When coaching players from U9 upwards, I focus on two things above everything else: building a technical hard drive and developing the ability to outplay opponents.
The hard drive comes first. Without it, nothing else works.
What Is a Technical Hard Drive?
Think of it like a computer’s hard drive - a storage system that holds everything the machine needs to function. For footballers, the technical hard drive is the foundation of skills they can call upon automatically, without thinking, when the game demands it.
This hard drive gets built in the primary school years, roughly up to U12. Miss this window and you’re always playing catch-up. Get it right and players have a platform for everything that follows.
The Three Fundamental Techniques
Every action in football comes down to three techniques:
- Receiving the ball
- Moving with the ball (dribbling or running)
- Releasing the ball (passing or shooting)
That’s it. Every moment of possession involves some combination of these three fundamentals.
The critical coaching point: these techniques must be developed in combination, not isolation. A player who can receive beautifully but can’t connect that to their next action hasn’t really learned to receive. The link between techniques is where real competence lives.
The Sequence That Mirrors the Game
- Receive the ball
- Move with the ball
- Release the ball
Sometimes you skip the middle step. Sometimes you repeat it multiple times. But the sequence and the connections between each element must be coached together.
Receiving the Ball
There are multiple ways to receive:
- To control (when you have time)
- To turn (when you need to change direction)
- To protect (when under immediate pressure)
- To lose an opponent (creating separation)
- To move into space (taking a positive first touch)
The choice depends on four factors:
- Your body position before receiving
- Your positioning on the pitch
- Your opponent’s positioning
- Which foot you receive with
“See Both Goals”
This is the foundation of good receiving. Before the ball arrives, players should position themselves with open shoulders, able to scan as much of the pitch as possible.
When you can see both goals, you can see your options. When your shoulders are closed, you’re blind to half the pitch.
Teach this relentlessly. It’s the habit that enables everything else.
Front Foot vs Back Foot
Two terms every player needs to understand:
Back foot - the foot furthest from the ball. Receiving on the back foot enables you to change direction and advance toward the opponent’s goal. It’s attacking, positive, forward-thinking.
Front foot - the foot closest to the ball. Receiving on the front foot keeps the ball safe, away from the opponent. It’s protective, secure, buying time.
Players need both. The choice depends on what they saw when they scanned.
Moving With the Ball
Here’s where many coaches make a critical error: treating dribbling and running with the ball as the same thing.
They’re completely different techniques.
Dribbling
- Close control
- Frequent touches
- Sudden changes of direction and speed
- Used in tight spaces against close opponents
- Often involves skills and feints
Running With the Ball
- Bigger touches using the front of the foot
- Extended stride pattern
- Maximum speed over 15-30 yards
- Head up, driving into space
- Used when there’s ground to cover quickly
Watch young players in academy matches and you’ll see a shortage of running with the ball. Everyone can dribble in small spaces. The ability to burst into space with big touches at speed is becoming rare.
Both techniques are essential. Make sure you’re developing both.
Fakes Over Skills
When developing movement with the ball, I emphasise “fakes” over elaborate skills.
Fakes are body movements: dropping a shoulder, twisting hips, disguising a pass or shot by pulling the leg back. They can be executed at speed without breaking rhythm.
Watch elite players beat defenders. They use fakes, not tricks. The shoulder drop that shifts the defender’s weight. The hip fake that creates the half-yard of space. These movements are efficient, repeatable, and work under pressure.
Elaborate skills have their place - they’re fun and build confidence. But fakes are what actually work in games.
Releasing the Ball
Passing and shooting are fundamentally the same technique - striking the ball - with variation in power and target distance.
Different strikes include:
- Instep (caress, wrap, or push)
- Driven
- Lofted
- Curled
- Chipped
- Heel
- Poke
The question is always the same: do you need to go over, between, or around obstacles to reach your target?
Build Simple to Complex
Start with accurate passing over 0-10 yards using inside and outside of both feet. Get this locked in from standing and moving positions before progressing to longer distances and more difficult techniques.
The harder techniques become easier as players grow physically and develop technical competence. Rushing to power before accuracy is a mistake that creates bad habits.
Training Progression
Technical work can be:
- Unopposed - building initial technique and confidence
- Passive opposition - adding light pressure to test application
- Live opposition - full pressure to develop game-ready skills
Players can work:
- Individually - repetition and personal development
- In combination - learning to interact and connect with teammates
For players U12 and below, this training is generic - everyone needs the full hard drive. As players mature, training becomes more position-specific and eventually player-specific based on individual needs.
Coaching Language That Accelerates Learning
Clear, consistent terminology speeds up development. Here’s what I use:
Before receiving:
- “See both goals”
- “Shoulders open”
- “Scan and see”
First touch options:
- “Back foot and go”
- “Front foot and protect”
- “Turn to face forward”
In possession:
- “Move and call”
- “Connect or get free”
Use the same terms in technical training and games. Consistency creates clarity. Clarity accelerates learning.
The Foundation That Lasts
The technical hard drive you build before U12 is the foundation for everything that follows. Tactics, positioning, game understanding - all of it depends on players having the technical competence to execute what they understand.
Get the hard drive right and you’ve given players something they’ll use for the rest of their careers. A foundation they can call upon automatically when the game demands it.
This is the work that matters most in youth development. Everything else builds on top of it.
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