The pace of D1 college soccer

The only college soccer on TV on a regular basis is the NCAA college cup tournament that is held anually to determine a national champion.

But watching D1 college soccer looks a whole lot different from top pro and top international soccer.

But it's not just because it is a different level of soccer, that is obvious, but....

Why is D1 soccer played at such a fast pace?

Let's begin with my perceptions:

Why does the feild that college teams play on look so much smaller than the feilds that top pros play on?

Those feilds that the pros play on look like multi acre plantations, while D1 soccer feilds look so compact?

It's the same for womens college soccer in comparison also. The women use those multi acre plantations as well during Olympic and World Cup competitions.

Again, my POV is coming from watching TV. Is this simply due to the fact that the video camera is placed closer to feild level in college than that of the pros?

In D1 soccer I have never seen players from either team pouce on 50/50 loose balls so quickly after the ball is not in possesion of either team.

College players can really occupy empty space very quickly. And it seems like they are sprinting at full speed from start to finish without getting tired. I guess this is because a players endurance around the age of 18 to 22 is the best it's ever going to be.

Now the top pros are cleary more creative on the individual level, and alot less systematic than college teams as they maintain possession moving forward with passes.

I guess the top pros have a way of "slowing the game down". Now I am not saying top pros are not fast, but they seem to be more methodical with the ball on offense and defense.

Does anyone share this perception?
 
I don't agree. The pace of the game is much faster in the pro game. The thing is that pro's have a much better touch and control of the ball, so if you waste your energy running at them they will just use their superior pass skills to pass the ball. So while pro's players are not blindly running and pressing, the ball moves much faster in their game.
 
I don't agree. The pace of the game is much faster in the pro game. The thing is that pro's have a much better touch and control of the ball, so if you waste your energy running at them they will just use their superior pass skills to pass the ball. So while pro's players are not blindly running and pressing, the ball moves much faster in their game.
This "slowing the game down" thing is not just my perception. If you listen to late night sports talk radio, like ESPN for example, they discuss sports in general in a much more subjective way, not just X's and O's, or the scorelines for the day.

They have frequent conversations about how the top professionals in any sport are able to create some illusion that they appear to moving fast while everybody else seems to be standing still.

They dig deeper into the weeds when they have these conversations about the "zone" in terms of how professional athlètes who are in these "zones" at any particular time in a game can create such illusions.

My personal perception of all sports and soccer on the highest level seems to coroberate these late night discussions.

So, you are right, but I just cannot figure out how I am falling for this illusion, but the differences created by these illusions between D1 soccer and the top pros still continues when I watch them play.

Are the sizes of college and professional soccer feilds actually the same, or are pro feilds actually larger than college feilds?
 
Nope...disagree by a wide margin. I’d say the college game is more chaotic which may make it seem faster paced. But that is about it.
Ah yes! Now we are getting somewhere. To a small degree, I agree with you. Chaos is a word I would use to describe D1 college soccer from time to time.
This "slowing the game down" thing is not just my perception. If you listen to late night sports talk radio, like ESPN for example, they discuss sports in general in a much more subjective way, not just X's and O's, or the scorelines for the day.

They have frequent conversations about how the top professionals in any sport are able to create some illusion that they appear to moving fast while everybody else seems to be standing still.

They dig deeper into the weeds when they have these conversations about the "zone" in terms of how professional athlètes who are in these "zones" at any particular time in a game can create such illusions.

My personal perception of all sports and soccer on the highest level seems to coroberate these late night discussions.

So, you are right, but I just cannot figure out how I am falling for this illusion, but the differences created by these illusions between D1 soccer and the top pros still continues when I watch them play.

Are the sizes of college and professional soccer feilds actually the same, or are pro feilds actually larger than college feilds?
Let's find out if you agree with this:

In pro soccer, when they are moving the ball out of their défensive third, there does not seem to be alot of pressure, except when it is late, when the team without the ball is trailing.

Things just seem more casual as they methodically switch the feild or when they lob the ball into the middle or attacking third, and no one is anywhere around to contest the lob.

It seems to me that college soccer players are trained to press the opposing team all the time makeing it harder to advance out of the defensive third.
 
Ah yes! Now we are getting somewhere. To a small degree, I agree with you. Chaos is a word I would use to describe D1 college soccer from time to time.

Let's find out if you agree with this:

In pro soccer, when they are moving the ball out of their défensive third, there does not seem to be alot of pressure, except when it is late, when the team without the ball is trailing.

Things just seem more casual as they methodically switch the feild or when they lob the ball into the middle or attacking third, and no one is anywhere around to contest the lob.

