Think about how you learned at school.
Did your teachers ask you questions? Did you practice problems and work things out? Or were you just given all the answers to memorise?
You know the answer. Now apply that same question to your coaching.
Do you tell your players what to do all the time? Is that a good way for them to learn? Do they understand why they did something, or was it just because they were told to do it?
The Maths Analogy
The basics and fundamentals need to be coached, taught, and demonstrated. But building on those basic elements, players should be able to produce complex answers themselves.
Here’s how it works:
You teach a child to count, then how to add numbers. The concept of numbers and addition is taught, so the child understands how 1+1 = 2 and how 2+3 = 5.
Eventually, you won’t need to teach them that 5+5 = 10. They’ll figure it out because they understand the concept.
But here’s the danger:
If you just tell a child to memorise that 5+5 = 10, they’ll learn it. But they won’t know why. They don’t understand the concept of addition. You could just as easily tell them 5+5 = 15 and they’d believe you.
Football works the same way.
The Problem With Constant Instructions
If players only ever do what they’re told, they never develop the problem-solving abilities required to find solutions themselves.
In football, there’s always a problem, a solution to be found, and a decision to be made. Finding the correct solution by themselves is key to the player’s development and understanding.
If you keep unlocking the door for children, they may never learn to unlock it themselves.
Children can end up taking things for granted and feel no need to learn how to do them. They become dependent on someone else solving their problems.
On the pitch, that someone else is you - the coach. And you won’t be out there during the match.
Check Understanding First
Even when praising something a player does that was positive, ask questions first to check their understanding.
“Great pass - why did you choose that option?” “Good decision to dribble - what did you see?” “Nice movement - what created that space?”
Then praise their understanding, not just the singular event.
This shows they’ve actually learned something. The player is developing game sense, not just getting lucky or following instructions without comprehension.
What You Praise Matters
Be careful to praise hard work more than intelligence or talent.
Why? Because praising effort conditions players towards working hard and taking risks. Praising talent can make players lazy - they think they have superior ability and don’t need to try as hard.
Praise the process, not just the outcome.
“I love how hard you worked to get into that position.” “Great that you tried the difficult pass even though it didn’t come off.” “You kept going when things weren’t working - that’s what good players do.”
Let Them Play
Children naturally enjoy figuring things out.
How to open things. How to turn the TV on and change to their favourite channel. How to open the door. How to score a goal they saw on TV. How to play a new computer game.
This curiosity and problem-solving drive is natural. Football should harness it, not suppress it.
When you create environments where players have problems to solve and the freedom to solve them, they develop game intelligence naturally. When you control everything and provide all the answers, you remove the challenge that creates learning.
The Balance
This doesn’t mean never giving instructions. The basics need teaching. New concepts need explaining. Safety requires clear direction.
But once players understand the fundamentals, your job shifts from instructor to facilitator. You create problems. They find solutions. You guide through questions. They learn through discovery.
The goal is independence.
Players who can read the game, make decisions, and solve problems without needing someone to tell them what to do. Players who understand why, not just what.
Questions That Develop Players
Instead of: “Pass to the player on the wing.” Ask: “Where’s the space? How can we use it?”
Instead of: “You should have shot there.” Ask: “What were your options? What did you see?”
Instead of: “Mark that player tighter.” Ask: “What’s the danger? How can you stop it?”
The answer matters less than the thinking process. Even if they get it wrong, the act of thinking develops their game intelligence.
The Long-Term View
Players developed through questioning and discovery take longer to show results. In the short term, instruction-following players can look more effective - they do what they’re told and execute it.
But in the long term, the thinking players have a massive advantage. They can adapt to new situations. They can solve problems they’ve never seen before. They understand the game deeply, not just superficially.
Football is too complex and too fast for players to rely on instructions. The game requires independent decision-makers who understand why, not just what.
That’s what your questions develop.
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