STREET FOOTBALL AND PANNA

After coming off a great weekend in Cumbria and being part of a fantastic event with Cockermouth JFC. I wanted to sit down and write article about Panna and Street Football. 

Over this event we discussed the changes we have seen since we took Street Football up in the UK a few years ago.

Many firstly were skeptical and many did not see the merits that were on offer, over time that has changed a little and several are now taking up Street Football elements and Panna into their coaching sessions. 
A few have come back to myself and Mark, they've told us of the elements of what they've used and in some cases this has been from what we ourselves have showcased and put out. 
My own video, Street Soccer the Art of Defending being one example. 

Others have done elements, used games and aspects of Street Football and seen the actual benefits, this has changed their own opinions. Though at first they were being a little less receptive to Street Football.

Several weeks ago I was asked to write something around Street Football and Panna. So today I have decided to do this. 

Street Football and Panna to me are much cherished games. Over my own skill development, I've had the chance to play Street Football games and Panna against young children and adults too. 
I've improved my own game and tend to prefer going for Panna's at events rather than 'goals.' I'm no expert of the game and facing more experienced Panna players I get caught out, but I'm learning to hold my own against them. The more I play the more I'll improve.



Panna and Street Football a brief history

Street Football has been around since the birth of Football, but the modern version of Street Football started around 1996 in Holland. It was pioneered by the likes of Edward Van Gils, Jermain Vanenburg and others. It's birth came from them playing Football on their local courts (often basketball courts.) 

Upon a Player humiliating an opponent with a sharp piece of skill, shouts and laughing would ring around the court. 
Players would then have to try to earn their respect back by humiliating their opponent the next time they played. 

This birthed a boom in the creative skills being developed by the players of that time, winning became less about the score as Street Football was played prior, it became more about wining with style.

Panna's (nutmegs by retaining possession,) skills beats and aerial tricks like akka's became a huge part of the style. 
Street Football in this format was played largely as 4v4 or 3v3 games. 

Panna the game itself birthed at the creation Nike Panna KO. From there the game moved to a more 1v1 style of play.



What is a Panna?

A Panna is getting your ball through an opponents legs and either yourself or a team retrieving possession of the ball, this is one of the ultimate forms of humiliation in Street Football. Panna itself comes from a pseudonym that means to destroy. Panna as described by Edward Van Gils 'It's the biggest humiliation, because it's like somebody going through your body.' 



My views on Panna and Street Football

In recent iterations of Panna it has become less about retrieving the ball after getting it through an opponents legs. Almost making it far easier to score a game winning Panna. Even though I like watching many Street Players and Panna matches, I must profess that I'm not a fan of this style of Panna. 

I much prefer the old roots of the game, as I believe it represents a more realistic factor of in game play. When coaching children I tend to just refer to a ball through the legs and no control as a Nutmeg but one controlled after as a Panna. 

I feel modern iterations of Panna are creating misconceptions with those outside of the scene.

Many notice the skills and sometimes speed of moves preformed by Street Players and many don't associate that as being an effective development tool for regular football. I disagree but understand the point they're making. Many of the Street Football skills I've learnt have been things I've also tried to adapt or change in ways that they can be applied to regular football, combining them with basic football skills myself or often asking the young players that train with me ways in which they could adapt the moves for games. 

Since taking up Street Football I have seen improvements in many aspects of the way I play. One being the way in which I defend and read what other players are going to try. 

I can recongise a large amount of movements and skills many try to preform now. This allows me to spot opportunities to go try and steal the ball from a player certainly against those that have not played much Panna. Against more experienced players though, I know I have to be wary of some moments. Good Street and Panna Players will lure you in by making you think they've lost control of a ball when in actual fact they're more in control than ever and they've just led me into a position to score a Panna. 

Panna's are game winning moves in the Street scene and this is why I feel we need to go back to making Panna more challenging, by making it key that you or a teammate (if in team battles) has to retrieve the ball. 

I don't discredit the very talented Street Players around but I feel it would garner the sport more recognition as being firstly it's own sport and as a sport that can develop younger footballers too. 

Right now it is as if two stables are forming in Panna, maybe even Street Football. There is the old guard those who stick and follow the original path and then the modern Panna player. The show man, the entertainment factor!  

Is there a place for both? There is in a way and I think one and another can co-exist, they do in away now but I think there has to be a competitive representation for both.  

There is one aspect of the Street scene that I feel is consistent and exemplary and I certainly feel the regular football community (certainly in the UK,) should take note of. 

That is the attitude of the majority of Street Players, if you show a passion for Street Football you can mostly find a community willing to help you develop. The Street Footballers I've engaged with are amongst some of the nicest people I've met or talked to (Freestyle Footballers are also of the same sense of community.)       

I though am no expert in this field. I've been playing and training in Street Football ground-moves for around 2 years now. I have had the chance to meet and play a pioneer of the Sport though and I reached out to that same person for this article. 

He is Edward 'Edje' Van Gils! 

So I'll hand over now to his views of Street Football and Panna.     

What do you think is important for an individual to develop themselves as a Street Footballer and Panna player?  

EDJE - What I think is important? Is that a player discovers their own style and creativity! Of cause we need a fundamental base knowledge of skills and at first you'll look at others within the sport but don't become a copy. Start to make your own tricks! 
Keep playing with moves and find your own moves, not just combos of other peoples moves. 
Also try to come up with real moves that can be used, a good reason for this is if you get your own style you will become surprising because people won't know your tricks. This will also help you think about how other moves work because you're playing with all the tricks to try to come up with a new one. 

Do you think many outsiders miss other aspects of the games like defending and reading of  what other players will do and just think Street Football and Panna are about skills?

EDJE - Oh definitely!!! Without defending you won't get the ball, no ball means no tricks, haha. 

But the game also needs a playmaker to distribute the balls, good defenders and strikers because at the end of the day you got to win, just like 11 a side. Though the tricks are key element of the style of play it's still a team effort and a sport in which you need to win  

Street football needs all elements of football. Only doing tricks just becomes entertainment not a sport.

How do you feel Panna itself has evolved since the original Nike Panna KO? 

EDJE - Not well to be honest, in parts I regret ever inventing this game with some of the guys in Amsterdam and Nike back in the 90's. But then again it did make street football big globally but it wasn't necessarily good for the sport. 

I want street football to also be a tool for the 11 a side game but it has bitten us in the bum and I feel street football is further away from the 11 a side game then ever unfortunately!! 

As a pioneer of the sport and meeting you myself I know you have massive respect for the Street Players around, but do you think that the changes in Panna tournaments have made it a little easier to score a Panna by players not having to retrieve possession of the ball?

EDJE - Mannn.... To me it makes no sense at all everybody can do that, that's called counting steps, you've got to walk right?? 

No possession is no art!!! 

They say its too hard to keep possession, if that's the case then find another sport because nobodies cheering when a skydiver jumps but didn't land right, if he doesn't that the dude is dead!! 

Do we cheer when a plane takes off? No the art is landing that plane! Do you get my point? 

The art of a good Panna is by retrieving the possession of the ball. 

Massive thank you to Edward Van Gils for his views on Street Football and Panna