The Bleep Test The Bleep Test, also known as the beep or multistage fitness test, is a method of testing the fitness and aerobic capacity (stamina) of an athlete. It is used by military and police organisations worldwide. From a football point of view, it is an extremely useful tool to determine the fitness of a player. What is The...

Challenge Your Players In a recent youth football game, the team I coach were 6-0 up at half time but in truth, it could have been more. About 10 minutes into the game I asked the team to retreat to halfway when the opposition goalkeeper had the ball so the opposition could practice playing out from the back. This is...

What size football do I need? I cannot stress enough the importance of choosing the correct ball size for youth football. This is one area of football equipment you need to get right. How many times do you see small children trying to kick a size 5 ball around, nearly tripping over it because it is too large? The FA...

At grassroots level, players sometimes get placed in positions based on their physical makeup – the fast kid is a winger or striker, the slow kid is a defender or goalkeeper, and so on. At a young age, if you label a player as a defender then what's the problem? Well, placing young players into positions too early might only expose...

The FA has been grappling with the growing problem of bad behaviour in grassroots football for many years. National campaigns, educational programmes and increasingly strict rules regarding the issue don’t seem to have worked.  There is still a serious behaviour problem in community football — and more drastic action is needed.  This year sees the launch of a new rule...

Full-size football goal posts are heavy, rigid structures that require proper anchoring. If they’re not fixed into the ground properly, they can move around. And if they fall onto a player, they can cause life-changing injuries.  Once you’ve chosen your preferred goalposts, you need to ensure you have the equipment needed to keep them firmly in place. The safest method...

There is nothing more enjoyable than scoring goals. So how can you score more goals? There is no magic formula, but there are some simple tips to help increase your chances of scoring goals. 1. Technique - First Touch All players must have a good first touch to get the ball under control quickly. However, the key is to make...

Does anyone remember their younger days? Football in the streets or a park from first light to last. We all have fond memories of those days but drive past any park today and it is highly likely that there won't be a football in sight! You will also struggle to find anyone playing in the street. Kids just don't do...

The UK Government’s austerity measures have taken a heavy toll on local authority finances in recent years. Councillors have met the challenge by, among other things, selling assets and slashing costs wherever possible. Essential public services are rightly being ring-fenced from these measures. But initiatives, facilities and land related to sporting endeavours have not.  And the consequences have been devastating...

Game Realistic Warmups I was at a 7-aside grassroots game recently where one team did a rondo and a short passing exercise as part of a warmup. The game kicked off, and for the rest of the game, they kicked the ball long to their striker. It left me wondering why they focused on shorter passing for the warmup when...