Football Notes

The following is a translation of the article published in Marca.com in May 2012. Photo by Bruce Rollinson, taken after Leeds United’s loss at Queens Park Rangers on 26 February 2019. The Athletic coach made it clear years ago in a talk with young people…

When I was 10 years old, I wanted to play football and I joined a club. My friends suggested I should be a goalkeeper because they thought I had the skills and the team only had one who apparently did not stand out. However, in the first practice, I chose to play as a defender, which led to a resounding "No!" from my friends. I wanted to be number two, a position already held by the team's captain, an irreplaceable player.

How can we prevent all players from crowding around the ball like a swarm of bees? That was one of the first questions I asked myself when I started coaching kids.

I don’t know if there’s a perfect solution, and I’m still searching for an answer to that question. I keep searching because, in reality, this is part of a broader problem that doesn’t only apply to kids. It’s about influencing the behavior of a group or even shaping habits.

Here are two different alternatives to solve this problem.

Playing slowly allows your opponent to get organized, which often leads to turnovers and ultimately, losses. Avoiding slow play is crucial for winning games. So, what does it mean to play fast? Watch the following video to see fast football in action: Playing fast in…

As a grassroots football coach I want to make sure I give fair playing time to every player on my team. That’s why I used to spend hours planning game subs. Planning subs is not easy because it’s not just about playing time. You also…