Another way to look at First principles of good play is to look at the :
The Individual Technical Cycle of Football
[This is covered in detail in Web-book #1 of the full TFT technical resource & the individual technical cycle of football is called the ITCF for short.].
A simple depiction of the technical cycle of football can be found on this page.
Watch this video for more detail on the I.T.C.F
If the ITCF was depicted In very simple terms, it would look like this :
The Individual Technical Cycle of Football
[Narrated]
A player having or getting a good position off the ball (before receiving the ball)
When a player receives the ball, they start the 'on the ball' phase and almost always have at least 1 touch (to both control the ball and solve a problem). It's important to note however, that a first touch is not necessarily a touch but is in fact, a moment. For this reason, when a player first receives the ball it should be called a 'First Touch' Moment as opposed to just being called a first touch.
When the ball moves in the 'On the Ball' phase, it is called the Ball Moving phase. This phase can be part of the first touch moment and can occur even without a player touching the ball, or it can occur in between the first and second touch, or it can be in addition to the first touch moment entirely. There is a no limit to the amount of touches that can be taken within this phase (however the best players try to maximize their efficiency and effectiveness in this phase).
At some point a player must Release the ball (That is : They must pass, shoot, cross, head etc etc)
Once the ball is released, a player must think about their next Position again.
Players remain in the 'Position phase' until they once again receive the ball and the Cycle repeats and continues
[An important thing to also note is that : Communication and *VAAD process [which stands for VISION - AWARENESS - ANALYSIS - DECISION] are a constant throughout the cycle].
Great players find the best spaces
The above is all very academic. What players need is practical information, not theory.
Players who are keen to be the best they can be need to do a lot of 2 things :
1: Practice at home.
Good technique starts with developing a good touch. It's not rocket science : Juggle, use rebounders, ball mastery, footwork, control, shooting are all about developing a good touch. The question : Can you put the ball where you want, in the way you want at the speed you want ? If yes, you have the potential to be a player . If not, then there is work to do.
Touch is not enough though. Is the practice you are doing focusing on 'game functional touches - game functional technique'? Are you learning to be a freestyler (who can impress your mates in the playground at school) or a player ?
Finally, development is a function of time and effort. Do the work - and reap the results ! If you are serious about your development, team training alone will never be enough.
Or don't do the work and hope you get lucky. It happens .
2.Play games :
Technique without intelligent application is worthless.
Play games (as often as possible) to get exposure to the common problems in the game. Space awareness. Pressure evasion. When to pass . See the matrix the game is played on.
This is when you need to be a student of the game, and play with studious intent.
But be mindful that it isn't just about playing games. Each game has a different purpose.
Consider an 11v11 vs a 2v2.
An 11 vs 11 is not a developmental game. It is a test of what you have learned.
A 2v2 is a developmental game designed to amplify repetition of exposure to specific problems within the game.
Which should you be playing more of?
If you feel inspired to practice :
Check out the full TFT online resource to establish a framework for their development.
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