Why Technical Drills Fail When It Matters Most
The uncomfortable truth that thousands of coaches face every weekend: players who nail every drill in training become different people when the gam...
Read ArticleFootball Coaching Blog
Practical coaching advice that makes a difference
124 articles on player development, session planning, tactics, and coaching methodology.
What is DOGSO? The Referee's Guide to Denying an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity
Learn what DOGSO means, how to identify it, and the difference between a red card and yellow card DOGSO offence. Essential referee exam knowledge.
Read ArticleThe Offside Rule Explained Simply: A Complete Guide for Referees and Fans
Master the offside rule with clear explanations, diagrams, and real match scenarios. Everything you need to know about Law 11.
Read ArticleHow to Pass Your Referee Exam: Study Tips and Preparation Guide
Preparing for your football referee certification exam? Here is how to study effectively and pass on your first attempt.
Read ArticleHandball Rules Explained 2026: The Complete Guide for Referees
The handball law has changed multiple times. Here is the current interpretation with clear examples for referees at every level.
Read ArticleThe Advantage Rule in Football: When to Play On and When to Stop
Learn when and how to apply advantage in football. A referee's guide to Law 5 advantage decisions with practical examples.
Read ArticleTeaching U12s To Defend: From Ball-Chasers To Game-Readers
My U12s used to chase the ball like magnets. All eleven of them. In the same direction. Then I learned what proper defending development actually l...
Read ArticleWhen Training Perfection Meets Match Reality
You have seen it countless times. The player who executes every passing drill flawlessly suddenly cannot find a teammate when the opposition applie...
Read ArticleThe Community Effect: Why Coaching With Others Beats Coaching Alone
'I am glad someone asked about something I needed info on. Best part about this community.'
Read ArticleCreating Buy-In: How to Design Sessions Players Want to Repeat
"My son said he wants to do the session again next week!" When a parent shared this in our community, it captured something every coach should aim...
Read ArticleReal Stories from the Touchline: Why Systematic Coaches Outperform 'Experienced' Ones
The uncomfortable truth about experience vs. systems in football coaching development.
Read ArticleMeet Them Where They Are: The Development Principle Most Coaches Ignore
"Meet the players where they are and start from there." This simple principle from coach Ray Power sounds obvious.
Read ArticleWhat U8 Ball Mastery Really Looks Like (When You Stop Coaching Like They Are Adults)
I watched a U8 session where the coach spent five minutes explaining sole rolls. By minute three, a child was poking his friend with a training con...
Read ArticleTeaching vs Learning: The Distinction That Changes Everything
'Teaching is knowing the difference between 'I taught it' and 'they learned it.''
Read ArticleMaster The Opponent: Developing Confident Decision-Makers
After 15+ years coaching thousands of players from grassroots to pros, I have discovered that ages 7-12 are when players develop their ability to s...
Read ArticleAttitude vs Talent: Why Character Wins in Youth Football
'I will always take someone who has a great attitude and tries hard, regardless of talent.'
Read ArticleThe Halftime Talk That Actually Changes the Game
'Turning things around with a halftime talk after getting clobbered in the first half.'
Read ArticleBooks That Will Change How You Coach Football
They read books that challenge how they think about the game, about learning, about development.
Read ArticleMaster The Ball: The Foundation Every Player Needs
"If players cannot master the ball, they will never master the game." This isn't about fancy tricks or juggling records.
Read ArticleWinter Training Solutions: Keeping Players Developing Year-Round
The Problem With Reactive Thinking Most clubs deal with winter weather reactively.
Read ArticleThe Coach Who Tried to Be Everyone Else
I spent six months trying to be someone I was not. Not on the pitch. In a restaurant. Here is what it taught me about coaching.
Read ArticleThe Save That Should Have Been Impossible
Our goalkeeper made a save that defied physics. The striker was certain he had scored. But Maya got there. That is when I understood what explosive...
Read ArticleThe Coaching Course That Wasted My Money (And The One That Changed Everything)
I have invested in dozens of courses over fifteen years. Some were expensive PDFs with fancy marketing. One genuinely transformed my coaching. Here...
Read ArticleFootballGPT: Your AI Coaching Assistant for Coaches, Players & FM Managers
Meet FootballGPT - the AI football assistant with 16 specialised advisors for coaches, players, and Football Manager enthusiasts. Get instant answe...
Read ArticleFrom Player to Coach: What the Transition Really Requires
And the transition from one to the other requires more than just deciding to do it.