It seems to me that college soccer players are trained to press the opposing team all the time makeing it harder to advance out of the defensive third.
Most of that is by design. Different tactics and playing styles can create not so exciting games. But I think you are selling the Pro Athlete short by saying College players are faster. The precision of and the pace of the movement in the pro game is far superior at the pro level. Especially in terms of decision making (Player IQ). This level of skill and player IQ reduces the level of chaotic characteristics in the pro game.
 
Ah yes! Now we are getting somewhere. To a small degree, I agree with you. Chaos is a word I would use to describe D1 college soccer from time to time.

Let's find out if you agree with this:

In pro soccer, when they are moving the ball out of their défensive third, there does not seem to be alot of pressure, except when it is late, when the team without the ball is trailing.

Things just seem more casual as they methodically switch the feild or when they lob the ball into the middle or attacking third, and no one is anywhere around to contest the lob.

It seems to me that college soccer players are trained to press the opposing team all the time makeing it harder to advance out of the defensive third.
American style of futbol is characterized by inpatience and playing direct. Seems chaotic, but really it's a waste of energy. European futbol is more methodical, patient and all players on the field can attack. Playing direct is a tool, not a strategy but it's the way the game is played here.
 
American style of futbol is characterized by inpatience and playing direct. Seems chaotic, but really it's a waste of energy. European futbol is more methodical, patient and all players on the field can attack. Playing direct is a tool, not a strategy but it's the way the game is played here.
I remember when my dd played against the San Jose Earthquakes and all those goats. Our coach had the best game plan. We would put a full court press on the their back four and they didnt know what hit them. We did it like 8 minutes into the match and it was like a deer in head light moment and the greatest game my dd has ever played. It was fun to watch.........We won 2-0 :)
 
Part of the answer is that the college rules are different. The ability to sub out players in the first half and bring them back in during the second half means you can play all out press style (see, e.g., Stanford men in recent years) and coaches recruit for those athletic traits to suit that style. Not as much need to pick your runs carefully because of that.

As far as field size, there is more variability because teams play on more multi-use fields than in the pros in the modern day. Width is sometimes lost because of a track for instance, whereas soccer specific stadiums are common in the pros these days.
 
Part of the answer is that the college rules are different. The ability to sub out players in the first half and bring them back in during the second half means you can play all out press style (see, e.g., Stanford men in recent years) and coaches recruit for those athletic traits to suit that style. Not as much need to pick your runs carefully because of that.

As far as field size, there is more variability because teams play on more multi-use fields than in the pros in the modern day. Width is sometimes lost because of a track for instance, whereas soccer specific stadiums are common in the pros these days.

My son played 4 years D1 (UC Davis) and none of the fields I saw them play on was constrained by a track. The tightest was probably at Cal Poly SLO, where the constraint was the placement of the football grandstands, but even so the field there measures out on google maps at 67 yards wide. Most D1 teams have soccer-specific fields, or fields shared with lacrosse.

I agree with the comment about the open substitution rules allowing for a faster-paced game, and I like it that way. Maybe FIFA and the pros should look into loosening up the substitution rules to be more like college.
 
Quality of touch is a big differentiator. D1 players chasing the ball even 1m or 2m after they collect adds to that hectic feel... pros that drop the ball at their feet and move it where they want are under a lot less pressure- seems calm and slow by comparison.
 
My son played 4 years D1 (UC Davis) and none of the fields I saw them play on was constrained by a track. The tightest was probably at Cal Poly SLO, where the constraint was the placement of the football grandstands, but even so the field there measures out on google maps at 67 yards wide. Most D1 teams have soccer-specific fields, or fields shared with lacrosse.

I agree with the comment about the open substitution rules allowing for a faster-paced game, and I like it that way. Maybe FIFA and the pros should look into loosening up the substitution rules to be more like college.
nahh
 
Most of that is by design. Different tactics and playing styles can create not so exciting games. But I think you are selling the Pro Athlete short by saying College players are faster. The precision of and the pace of the movement in the pro game is far superior at the pro level. Especially in terms of decision making (Player IQ). This level of skill and player IQ reduces the level of chaotic characteristics in the pro game.
Player IQ sounds like a sports topic you might hear on those late night talk shows.

Exactly what is player IQ? I have not played soccer in a while, but do they actually have IQ tests now? If they have them for goalkeepers I would love to take one for old times sake!

I certainly can't play anymore, but I think my knowledge of the position is still intact!

If you apply IQ to academics, IQ does not always match real performance.

Is this so for soccer players as well?

But if there is no test, which I really believe is the case, how do you measure a players IQ in comparison to their team mates, all other things being equal?

Could this determine who makes a roster, or determine who starts?

So I have to assume that a players IQ is real like you suggest, but exactly how it's measured is simply not clear.

I would imagine that a sports psychologist who specializes in any particular sport like soccer would be the only person that could make since of it.
 
