27: Grow Coach Newsletter

Football Coaching: Better Gameday Coaching.

Jun 27, 2024

A warm welcome from JustCoachMD. We are happy to have you on board. We are looking forward to providing you with helpful content.

Here is what to expect:

Coaching on a matchday: Tips and ideas on how to improve your matchday coaching.
Session Share: Constant 3v2s to goal and 4v4 (+2) combining to score.
Coach Project: Design a gameday objectives document.

The matchday in football is often seen as the most important part of the week. When coaching young football players this is not always the case.

Matchdays should be an extension of training, it is not a time to abandon everything you practice. It’s a time to challenge the players to implement what they have learned.

How can you be a good football coach on a match day?

You can be ready in advance:

Picking the teams for each period of the game.
Identifying objectives, challenges or goals for the team.
Develop a match day routine for the players to include dressing room music, on-field warm-ups and visual aids to prepare the players.
Give a motivational team talk and quality feedback.
Manage your emotions and remember you are there to help the players, not just to win.

Team Selection

I would encourage coaches to pick their teams at least 3-5 hours before a game kicks off. This won’t take long but it will save time and stress trying to do it directly before the game or even worse as it plays out. Give the players a squad number and write out the teams for each period of the game.

I find by doing this you can focus on the coaching of the players on a matchday rather than constantly trying to write out teams and make changes to get the subs on etc.

Giving players enough game time is important for their development so having the teams set up in advance makes it easier for the coach to manage this and ensure all players in the team can play enough minutes.

If on the matchday you decide to do something different then by all means change the team but at least you have something written down as a backup or something to work off if you do decide to change things.

Tips for team selection:

01: Are you playing to win or develop? Pick your teams based on providing a player experience. If you are playing to win then it is vital to communicate this message in the build-up to a game. Inform the players that game time is not guaranteed, alternatively, let them know if there is a minimum amount.
02: Needs and wants: Lots of teams have players who want to play in certain positions but to improve at the game the player might need a different experience. For example, a solid ball-playing defender may need time in central midfield. A wide player may need some time as a fullback.
03: Keep a game log: Write down your teams and changes after each game, and take note of the player positions, the scorers and total game time. This can help you to keep track of things such as players who started and how much game time people have had.

Task: Design a gameday planner, use a PowerPoint slide to design a gameday planner to help you stay on track with team selection. You can carry this around on a match day for quick reminders. Take a scan of the document after a game and save it to your phone.

Challenges and Objectives.

Try to establish a theme that has been practised throughout a week then create some challenges and objectives around that theme to extend training into a matchday situation. Consider challenges for the group, units and individuals.

You can write these up before a game and then share the information as part of a pre-game team talk.

Here is an example of build-up play:

Objective:

Explore a variety of ways to build up play under pressure.

Team Challenge:

Within 3-6 passes of a play out, get a player on the ball and beyond the halfway line, facing forward with good possession of the ball.

Unit Missions:

Defenders: Spread out and stretch the opposition.
Midfielders: Support the ball and provide constant options to the ball carrier.
Attackers: Spot opportunities to drop into depth and get on the ball or threaten the spaces behind with aggressive runs.

Individual challenges:

Eliminate pressing players with forward passes.
Play passes into space rather than feet.
Receive the ball and be forward-facing.

The examples above will hopefully provide coaches with some context of what this might look like for your team. This activity can be applied to any theme that players have been coached.

Consider designing a game day template of challenges for different moments of the game. Place these onto slides and write them up so they can be shared with the players before a game starts.

You can be as specific or as generic as you want. Ensure that you approach this in the right way so the players see it as a challenge as opposed to feeling pressure to do these things at all costs.

Develop a match-day routine

Routines can be useful for consistency. They can be used as a way to get the players into the right frame of mind to play. Many people have busy lifestyles and lots of things going on.

If you coach children you will know that their emotions can be inconsistent from one day to the next. A telling off from a parent, a loss on their favourite computer game, sleepovers, poor quality food and hydration. There are so many inconsistencies between groups of players.

It is important to be aware that many things can affect mood on a match day. It is uncontrollable. Coaches therefore need to be as consistent as possible to ensure that the pre-match preparation is as consistent so the players are in a good frame of mind to play a game.

