at the molecular level, Connectivity is a deeper desire to compete as a unit rather than an individual knowing that ecosystems outlast organisms.
Spacing, the First Frontier
That famous Star Trek phrase goes, “Space—the final frontier,” but at Avila, spacing is the first frontier.
For too long, youth soccer has clung to outdated principles. The real challenge in playing great soccer isn’t just about mastering skills or physical fitness—it’s about understanding and adjusting one’s spacing.
Scrimmage is the key. Players can’t learn the art of spacing without frequent play. It’s through regular scrimmages that they become aware of their surroundings. You can’t adjust your spacing effectively and in a timely way if you haven’t been put in a position to learn about space. By that, we mean small-sided 4v4 scrimmages, which are essential for encouraging players to find their own solutions.
Today, young players often get limited scrimmage time during their weekly, adult-controlled practices. Coaches tend to focus on skills, fitness, or pre-designed tactics, where thinking is discouraged, and following instructions becomes the norm. This approach trains kids to execute rather than think, leading to dire ramifications
“Many children are like a toolbox; they have the skills and physical tools to do the job, but they just don’t know how to build a goal.” - Coach Eryck Avila
The order of things matters. In countries that consistently win the World Cup, young kids scrimmage frequently, often just in the streets. This environment is their first space, the perfect frontier. Here, while just playing, their skill development soars, but only after their tactical awareness improves—because the order matters. Many moves are actually born from situations in a game.
Free from adult intervention, children first play soccer and then seek out solutions in the form of skills as the game presents them with options repeatedly. This natural progression is how we should approach youth club training. In this order:
“Soccer is improvisational. It requires constant adjustment. A child's brain needs to be like a NASA super computer, calculating multiple random factors instantly. And so the core thought that all great players need to develop, centers around how to adjust their spacing to exploit time and space, not just for themselves but for their teammates. It's only then that physical skills and physical fitness are meant to enhance the child's awareness and decision making. “
Today, it seems that parents and coaches often prioritize tangible, measurable improvements like skills and fitness. However, in doing so, they overlook the “natural” order of things and the core challenge—spacing. Spacing is the first frontier, and scrimmaging is your spaceship. It’s the mechanism to elevate your kids to the next level of performance.
For the USMNT to excel internationally, embracing innovative methods, such as the unique way that we scrimmage at Avila Soccer, could be transformative. At Avila, we structure our scrimmages to specifically develop Soccer IQ with signature rules that foster a possession style of play. The United States already boasts some of the greatest athletes in the world, with world-class soccer skills. The issue lies in our coaching methods, which need to evolve. We must adopt a new model such as the Avila Paradigm that trusts in the natural genius of our youth.
Nurturing Dutch concepts to maximize player development
Our 4v4 scrimmage spawns from a Dutch philosophy that has more recently germinated itself in Spanish soccer, seeding continuous success for one of the greatest clubs in the world, FC Barcelona. In 1985, the Royal Dutch Football Federation (KNVB) began formal research into the development of creative players, and found that creativity was nurtured by the game itself—as kids were free to try their own solutions to problems presented.
This realization led them to introduce 4v4 scrimmaging. This new format, they believed, was the smallest way of playing the game without losing the essentials of soccer. There are always possibilities to play deep, wide or backwards, and players are constantly confronted with true match situations.
Our 4v4 Scrimmaging program builds on these proven foundational concepts by using an indoor field—its four walls and perfect playing surface force quicker reactions and foster creativity. And by injecting an Avila trainer into each match, quality of play is preserved. What results is an opportunity to develop amid competition, something typical leagues aren’t able to offer.
Be part of our revolution by joining our new breed of soccer league, 4v4 Scrimmaging at Avila.
Reverse Process Rhythm (RPR) is the trademark of Avila Creative Soccer. It is a type of drill specifically used as the warm-up to the Scrimmage Class because it is a tactical awareness methodology pioneered by Coach Eryck when he was doing his Masters in Sports Coaching. An RPR Drill is special because each one encompasses all of 5 Avila Pillars of Possession. A Possession style of play is what’s expected in an Avila Scrimmage, and is a type genius that merits training and is a missing link for many players who often have skill but don’t seem to gel with the “unit” well. Check out the RPR video below.
What makes this video exquisite is the way the players continually recalibrate the space between them, and the mental endurance required to keep the rhythm.
“Spacing, the final frontier” as coach Avila likes to say, is the hardest single challenge of playing well and so the one he chose to address through the use of RPR before every Avila Scrimmage. A magnificent method of warming up was needed to match a magnificent scrimmaging concept.
Thanks to RPR, every aspect of the Avila Scrimmage, including the warm-up, is now designed to accentuate our paradigm and get participants operating as leaders, as visionary players who can express their imaginations on the field. We hope you enjoy our Scrimmage program, which we sincerely hope will to give your player the fuel they need to realize their goals.