46: Grow Coach Newsletter
Football Coaches: Develop your Coaching Craft.
Welcome from JustCoachMD. We are happy to have you on board and look forward to providing you with helpful content.
Here is What to Expect:
Coaching Craft: Master your half-time team talks
Full 60-Minute Practice: Finding the Spare Player
Coach Project: Create a framework for your half-time team talks
“Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.” — Sir John Whitmore
From Words to Wins: The Perfect Half-Time Team Talk
For coaches, the half-time whistle signals more than just a break. It’s a powerful moment to connect, refocus, and energise players. But what separates an average talk from one that inspires?”
Here are four practical steps on how to structure a half-time team talk, including what to say and when to say it, based on the research article "The half-time talk: A mixed-method examination of youth-elite football coaches’ behaviours and team-management strategies": (Read the Research: Here)
STEP 1: Before entering the changing room:
ACTION: Meet with your staff to review the first half performance and plan the key messages for the talk. This allows for a calmer, more objective assessment of the situation and helps to formulate a clear plan for the second half.
TIPS:
Allow players to return to the changing room first or give them a couple of minutes if you are on the grass. Encourage them to “rest”, hydrate and discuss the first half amongst themselves while the staff meeting is taking place.
Listen to the players’ discussions on your way to the changing room. This can provide valuable insight into the players’ perceptions and emotions, allowing you to tailor your talk accordingly.
STEP 2: Starting the team talk:
ACTION: Begin with a general, open-ended question about a specific aspect of the team’s performance in the first half. For example: "What did we do well in the first half when attacking? What are some areas we can improve on in terms of defending?" This encourages players to reflect on their performance and share their thoughts and feelings without drifting off topics.
TIPS:
Listen carefully to the players’ responses. This will help you understand their perspective and tailor your message to their needs. It can also reveal issues you may not have noticed.
Acknowledge the players' feelings and address any concerns they raise. This helps build trust and rapport and shows that you value their input.
Transition from open-ended questions to more focused, convergent questions that steer the conversation towards the key points/details that you want to share. This helps maintain control of the conversation and ensures that the talk remains on track.
STEP 3: Delivering the message:
ACTION: Be clear and concise in your instructions for the second half. Focus on defining players’ roles and outlining the game plan. Avoid overwhelming them with too much detailed feedback in the first half.
TIPS:
Aim for a balance of positive and negative feedback. While it's important to address areas that need improvement, it's equally important to praise good performance and maintain player confidence.
Tailor your feedback to the specific situation. Consider the score, the team’s level of play, and the player’s emotional state when deciding what type of feedback to give and how to deliver it.
Use variations in tone and volume to emphasise key points and avoid monotony. A change in delivery can make your message more impactful and memorable.
Consider giving individual negative feedback privately after the team talks, rather than in front of the group. This can be more effective and less damaging to player confidence.
STEP 4: Involving the assistant coach:
ACTION: Delegate specific responsibilities to your assistant coach during the planning stage. This ensures a clear division of labour and avoids repetition during the talk. They could cover OUT of possession the lead coach could cover IN possession, or the assistant could handle the individual feedback.
TIPS:
Consider asking your assistant coach to summarise key points at the end of the talk. This reinforces the message and ensures that everyone is on the same page.
Work together to create a collaborative environment where both coaches can contribute to the talk. This promotes a sense of unity and can be more engaging for players.
Remember: The most effective half-time talks are those that are tailored to the specific needs of the team and the situation. Be flexible, adaptable, and responsive to your players’ feedback.
“The role of the coach is to create the right conditions for learning to happen and to find ways of motivating the players.” — Pep Guardiola
Full Practice: Finding the Spare Player
Fast Passing Patterns | Playing Through Pressure
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Improve technique of passing in pressured moments
Set-Up:
On a 40 by 30 playing space, set up an inner diamond ♦️of manikins or cones then create an outer diamond between the yellow manikins on halfway line and the pairs of mini goals.
👕 Teams: ⚫️s work through the following passing patterns:
1️⃣ Up back through wall pass then pattern resets
2️⃣ Wide pass, set inside, wall pass
3️⃣ Central pass, Around Corner pass, Overlap, Pass
How to Play:
Work through each of the following passing patterns and include some of the following to challenge the players ⬇️
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: split players into groups and team with fastest time to get around 10 times wins.
👨🏫 Review: Ball speed, timing of runs, movements to lose a marker.
