Football Coaching

The right words in the right ears at the right time can make a huge difference to a football match. Motivation and psychology are crucial factors in the success of football teams, but how do you leverage them to your advantage?  An effective team talk — whether it’s before a match or during half-time — is often the difference between...

The football world stood up and took notice when the verdict of the 2002 inquest into the death of former England striker Jeff Astle was handed down. “Death by industrial disease” was the opinion of the coroner, and for the first time ever, a legal link between heading in football and long-term brain injury was established.  Astle was just 59...

Rishi Sunak has come out in support of grassroots football in the UK more than once since he became Chancellor. But when he made an appearance at Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub last month, there was cause for real optimism.  With more than 20 girls in attendance at Brentford FC Community Sports Trust’s new training facility, the Chancellor spoke of what...

Put a football at the feet of an 18-month-old toddler, and the chances are they’ll kick it. The beautiful game isn’t just a sport — it’s a human compulsion. Once that first ball has been kicked, there’s often no turning back.  But how do you channel that primal instinct into something more skillful? And how do you turn that first...

With grassroots football facing an existential crisis in the UK right now, anything that can boost participation and retention levels is welcome. Technology is already being used in the game, but until relatively recently its impact has been limited.  Fundraising But things are slowly changing. Back in 2019, a Durham-based entrepreneur created a mobile app that helps local football clubs...

Grassroots football training has to be adapted in order to minimise the risk of Covid infections. Last week, we talked about non-contact football drills that minimise cross-contamination. These drills were aimed at giving each player their own ball, thus reducing the risk of call contamination. But if you’re comfortable with players sharing footballs, there are different Covid-safe drills you can...

Grassroots football is back underway in many areas of the UK after its Covid-related absence. But the situation is fluid, and future lockdowns are a very real possibility for many regions. To ensure your players are both safe and match-ready, you need to ensure training sessions are as Covid-friendly as possible. It’s important to keep abreast of Covid-related restrictions in...

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...

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...

We've all spoken to a coach who gets all his training sessions off of YouTube, right?    YouTube, and the web, have been great for coaches as you can see sessions online, learn and try them in training. However, is a session that Pep Guardiola doing with his Man City players the right one to be doing with your team? Probably...