Tips for a better pre-game routine:

Music: This is a great way to occupy the players and help them feel relaxed. Nominate a player to be in charge of music and the players can request tracks.
Social Games: Quizzes, head tennis in a dressing room (use a softball), and keepy-up challenges, are a few ideas for occupying a little bit of time before games and creating a fun relaxed place to be.
Visual Aids: Stick up the objectives and challenges onto the wall so the players can choose one to go after or get a feel for how the team is expected to play. A tactics board walkthrough or a human tactics board walkthrough. These are useful ideas for sharing some key messages before a game
Walk and Chat: Send the players out for a walk to check out the playing surface, and chat in their friendship groups. The coach could also talk to players regarding team selection or game-day challenges.
The Warm-up: This should get the players ready for the game. It should be a gradual increase in intensity. It could include, dynamic movements, ball work, a fun game (tag works well), possession activity, and unit-specific practices such as shooting, defensive shape or long passing.

If you can integrate some of the tips mentioned above you will be well on your way to developing a quality pre-game routine. There will be times when the facilities or timings do not allow you to do everything, but that’s ok, just make the most of what you have to make the pre-game build-up, fun, engaging and relaxed.

The Team Talks

Keep it simple. Its purpose is to guide, motivate and support the players with details that move them into a good frame of mind to play football. A pre-game team talk should:

01: Link to the themed objectives, and the challenges document.

02: Focus on one IN-possession focus and one OUT-of-possession focus for the collective group.

03: Provide specific detail to each unit of the team that relates to point 02.

04: Challenge the individuals to be creative and problem solvers.

In summary, the team talk needs to frame the game for the player. Some players may need permission to try stuff others may need some reassurance. Part of coaching is recognising what the players need and providing it.

Tips on the team talk:

Time limit: Keep the talk less than 5 minutes in total. Players will get frustrated, irritable and bored if the coach goes beyond this.
Prepare it: Jot down some key points or messages before a game and keep this on a post-it note or piece of paper. This serves as a reminder of what you want to say and keeps you on task.
Clarity: Communicate the messages at different speeds and tones to add emotion and context to the messages that you want to share. Pause between points rather than using UMHs or ARRHs.

Post-game: Emotions are often running high following a win or a defeat so having a routine on your post-game analysis can allow everyone to calm down get their emotions in check and revisit the goals, targets, and challenges the team set pre-game.

Do:

Ask the players to reflect for a couple of minutes before the coach addresses the players. This ensures that everyone has had the chance to communicate without enhanced emotions.
Pick out strengths, you thought the team did well during the game and feedback to the group. The coach should highlight some strong individual performances and praise the qualities each individual stood out for.
Coaches may wish to be a little tougher on older players and do highlight some negative performance aspects but this is something more suited to players aged 13 plus, but again they need to be sensitive to the player’s emotions and target the group rather than individuals.

Dont:

Shout and scream at the players and give them a dressing down. They are probably just as frustrated as you.
Focus on everything that went wrong for the group and tell everyone what they should have done.
Criticise individual mistakes and errors that may have been costly in the game. It’s not something that should be done in front of everyone. This will slow down the learning process and stifle players’ creativity because they will not want to be dug out each time they mess up.

By following these do’s and don'ts you will improve the player’s learning experience due to them being engaged and part of the reflective process.

Providing Feedback

During games, the coach should provide feedback about the technique, skill or tactic implemented. Doing this close to the player’s actual decision is useful to the player because the player will know the result of their choice and then they get to have your instant feedback as opposed to coaches who shout the instructions at a player.

The performer is often distracted by the coach who shouts at the moment the player is about to do a certain technique or skill.
The coach becomes a puppeteer to the players rather than the players making their own decisions.
Post-decision feedback from the coach should support the player’s decision or give them a clear idea of how they could be successful next time.

The coach can also get the player to think about the ‘why’ behind their decision which supports learning and understanding. Breaks in play offer a good time to give a player some quick brief feedback about a choice or decision they have made.

A visual representation helps to create a clear picture and better understanding for the player. If the coach has the time to be able to provide this, then they should.

