Excellent site with easy to navigate pages.
Hi, My team plays in a mini soccer league which is 7v7. Whats the best formation to play in the environment. We have played 2-3-1 all season but i was looking at 3-1-2 this season using the left and right backs as wingers aswell. Any one got any thoughts? Cheers
Hello, I am currently coaching an u9's boys team and a majority of them are well behaved and want to play football, but the odd 1or2 tend to mess around at training which distracts the others. I have sat them out in training and spoken to the parents but still this goes on. Do I decide to kick them out of the team altogether or does anyone know the miracle cure to stop this happening?
I manage and coach two current u8 boys teams, which as you can imagine is time consuming and often stressful. I can often feel under pressure particularly being a female and getting dads interfering. Time wise I have to train them together but I really need some news ideas to engage them and stop the messing about. I have 16 of them and we are going to u9 in the new season. Any help would really be appreciated.
iam coaching under 16s boys soccer and we keep losing our shape paticulary in mid field and this is where i want to control the game from but there always seem to be no one marking up when there is a quick change of possion
Hi, I am going to be running a summer camp soccer programme for 8 weeks. I will have kids ranging in ages fro 8-16 of all ability levels and experience. Where do I start. Does anyone have any universal type football games that are fun and engaging and competitive for kids of all ages and abilities?. i just would like some ideas on activities and fun games that will engage and be competitive of a lot of kids at one time. I have only really coached at the college level so any advice or tips would be very much appreciated. Gareth
Disciplining for misbehaviour? 8-11 year olds, they dont really get bored because i know that sometimes that can be the cause. How or what can i apply a bit of strictness into the team.
Team keep getting thrashed every week - where to start? Having been the sole coach/manager of a little league team for the past two years, this year I lost all my senior players. I was therefore presented with 10 brand new lads, some of whom have never played competitive football. We are 8 games in and my lads are getting thrashed every week. The main problems are that they cannot get the ball out of their half, positions are usually a mess, finishing and chance creation are non-existent, and they don't apply any pressure or are unable to tackle. The main problems are keeping the ball as a team, getting it in the opponents half and staying there, and creating/finishing chances. I only have 1 and a half hours a week with them. I don't really know what to do, and I'm a little desperate. Does anybody have any advice? Thanks for literally anything.
I usually plan my session the Friday night before Saturday training . I anticipated 12 players but then this sequence of events happened. Friday 8.36pm, parent texts amp; says child can't come as he is doing 11+ mocks (did he only just realise this?). Saturday 8.57am, another parent texts amp; says as they went to a wedding the night before, child is in no fit state to train (again, was this something that only just occured to them may happen?). Saturday 9.26am, parent phones amp; says child is throwing up (fair enough, I guess). Saturday 9.57am, parent texts, another puking child (a bug perhaps doing the rounds? Bit late notice though as we start training in 18 mins). Saturday 9.58am, another text from another child's parent to say child is throwing up (Hmmm, another one. Late notice again?). Saturday 10.15am, training starts but another child is missing. I give it 5 mins then phone. Parent says they are off to theme park amp; he sent me a text. I said that I never received text amp; asked if I sent an acknowledgement to aforementioned text to which he said no which I said meant his text wasn't receieved. I went from 12 players training @ 8.36pm Friday to 6 by start of training in under 10 hours. My session plan went in the bin. I realise the sickness is one of those things but think the last 2 were rather late in notifying me. As for the other 3, I feel these to be lame excuses. What can I implement to try to stop or reduce these issues? Fines? Suspensions? Nothing? #frustrated
With my U16 team, I often like to use high presses throughout matches and have scored a number of goals as a result. The problem is, often the triggers are only recognised by a few of the players, leading to a failed press. Obviously I will have to work with them on recognising press triggers, however how can I help improve the overall team shape after a press has failed? For example, say 3 players; a left midfielder, centre midfielder and centre forward in a 4-3-3 have attempted a press in the opposition's right back position. The press has failed and now the team is 3 players short and facing a counter attack.
how many children do you have on a team
ive just taken over an under 16's side and the manager before was a 19 year old and let them get away with murder, ive tried throwing down ground rules, ive even shouted at them but it just doesnt work, the problem i am also 19 so they think because the last manager was a push over i will be the same, how do i control the team and stop the strops, attitude and negativity?
My under 16 team just cant seem to get going in the first half but come out strong in the second! I feel this is a bit of a sports psycology issue! I have heard a few of them say." Well, we know what the opposition are like after 40 mins! I need to install belief!
Looking to find a drill where 16 yr old HS players must stay in their designated positions and not bunch. Any Ideas Asked using Sportplan on Mobile
...where it will list and describe playing terminology such as shave, tackle-back, steal, forehand.
Hi I manage and coach two current u8 boys teams and as you can imagine training sessions with 16 boys can be slightly chaotic at times, I need some fresh ideas which will help me maintain control but that the boys can all participate in and enjoy please?Faye
Need 3 to 6 years old kids games as lesson plan format, to coach with in 1 hour. Will contiune for 16 to 36 classes!!!!
I coach adults using a third of an astro pitch with 1 full size goal and 2 small goals. I often have 16-20 players so space is at a premium. Does anyone have any good drills that will work with the numbers and space available?
What do you think is more important the build up or wind down from a game?
Hello, I have just started two new football teams within a school. They are both aged 16-18. Our first team is going really well, winning most games, however, whilst still unbeaten, the second team is drawing every match. I am convinced that these are great results, however the team morale seems a bit low, particularly the second team. The skill and talent is there, I was just wondering if there was a good structure for weekly training sessions? I was hoping that there was a strategy for working with new teams as well? Thanks.
âHi, looking for a drill for my team to close down the opposition especially from the midfieeld but can't seem to find one. Could you please help?
in more ways than one
Four Halloween-themed games sneak a full warm-up, finishing, rondo and small-sided game into one junior football session this week.
Deliberate heading is now out of U11 grassroots matches. Here is how to coach chest, thigh and foot control so your players still win the ball in the air.
Long-range goals doubled at the 2026 World Cup as teams sat deep. Here is how to coach when to shoot from distance, the technique, and the follow-up.
Coaches from around the world look to Sportplan for coaching confidence.