Player IQ sounds like a sports topic you might hear on those late night talk shows.

Exactly what is player IQ? I have not played soccer in a while, but do they actually have IQ tests now? If they have them for goalkeepers I would love to take one for old times sake!

I certainly can't play anymore, but I think my knowledge of the position is still intact!

If you apply IQ to academics, IQ does not always match real performance.

Is this so for soccer players as well?

But if there is no test, which I really believe is the case, how do you measure a players IQ in comparison to their team mates, all other things being equal?

Could this determine who makes a roster, or determine who starts?

So I have to assume that a players IQ is real like you suggest, but exactly how it's measured is simply not clear.

I would imagine that a sports psychologist who specializes in any particular sport like soccer would be the only person that could make since of it.

Sports IQ is a thing. It sounds pretty cliche but there really isn't another way to describe the intangible ways that some athletes have demonstrated mastery within their sport. I think it takes someone about 7000 hrs to master a field. I would say this also applies to athletes.

The NFL uses the wonderlic test to try and determine the cognitive ability and problem solving aptitude of players. But it's not a sports IQ test and some of the best quarterbacks have not done well on the test.
 
Sports IQ is a thing. It sounds pretty cliche but there really isn't another way to describe the intangible ways that some athletes have demonstrated mastery within their sport. I think it takes someone about 7000 hrs to master a field. I would say this also applies to athletes.

The NFL uses the wonderlic test to try and determine the cognitive ability and problem solving aptitude of players. But it's not a sports IQ test and some of the best quarterbacks have not done well on the test.
Very interesting. Did you see the ice hockey movie "Miracle" about team USA at the olympics 1980?

I don't know wether or not this is what actually happened, but Herb Brooks gave the player/candidates for the team what appeared to be IQ tests.

If this part of the film was true, it did indeed help him select his final roster before the games in Lake Placid.
 
Very interesting. Did you see the ice hockey movie "Miracle" about team USA at the olympics 1980?

I don't know wether or not this is what actually happened, but Herb Brooks gave the player/candidates for the team what appeared to be IQ tests.

If this part of the film was true, it did indeed help him select his final roster before the games in Lake Placid.
What a miracle that was. Time to hear that call again.......

 
Very interesting. Did you see the ice hockey movie "Miracle" about team USA at the olympics 1980?

I don't know wether or not this is what actually happened, but Herb Brooks gave the player/candidates for the team what appeared to be IQ tests.

If this part of the film was true, it did indeed help him select his final roster before the games in Lake Placid.
I read this article back in FEB. They had a plan, recruited players to fit the plan, then trained the plan. Doesn't talk to any type of test being administered. The coaching staff definitely did their homework in analyzing the Soviet Union style of play. They designed their strategy and tactics off of their analysis and prior experience playing against them.

 
My son played 4 years D1 (UC Davis) and none of the fields I saw them play on was constrained by a track. The tightest was probably at Cal Poly SLO, where the constraint was the placement of the football grandstands, but even so the field there measures out on google maps at 67 yards wide. Most D1 teams have soccer-specific fields, or fields shared with lacrosse.

I agree with the comment about the open substitution rules allowing for a faster-paced game, and I like it that way. Maybe FIFA and the pros should look into loosening up the substitution rules to be more like college.
Most US college soccer fields I have seen are narrower than pro soccer fields. Narrow fields mean each player has less time on the ball. The best field I have seen is CSUF's 120 x 70 yard field. For comparison, some other popular professional stadium field sizes are as follows:
  • Anfield – 100 yards by 74 yards (101m x 68m)
  • Camp Nou – 114 yards by 74 yards (105m x 68m)
  • Emirates Stadium –115 yards by 74 yards (105m x 68m)
  • Etihad Stadium – 115 yards by 74 yards (105m x 68m)
  • Old Trafford – 116 yards by 76 yards (106m x 69m)
  • Stamford Bridge – 112 yards by 73 yards (103m x 67m)
  • White Hart Lane – 109 yards by 73 yards (100m x 67m)
I agree with the OP that men's D1 soccer can play at a frantic pace. The games I have seen in person average 5 or so touches from one end of the field for much of the game such that it is like watching ping pong or tennis. The combination of lots of subs and a narrow field changes the game. I personally hope that FIFA takes nothing from the college game.
 
One of the dumbest suggestions ever......
Now now Kicker, that wasn't very nice. I like change. Three point line sucks in the NBA and I thought it was a lame ideal and would change the game forever. I think soccer needs to allow subs in and out, like hockey. Time to toughen everyone up. This sport is too soft and needs some ganas and spice. We also need a Men's Coach like Herb Brooks to go make a miracle in the next 10 years or so. It can be done and we can win the World Cup against Brazil.
 
Back
Top