Tips on providing better feedback:

Attach verbal instructions to the visual demonstration: It gives the player a chance to hear and see what you would like them to do and provides them with another type of learning.
Use non–verbal communication: Thumbs up, claps, and facial expressions that match your message will be interpreted much better by the performer when supported with positive body language.
Check for understanding: Sometimes a player will not have the answer to the questions you ask therefore you may need to provide them with some clear information, options, or advice. Once this detail is provided, the coach should check via a question if the player understands (Get them to tell you what you have asked of them).

Manage your Emotions

Animated restless coaches at the pitchside will often be mirrored by animated restless players on the pitch. If possible, sitting instead of standing can help relax the players as you are non-verbally showing through your body language that you trust them to implement the plan set out.

If the players being coached can feel the coach’s presence on the sideline whilst they are playing they may suffer from losses of confidence or be prone to mistakes and errors because they are feeling the pressure.

Coaches should try to manage their emotions and stay in control by following the information and advice mentioned in this article.

Stay in Control:

Any verbal instruction is often better received by the player if the coach is relaxed and not too emotionally involved in the game.
Verbal instruction should be calm, concise and brief which makes it easier for the player to implement and understand.
Half-time or period breaks are a great moment to reflect and get some feedback and interaction from the players. Be positive and stay in control of your own emotions. Stick to sharing key messages that will impact the player’s performance.
Use simple questions to ask what the team or individuals think. What they are doing well? And to identify any areas they could improve or require help with.

Asking questions settles the players and gets them to think and reflect which is more creative than just listening to a coach reel off a list of dos and don’ts.

‘‘ My hunger is not for success, it is for excellence because when you attain excellence, success follows. ’’ (Coach K.)

Session Shares

Constant 3v2s to Goal.

⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner

Aim:

Using the spare player to create scoring chances.

Set-Up:

18-yard box, plus a 10-15 yard zone added on.
1 large goal and 2 mini goals.
Players are positioned as shown.

How to Play:

🔴s start the practice with an unopposed finish. One 🔴crosses the ball for the other to finish past the 🟢 Gk.
As soon as the 🔴 attack is complete, 3 x ⚫️s join the pitch and play 3v2 toward the large goal.
If the 🔴s win the ball they score in either of the two mini goals.
♻️Rotate the players to ensure they practice in each role.

Constraints:

🏆Reward: If the 🔴s score three unopposed finishes in a row they get a goal in the main game.
🚫Restrict: ⚫️s can only score with a 1 touch finish inside of the box.
👨‍🏫Review: Can you arrive at the back post for a tap-in?

4v4 +2 | Combining to Score.

⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner

Aim:

Quick combination play to create scoring chances.

Set-Up:

18-yard box, plus a 10-15 yard zone added on.
1 large goal and 2 mini goals.
4 x ⚫️s vs 4 x 🔴s within the main playing area. 🟢 Gk plays for the 🔴s
🟡s act as support players for both teams.
⚫️s and 🔴s rotate between attacking and defending. The 🔴s must score in a mini-goal to become the attacking team.

How to Play:

🟡s start the attack by serving into the ⚫️s. They combine and attempt to score. If the ⚫️s score they get served another ball. If the ball goes out for a corner or throw, the 🟡s keep serving in a new ball.
If the 🔴s want to become the attackers they have to win back the ball and score into a mini goal. The 🔴s can use the 🟡s to help them score. The 🟡s would then serve the next ball into the🔴s whilst the ⚫️s transitioned to defence.
If the ball goes out from a goal kick. The 🟢 Gk plays out to the 🔴s who try to score in the mini goals.

Constraints:

🏆Reward: Score a goal in the mini-goals to become the attackers.
🚫Restrict: ⚫️s have a time limit of 10 seconds to score with each ball.
👨‍🏫Review: Explore different types of finish.

‘‘All coaching is, is taking a player where they can’t take themselves’’ (B.McCartney).

Coach Project

Objective: Design a game day objectives document.

Task: Create a document that outlines specific objectives and goals for your players/team.

Consider the inclusion of any of the following:

Overall objectives for the team.
Unit-based challenges or objectives.
Some individual challenges for players.

Use your document on a matchday and see if it helps you become clear on how you would like your players to express themselves.

Please feel free to get in touch or share your ideas, actions, and interventions. We would love to hear from you. If you have any questions, post them here; we will do our best to answer them.