If your league office didn’t provide you with a rule book, contact them and ask for a crash course on soccer rules. You can also rely on your assistant coaches to help you understand the finer points of the game. In most leagues, each team can have up to 11 players on the field at any time, but cannot have fewer than 7 players on the field at any time. Except for the two goalies (one per team), players cannot use the their hands to move the ball. The team that scores the most goals by the end of the two 40-minute halves of the game wins. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the rules if you are confused.
Most leagues provide soccer balls, uniforms, and some additional equipment like orange cones for drills.
By actively determining your coaching philosophy, you’ll be better able to teach and demonstrate the values that are important to you, including team unity, self-confidence, good sportsmanship, responsibility, and respect.
Additionally, let the parents know that you expect them to promote good sportsmanship and help them get their child to practice and games on time. You might want to establish a snack schedule at the outset of the season, too. Create a sign-up sheet with different dates for parents to bring snacks on.
Use compassionate language when criticizing a player and put yourself in their shoes. Keep criticism brief and to the point. Don’t hammer away at a player about a mistake they made. Instead, point out their error, offer a correction, then move on. Acknowledge your team’s effort when they meet goals and milestones. For instance, if your team wins a game, tell them how proud you are. [7] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Business Review Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices Go to source
For instance, sometimes players just need to hear a technique or strategy explained in a different way. If a player is having a hard time with a certain movement, you could get your assistant coach to work with them in a special session.
Teens and adults are more capable of learning new techniques and modifying their behavior than kids. Children of different age groups will have different levels of understanding. Even within a given age group, individuals have different strengths and weaknesses, so set your expectations accordingly. Kids under 6, for instance, should be oriented toward having fun and building positive social interactions with you and their teammates. Your main goal with kids of this age is to get them to kick the ball in the right direction. Help kids who are 7 to 10 years old develop a stronger sense of team play by encouraging passing and back-and-forth drills with the soccer ball. Emphasize the importance of team victory over individual achievement. Players who are 11 years old or older should be able to learn more complex tactics and plays. They can also more easily accept feedback and correct their technique. Drills, feedback, and instructions for older players can be more complex than those for younger players.
For instance, if you’re coaching a group of teens, you might ask every player to score a goal from the penalty spot during practice. You could also set a goal for your team to score at least one goal during each game, even if your team doesn’t win.
An undisciplined player might respond best to increased pressure and challenges. For instance, if you have a player who tends to not give the game their best shot, you might tell them “Pick it up! Move faster!” Some players might have physical challenges that you need to adapt to. In such a case, focus on what the player can do, rather than what they cannot. For instance, if a player gets tired easily, put them in a goalie position where they will not have to run great distances. Observe your players carefully to determine how you can best help them flourish.
For instance, you could have your players do 30 pushups, then skip around the field one time, then do crab walks from one end of the field to the other. This is especially important for youth leagues, since kids need to constantly adjust to a new center of balance as they grow.
For instance, if you’re talking to young children, you might say, “Let’s keep the ball away from the other team. ” With teens or adults, you might use more complex terminology that refers to particular positions (defense, offense) and areas of the field (midfield, penalty box, and so on). Your directions can also be more complex. For instance, you could say, “We should trap the goalie using a triangle play to keep them off-balance. ”
You’ll know you’ve spent enough time on a given drill if most of your players can execute it without difficulty. At this point, you can move on to drills of greater difficulty. Make sure your drills follow the rules of the game. This will help your players understand and follow the rules as a habit. [13] X Expert Source Bernat FranquesaLicensed Soccer Coach & Head of Methodology at APFC Expert Interview. 3 March 2020.
For instance, have your players divide into 2 rows about 10 metres (33 ft) apart. Players in each row should be about 3 metres (9. 8 ft) apart. Instruct them to pass a ball back and forth to their partner in the opposite row.
For instance, you might say, “Alright team－you’ve practiced long and hard, now it’s time for all that practice to pay off. We’re going to have fun, we’re going to practice good sportsmanship, but we’re also going to play hard. Now let’s go out there and win this thing!”
It’s okay to offer some advice and subtle reminders when you put new players in. For instance, you might gently remind a player headed onto the field, “Just like we practiced, stay near the goalie, okay?”
As with any other occasion when you offer criticism, keep it brief and to the point, and offer positive feedback at the same time.
