Blog
Tactics, training, youth football and organising tournaments: practical articles for coaches and organisers.
AI football training plans: how to prompt and how to check
How to use AI assistants to draft football training sessions and season plans: example prompts, a review checklist and the errors they make.
AI for grassroots football clubs: admin, comms and tournaments
Where AI saves volunteer time in a grassroots football club: messages, schedules, tournaments and paperwork, with the checks and data limits that matter.
AI video analysis in football: what a grassroots club can do
What AI video analysis can and cannot do for grassroots and youth football: one-camera setup, checking the output and turning clips into training.
Attacking the Half-Spaces: Cut-Backs, Underlaps and Box Occupation
Attacking the half-spaces: channel runs between full-back and centre-back, underlaps, the cut-back, and who attacks which zone of the box.
Build-Up Against a High Press: 3+2, 2+3, the 4+2 Box and the GK
How to build up against a high press: 3+2, 2+3 and 4+2 box structures, the goalkeeper as +1, finding the free man, and three sessions to train it.
Counter-Pressing in Football: Organising the First Five Seconds
How to organise counter-pressing: proximity, roles in the first seconds after losing the ball, when to press or drop, and three sessions to train it.
Day-Before-Match Training (MD-1) and the Recovery Day After (MD+1)
Two short football sessions: day-before-match activation (MD-1) and the day after (MD+1), with recovery for starters and compensation for substitutes.
Defending Crosses: Zonal, Man-Marking and Mixed Systems
How to organise defending crosses: zonal, man and mixed systems, goalkeeper positions, cut-backs, second balls, opponent variations and three drills.
Filming youth football: UK GDPR, consent and AI analysis
Filming youth football for analysis or streaming: UK GDPR lawful basis, FA safeguarding guidance, AI risks, the EU AI Act and a club checklist.
Football Drills for 12 Year Olds: 9v9 Space and Pressing Session
A 90-minute U12–U13 session in 9v9: width and depth, passing lines between the lines, a first pressing trigger and a conditioned 9v9 game.
Football Drills for 6 Year Olds: A Complete U7 Session Plan
A 60-minute U7 football session for 5–6 year olds: ball mastery, chasing games with a ball, 2v2 to mini-goals and a 3v3 festival.
Football Drills for 7 Year Olds: U8–U9 Dribbling and 1v1 Session
A 70-minute U8–U9 session for 7 and 8 year olds: copy the leader, 1v1 channels, 1v1 to goal with finishing and a 5v5 game with a dribble bonus.
Football Drills for Adults: An Amateur Team's Training Week
Weekly plan for amateur senior teams training two or three times a week, with a detailed 90-minute main session: possession, defending, finishing, 9v9.
Football scouting with data and AI: metrics, models and bias
How data and AI are used in football scouting and youth recruitment, which metrics help, and how relative age and maturation bias the results.
Football Training for Large Groups: 24 Kids, One Coach, No Queues
A 60-minute football session for 20–30 children and one coach: station layout, rotations, self-running games and how to keep queues to a minimum.
Football wearables, GPS and AI: what they do for injury prevention
What GPS vests, accelerometers and AI injury-risk scores measure, what the evidence says, Law 4 rules on EPTS and how to use them with young players.
Goalkeeper Training Session Plan for U11, U15 and Senior Keepers
A goalkeeper training session plan by age, U11, U15 and senior: handling, footwork, shot-stopping, distribution and crosses, integrated with team training.
In-Game Tactical Changes: Switching Systems and Managing the Score
How to make in-game tactical changes: reading the problem, switching between 4-3-3, 3-4-3, 3-5-2 and the diamond, managing the score and tactical substitutions.
Inverted Full-Backs: From 4-3-3 to a 3-2-5 in Possession
How inverted full-backs turn a 4-3-3 into a 3-2-5 or 2-3-5: positions, timing, opponent counter-plans, rest defence and three training exercises.
Low Block Football: Defending in a 5-4-1 and Counter-Attacking
How to defend in a low block with a 5-4-1 or 5-3-2: distances, protecting the space between lines, who stays up, the first pass after winning the ball.
Mid-Block Defending: How to Coach a Compact 4-4-2 and 4-1-4-1
How to coach a mid-block in a 4-4-2 or 4-1-4-1: compactness, protecting the centre, defensive references, shifting, and when to jump out of the block.
Opposition Analysis in Football: From Scouting Report to Game Plan
How to run opposition analysis: the weekly cycle of analyst and coach, a report on the four moments and set pieces, and turning it into a clear game plan.
Overload to Isolate: Switching Play to Create the 1v1
Overload to isolate explained: draw the block to one side, switch play at the right moment and give the far winger a 1v1. Principles, triggers, sessions.