Read ArticleConditioned Games That Coach Themselves
Here are four 4v4 formats that develop specific qualities without requiring lengthy explanations or constant intervention.
Read ArticleHow To Know Your Sessions Actually Work
But there are clear, measurable indicators that show when learning is really happening.
Read ArticleAsk Questions or Give Answers? The Coaching Choice
Do they understand why they did something, or was it just because they were told to do it?
Read ArticleWhat Are Your Players Thinking? Watching the Mental Game
And understanding what is happening internally changes everything about how you coach.
Read ArticleWhat Street Football Taught Us That Coaching Can't
Growing up, football was not something you went to. It was something that happened constantly, everywhere, with whoever was around.
Read ArticleThe Decision That Changed Everything
Every coach has a turning point. A decision that changed everything. I asked our community to share theirs. These are the real stories that came back.
Read ArticleMulti-Game Pitches: Maximise Playing Time in Every Session
Stop wasting time resetting drills. Multi-game pitches let you run 3-5 different games from one setup, keeping players active and learning throughout.
Read ArticleMeasuring What Matters in Youth Football - 2026 Goals
But if trophies are your primary measure, you are missing what actually matters in youth football.
Read ArticleThe Problem With Random Training Sessions
Disconnected training plans are one of the biggest problems in youth football. Learn why random drills will not win the battle against forgetting.
Read ArticleNine Years With The Same Team
Nine years. Same team. Eighteen players who still love football. This is what happens when you commit to the long game instead of chasing the next ...
Read ArticleThe January I Finally Made Changes That Stuck
Every January I set ambitious coaching goals. Every February they were forgotten. Then I learned why most coaching resolutions fail and what actual...
Read ArticleThe 4-3-3 Formation That Made Sense For The First Time
My U13s kept getting overrun in midfield. I drew the 4-3-3 on a whiteboard fifteen different times before I understood why they were not getting it...
Read ArticleThe 16 Surfaces: Teaching Players About Their Feet
Elite players use all surfaces of both feet with devastating effect. Teaching young players about their 16 surfaces unlocks technical freedom.
Read ArticlePlanning Your Coaching Development for 2026
The Three Questions Before planning sessions, answer these three questions about your coaching: 1.
Read ArticleThe Message That Arrived At 11pm
I posted a question in the community at 11pm, expecting to wait until morning for answers. Within twenty minutes, three coaches had responded. That...
Read ArticleThe Advice I Ignored For Ten Years
An experienced coach told me something in my first year. I nodded politely and forgot it immediately. Ten years later, I finally understood what he...
Read ArticleWhat Do Your Players See When They Look at You?
Your touchline behaviour sends powerful messages to young players. A simple question every coach should ask: what does a mirror image of my sidelin...
Read ArticleThe Sunday Night I Spent Three Hours Finding One Drill
Before I built a system, I spent hours every week searching online for sessions. Not minutes. Hours. Time that could have gone to family, rest, or ...
Read ArticleWinning the Small Games Within the Big Game
The 11v11 game is made up of small games - 1v1s, 2v1s, 3v2s. Understanding and winning these positional battles is the key to team success.
Read ArticleThe Question I Was Too Scared To Ask For Three Weeks
I joined a coaching community and lurked for three weeks. Too scared to post. Too worried my question was too basic. Then I asked anyway. The respo...
Read ArticleThe First Session That Nearly Ended My Season
My first session with a new team was a disaster. Equipment everywhere, confused players, and a warm-up that lasted forty-five minutes. What I learn...
Read ArticleThe Masterclass I Watched Three Times Before I Understood It
I thought elite coaching content would not apply to my U10s. Then I watched a professional coach explain something that transformed my sessions com...
Read ArticleThe Course I Watched Three Times Before I Understood It
I watched a coaching masterclass once and felt like I learned a lot. Then I could not remember any of it the next week. That is when I discovered h...
Read ArticleFinishing Under Pressure: Why Perfect Practice Creates Imperfect Players
Great finish in training, terrible miss in the match. Learn why conventional shooting practice creates match anxiety and how to build clinical fini...
Read ArticleThe Community That Changed My Coaching
I used to coach in isolation, convinced my problems were unique. When I finally connected with other coaches, I discovered they had already solved ...
Read ArticleHow to Structure Your Training Programme
Stop planning sessions day-by-day under pressure. A structured training programme built around three development areas gives you clarity and your p...