🚫 Restriction: touch limits on players one to two touch max.
2 v1 | Find the Spare Player | Work to Goal
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Connect and combine with teammates to set up scoring chances
Set-Up:
On a 30 by 20 space set up a 4 yard scoring zone and offset 2 x mini goals beyond it. Place a pair of min goals in opposite half.
👕 Teams: ⚫️ Attacking team,🔴 Defending team.
How to Play:
⚫️s start the practice by serving into their player at the opposite end of the pitch.
A 🔴 joins the pitch at the same time which creates a 2v1 situation.
⚫️s combine and must be in the shaded zone to score in the mini goals.
🔴s win the ball ⚽️, get over the halfway line and score in a mini goal opposite to where they started.
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: Wall passes around the defender that lead to a goal are worth double.
👨🏫 Review: Players being brave to stay on the ball and draw in pressure, then play and move.
🚫 Restriction: Can only score off one touch and must be in shaded zone.
4v2 | Find the Spare Player | Transfer Game.
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Play through pressure to escape the press.
Set-Up:
30 by 20 space, with a pair of mini goals at each end.
A central pair of manikins in red then a yellow manikin on each side of the halfway line.
👕 Teams: ⚫️s are attacking team, they place three players in each half of the pitch. 🔴s Defending team. They split the team in half and position either side of the halfway line. 🟡s is the spare central player for ⚫️s, they are fixed between the red manikin’s
How to Play:
⚫️s connect 2 passes minimum and transfer the ball via the central 🟡 in one of two ways:
1️⃣🟡 just turns and passes to the other side of the pitch.
2️⃣🟡 sets the ball back to a ⚫️ who passes to the opposite ⚫️s between a red and yellow manikin.
Once the ⚫️s make three or more passes in a half the 🔴s can send in a third player.
⚫️s have a third option to progress the ball ⚽️. 3️⃣ They can run beyond a red and yellow manikin then pass it to a teammate.
Constraints:
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: ⚫️s get bonus balls served in for every 2 successive transfers of the ball ⚽️.
👨🏫 Review: Quality of pass, maximal use of space, body shape to receive.
🚫 Restriction: 4 pass limit to transfer the ball.
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” — Albert Einstein
Coach Project
Objective
Create a clear, personalised framework to guide your half-time team talks, focusing on structure, content, and communication style. This framework will help you deliver messages that are organised, impactful, and tailored to the team’s immediate needs.
1. Set the Foundation:
Start by identifying 3-5 core goals for your half-time talks. For example: re-aligning tactics, boosting morale, or clarifying individual responsibilities. Keep these goals simple and realistic to fit into the window of time available.
2. Design the Talk Structure:
Opening (1-2 minutes): Plan an open-ended question or observation to gauge players’ emotions and get a sense of their perspective. Example: “How are we feeling about the game so far (when attacking/defending)?” or “What’s working well for us out there (as a MF, ATT, DEF unit)?”
Core Message: Map out your main points, using the following structure:
Tactical Adjustments: What are the 1-2 biggest tactical shifts needed?
Positive Reinforcement: Highlight specific strengths or efforts you noticed.
Corrections/Improvements: Address areas that need improvement, keeping feedback balanced to build confidence.
Closing: Summarise key points and finish with an encouraging or motivating statement. Example: “Let’s take that energy into the second half and play to our strengths.”
3. Develop Flexibility: What If’s…
Consider how different game scenarios (winning, drawing, losing) might alter your message. For example, when winning, focus on avoiding complacency; when losing, emphasize resilience and focus on key adjustments.
Outline how you’ll handle the different emotional states of players. What will you do if they appear frustrated, overconfident, or disengaged?
4. Consider Communication Techniques:
Define specific vocal strategies (tone, volume, pace) for each part of your talk. For example, a calm tone for instructions, and a louder faster voice for motivation.
Plan for engagement strategies like convergent (focused) questions for tactical points and divergent (open-ended) questions to encourage players’ ideas.
5. Map It Out:
Using these components, create a simple framework (either a checklist or a flowchart) that you can refer to when preparing your half-time talk. This framework should remind you of your goals, structure, and techniques.
Self Reflection:
Reflection
After you’ve drafted your framework, ask yourself:
Does this structure feel manageable within a half-time window?
How will I adjust this framework based on different match scenarios or emotional states of the team?
How confident do I feel in using my voice and body language to emphasise each part of my message?
Am I missing any vital components?
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.
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