FA Level 2

Today we showed the football coaches a series of small sided football games. The basic organisation is to play 4 v 4 outfield players, with goalkeepers.

After yesterday, where Alan and I showed the football coaches how a technique progressed into a skill, today it was the turn of the coaches to coach their given topics and be assessed by Alan and myself. The football coaches generally did well; given this was their first experience at this level. The biggest problem they experienced was planning their sessions, so that they could effectively coach their given topics. Alan and I used coaches’ chalkboard to demonstrate to the coaches how to plan a session.

Today I started a 6 day Level 2 football coaching course, with Alan Walker, Lead Tutor of Kent FA. There were 28 candidates with various experiences of coaching football. The ages ranged from 16 – to mid 50’s and there were two ladies on the course.

From a football coaching point of view, the first thing football coaches should understand is what is a technique and how to coach a player on improving and developing their techniques. A technique, with regards to football coaching is an action that a player performs that is related to a requirement to be able to play football. For example, the Technique of Ball Control. To master the technique of ball control, the players must first learn to work on their techniques in unopposed training sessions. This allows the players to progress without the pressure of opposition and to work solely on improving their technique.

This is the complete session on Improving Ball Control, click on the links to access the Coaches Chalkboard sessions and the downloadable PDF.

To be able to pass first time, players will need to try and think one step ahead. They will have to visualise where they are going to pass, before they receive the ball. Other factors that will influence their decisions will be the weight, speed and accuracy of the pass they are receiving and the early support and communication of the receiving players.