Read ArticleThe Christmas Morning When I Understood Why I Coach
Christmas morning. My phone buzzed with a message from a parent. 'My son has talked about nothing but football since September. Thank you for makin...
Read ArticleThe Session That Finally Made Sense
For years my sessions felt disconnected. Passing on Tuesday. Defending on Thursday. A match on Saturday where nothing connected. Then I discovered ...
Read ArticleThe U12 Striker Who Could Not Score But Became Unstoppable
Jake missed twelve chances in three matches. His confidence was destroyed. Then we stopped focusing on finishing and everything changed. What I lea...
Read ArticleThe Drill That Looked Perfect But Taught Nothing
A coach told me 'I always try to create scenarios in my sessions that appear during games.' That simple statement revealed why my perfectly execute...
Read ArticleWhy Ball Mastery Beats Tactics for Young Players
You cannot build tactical intelligence on technical weakness. Learn why ball mastery must come before complex tactics for players aged 6-12.
Read ArticlePosition and a Half: Developing Versatile Players
Modern football demands multi-skilled players who can operate in multiple positions. Here is how to develop versatility without losing identity.
Read ArticleThe Parent Coach Who Made It To Academy Level
I started coaching because my son's team needed someone. Five years later, I was coaching at an academy. Here is what the journey actually took, an...
Read ArticleThe Goalkeeper Who Learned To Trust Himself
A goalkeeper messaged me: 'I have seen an increase in my confidence on game days, playing out the back, decision making and positioning.' He'd been...
Read ArticleThe Saturday I Chose Not To Shout
I was surrounded by coaches screaming at referees and parents yelling instructions. I made a decision that day that changed how I think about match...
Read ArticleThe Three Weeks That Changed How My Team Played
A coach told me 'Been working with the game model these past 3 weeks and our improvement has been noticeable from week to week.' Three weeks. Notic...
Read ArticleDeveloping Defenders: The Forgotten Skill Set
We obsess over attacking technique but neglect defensive skills. Tackling, intercepting, pressing, and blocking are all coachable. Here is how to d...
Read ArticleThe Conversation That Changed How I Think About Coaching Careers
A coach named Chris asked me how to make money from football. What I told him was not what he wanted to hear. But it was what he needed to understand.
Read ArticleHow to Use Half-Time Effectively: A Coach's Guide
Half-time is not a test of how long you can talk. Learn the three-part structure that transforms your 15-minute break into effective player communi...
Read ArticleGame Changers - The Resources That Transform Coaching
The Football Coaching Academy has been a game changer to my coaching development.
Read ArticleWhy Youth Development Matters More Than Tactics
The coaching industry obsesses over tactical analysis of elite teams. But youth coaches have a different responsibility - developing people who can...
Read ArticleThe Coach's Balance - Dedication Without Destruction
I just paid for plane wifi to type this out. No wonder my wife loses it with me sometimes.
Read ArticleProtecting the Love of the Game - Preventing Youth Football Burnout
Introduction "It's about cultivating players who still love playing years down the road." Youth football faces a crisis: massive dropout rates.
Read ArticleThe Value of 1-2-1 Coaching Conversations
Why 1-2-1 Conversations Matter Personalised Guidance Content speaks to everyone.
Read ArticleThe 1v1 Session Problem Every Coach Faces (And How to Fix It)
Most 1v1 sessions stumble before they begin - long lines, bored players, too few reps. Learn the three-pillar solution that transforms your 1v1 tra...
Read ArticleThe Video I Was Embarrassed To Watch But Grateful I Kept
A coach messaged me: 'We have even gone from lowlights to a really good standard thanks to everything I have learned.' But he could prove it becaus...
Read ArticleWhen Learning Changes Everything - Moments That Transform How You Coach
Introduction "Changed the way I think about football for sure." Some learning moments just hit differently.
Read ArticleThe Value of Revisiting - Why Second Viewings Teach More Than First
I have been looking through old posts this week and finding excellent stuff I had not noticed before.
Read ArticleThe Development Journey: What Players Need at Each Age
A systematic framework for youth player development from U6 to senior level. Understanding what players need at each stage transforms random coachi...
Read Article10 Passing Drills for U10 Football (Progressive Difficulty)
10 age-appropriate passing drills for U10 players that develop technique, decision-making, and game understanding. From basic to advanced with coac...
Read ArticleThree Minutes That Changed My Coaching
I used to rush home after every session without thinking. Then I started spending three minutes in my car reflecting. That small habit changed ever...
Read ArticleThe Individual Before the Collective: Why Personal Skills Must Come First
Most coaches approach youth development backwards. Learn why individual technical mastery must precede collective tactical complexity for long-term...
Read ArticleBuilding Your Players' Technical Hard Drive
The three fundamental techniques every player needs before U12: receiving, moving with the ball, and releasing. Build the technical foundation that...
Read ArticleThe Skill That Separates Good Players From Great Ones
75% of 1v1 situations happen with a defender behind the receiver. Learn how to develop players who can receive, turn, and escape pressure consisten...
Read ArticleThe Halftime Talk That Changed Everything - How to Turn Matches Around
Turning things around with a halftime talk after getting clobbered in the first half.
Read Article10 Books That Will Change How You Coach Football
Coaches in our community regularly share book recommendations. Here are the ones that come up most often - the books that genuinely change how coac...
Read ArticleThe Pay to Play Problem - Managing Parent Expectations When Money Changes Everything
The biggest downside of pay to play is that it can shift the focus from development to results.
Read ArticleAre Coaching Qualifications Worth It? An Honest Assessment
I generally think the coaching certificates are not worth the money. It is just a box you need to check.
Read ArticleThe Grassroots to Professional Pipeline - What Actually Contributes to Player Success
Like goalkeeper Julian Pollersbeck, who gave me my greatest success with his U21 European Championship title.
Read ArticleSpecific vs General Feedback - The Detail That Accelerates Development
I have been focusing on giving specific feedback to players and using video clips to help them understand.
Read ArticleThe Coach Whose Players Still Call Him Gaffer
I asked coaches in our community what their biggest achievement was. The answers had nothing to do with trophies. That changed how I think about su...
Read ArticleHow to Survey Your Players (And What to Do With the Answers)
I am having fun, and I hope the players are - I surveyed them and they appear to be.
Read ArticleThe Day A Professional Told Me What Was Wrong With My Sessions
I had been coaching grassroots football for years when a professional player watched one of my sessions. What he told me afterward changed how I th...
Read ArticleWhy Relationship Skills Determine Coaching Longevity
There is no longevity if you are not good at the people part. Technical knowledge has a ceiling. People skills compound forever.
Read ArticleThe 10pm Question That Had No Answer
It is Thursday night. Training is tomorrow. Your session plan does not work for the players you actually have. Who do you ask? That frustration is ...
Read ArticleThe Long Game - Why Staying With Your Team for Years Matters
Taking a team from U9s all the way through to U18 and finishing with a squad of 19 players who all still enjoyed their football.
Read ArticleThe Kids Nobody Else Would Take
We have included kids who did not get to play much at other clubs and kids who no other club would take. That is grassroots football at its best.
Read ArticleAttitude vs Talent - Why Character Trumps Ability in Youth Football
I will always take someone who has a great attitude and tries hard, regardless of talent.
Read ArticleThe Five Problems Every Grassroots Coach Eventually Faces
After talking with hundreds of coaches, I kept hearing the same five problems. Mixed abilities. Solo coaching. Boring sessions. Ball-hogs. Parent d...
Read ArticleMeet Players Where They Are: The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything
Assume the player is currently at 100%. It is your job today to get them to 101%. Over a season, that all adds up.
Read ArticleWhy Pre-Season Parent Meetings Prevent 70-80% of Coaching Conflicts
The single most important parent management activity happens before your season begins. A well-structured pre-season parent meeting prevents 70 to ...
Read ArticleWhat 37 Coaches Say Their Biggest Win Was (Hint: It Wasn't Trophies)
We asked coaches in our community one simple question: 'What's your biggest win as a coach?'
Read ArticleThe Ten-Year Player: What Long-Term Development Actually Looks Like
Most youth coaches plan session by session. One coach in Leicester planned decade by decade. Here is what happened to his players and what it taugh...
Read ArticlePre-Season Football Training: Complete 8-Week Guide for Coaches
Master pre-season football training with this 8-week tactical development framework. Learn the 4 phases that build intelligent players and avoid 5 ...
Read ArticleThe Ten Mistakes I Made My First Season
Every beginner coach makes the same errors. I made all of them in my first twelve months. Here is what I learned from each one.
Read ArticleHow to Build Match Day Confidence in Football Players: The Psychology Guide
Build unshakeable match day confidence through systematic training methods. Learn the 2 types of football confidence (performance vs resilience) an...
Read ArticleThe Passing Drill That Fell Apart In Front Of Everyone
The ball went five yards behind the target. Again. My carefully planned passing exercise had completely collapsed. Parents were watching. That is w...
Read ArticleWhen The Clocks Change: Making Winter Your Development Advantage
November arrives and half your squad disappears. Here is how coaches who embrace winter training come out stronger in spring.
Read ArticleFootball Training Intensity: 4 Types That Actually Transfer to Matches
Stop confusing activity with intensity. Learn the 4 types of match-realistic intensity (physical, technical, mental, emotional) and how to implemen...
Read Article15 Football Coaching Mistakes That Destroy Player Development
Avoid these 15 subtle coaching traps that limit effectiveness: from the perfection prison to the isolation error. Learn how to identify and prevent...
Read ArticleThe Question That Exposed What I Did not Know About Tactics
I could draw formations on tactical boards and discuss pressing triggers for hours. Then someone asked me to solve a problem in real-time. That is ...
Read ArticleThe First Session That Saved My Season
Fifteen players I had never met. Ninety minutes to understand them all. What I learned about first sessions changed how I approach every new team.
Read ArticleHow to Celebrate Success in Football: Building Confidence Through Small Wins
Learn why celebrating small victories creates winning culture in football. Discover 5 practical strategies to build player confidence, encourage ri...
Read ArticleThe Striker Who Stopped Waiting For The Ball
Josh stood in the box waiting for crosses that never came. He had the best finishing technique on the team but scored the fewest goals. That is whe...
Read ArticleThe Pre-Season That Actually Worked
For years, my pre-seasons were chaotic. Fitness weeks that exhausted players. Tactical sessions they forgot by match day. Then I found a structure ...
Read ArticleThe Warm-Up That Taught More Than My Main Session
I used to run tag games as throwaway activities before the 'real' coaching began. Then I counted the decisions my players made in five minutes and ...
Read ArticleThe 8-0 Win That Taught My Players Nothing
We won 8-0 and I was embarrassed. Not because of the score, but because I realised my players had learned nothing. The opposition had learned to ha...
Read ArticleWhy Youth Football Position Rotation Creates Better Players (The Science Behind Multi-Position Development)
Discover why early position specialization stunts player development and how systematic position rotation creates more intelligent, adaptable footb...
Read ArticleThe Coach With Five Hundred Saved Drills Who Could not Develop Players
He had twelve coaching apps, eight YouTube subscriptions, and hundreds of saved Pinterest drills. His players could not pass ten yards consistently...
Read ArticleThe Sunday Night I Stopped Guessing
Fifteen minutes of planning changed my entire coaching career. What I discovered about session structure transformed random training into intention...
Read ArticleThe Lost Art My Generation Had That Yours Did not
We played football from first light to last. No coaches. No parents watching. No structured sessions. Just a ball and whatever space we could find....
Read ArticleThe Session When I Stopped Running Drills And Started Running Games
I watched my players execute perfect passes in drills then fall apart in matches. The technique was there but the decision-making was not. That is ...
Read ArticleThe Passing Session That Fixed Our Match Problem
My players could pass perfectly in drills but fell apart in matches. Everything changed when I understood the difference between static practice an...
Read ArticleThe Sunday Night Panic That Finally Made Me Organise
It was 9pm Sunday. Training was in less than twenty-four hours. I had nothing planned. That desperate scramble taught me everything about why syste...
Read ArticleThe Rondo That Made Me Question Everything I Thought I Knew
I watched a coach run a 4v2 rondo that looked identical to mine. Fifteen minutes later, his players were scanning before receiving. Mine were still...
Read ArticleThe Season I Nearly Quit Over A WhatsApp Message
A single parent complaint at 11pm made me question everything. What I discovered about team management systems transformed my coaching experience.
Read ArticleWhy So Many Youth Football Sessions Do not Stick (And What Coaches Can Do)
Players enjoy the session and intensity is solid, yet skills disappear on match day. Learn why disconnected training structures prevent learning tr...
Read ArticleThe Conversation That Changed Everything: End of Season Player Meetings
Most coaches hand out certificates and disappear. The coaches who transform players spend the final weeks having conversations that shape entire fu...
Read ArticleThe Question That Exposed My Fake Coaching Philosophy
A parent asked what my coaching philosophy was. I rattled off something about 4-3-3 and possession football. His follow-up question showed me I did...
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