Playing Out from the Back Session Plan: U16 vs a High Press
A 95-minute U16–U17 session: positional rondo, 7v5 build-up against a high press, coordinated 4-4-2 high press, 11v11 game and load control.
Positional Play in Football: Five Lanes, Staggering and the Third Man
Positional play explained for coaches: five vertical lanes, heights and staggering, numerical, positional and qualitative superiority, third man, sessions.
Pre-Season Football Training: The First Week, With the Ball
First week of pre-season football training for U15 to seniors: weekly plan, load progression, simple tests and a detailed main session with the ball.
Pressing Traps and Triggers: Cover Shadows, Curved Runs, Jumps
How to coach pressing traps and pressing triggers: outside-in and inside-out pressing, cover shadows, curved runs, touchline traps, jumps and covers.
Rest-Defence in Football: 2+3, 3+2 and 3+1 Structures Explained
Rest-defence explained: how to defend while attacking with 2+3, 3+2 and 3+1 structures, control depth, mark the outlets and prepare for losing the ball.
Semi-automated offside, VAR and goal-line technology explained
How semi-automated offside, VAR and goal-line technology work, when they were introduced, where they are used and what may reach amateur football.
Set-Piece Routines: Attacking Corners, Free Kicks and Throw-Ins
Set-piece routines for corners, wide free kicks and throw-ins: attacking zones, legal screens and runs, delivery, rest defence and defending set pieces.
Set-Piece Training in Youth Football: Corners, Free Kicks, Throw-Ins
Set-piece training for U13–U17: throw-in games, corner and free-kick waves, heading limits and a final game where every restart counts.
Small-Space Football Training: Quarter-Pitch and Indoor Session
A 75-minute small-space football training session for a quarter of a pitch or a sports hall: rondos, 3v3+2, 2v2 finishing and a final game.
Tactical Periodisation: The Game Model and the Weekly Morphocycle
Tactical periodisation explained for coaches: game model, principles and sub-principles, the weekly morphocycle, session design and load control.
Transition Drills for U14–U15: Counter-Press and Counter-Attack
A 90-minute U14–U15 session on transitions: transition rondo, 5v5+2 with a counter-press bonus, partial 11v11 and an 8v8 box-to-box game.
U10 Football Drills: Passing, Receiving and Support Session
A 75-minute U10–U11 session for 9 and 10 year olds: passing gates, receiving diamond, 3v1 support rondo, 4v4+2 to end zones and 7v7.
U18 Football Training Session: An Acquisition Day in the Game Model
A 100-minute U18 session built on a game model: activation pattern, 7v7+3 positional game, overload-and-switch phase of play and 11v11.
Veterans Football Training Session: A Safe 75-Minute Plan
A complete veterans football training session for over-35s: structured warm-up, passing, possession, finishing and a game, with injury prevention built in.
A Girl in a Boys' Football Team: A Guide for Coaches and Clubs
How coaches and clubs can support a girl in a mostly boys' team: the evidence, FA rules, changing rooms, coach language and common mistakes to avoid.
Centre-Back Training Drills: Defending, Duels and Playing Out
Centre-back training drills for youth football: positioning, duels, cover, communication and playing out from the back, with three drills and age notes.
Charity Football Tournament: How to Raise Funds for Your Club
How to run a charity football tournament in the UK: sponsors, refreshments, raffles within Gambling Commission rules, County FA sanction and transparency.
Coach and Parent Communication in Youth Football: A Practical Guide
How grassroots coaches can talk to players and parents: start-of-season meeting, WhatsApp groups within FA safeguarding guidance, feedback and conflicts.
Fair Play in Youth Football: Respect, Values and Practical Ideas
How to build fair play into youth football: The FA Respect programme, codes of conduct, spectator areas, captains, and ways to teach values in training.
Football Boots and Kit Guide for Youth Players: What You Really Need
Which football boots for grass, 3G and indoor, shin pads, ball size by age, goalkeeper gloves and what youth players actually need, for UK parents.
Football Rules Explained for Parents: the 2026/27 Laws Made Simple
Offside, handball, advantage, restarts and cards explained for parents, based on the IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, with notes on 5v5, 7v7 and 9v9.
Full-Back Training Drills: Defending 1v1, Overlaps and Crossing
Full-back and wing-back training drills for youth football: defending 1v1 down the line, when to attack, overlaps, timing and crossing. Three drills.
Girls' Football: Mixed Teams, FA Rules and Keeping Girls Playing
Girls' football in England: FA rules on mixed teams, playing an age group down, attracting and keeping girls, and adapting training for girls' teams.
Goalkeeper Training in Youth Football: Technique and Drills by Age
Goalkeeper training for youth football: handling, diving, 1v1s and distribution, with what to teach at each age and four drills for your next session.
Heat and Hydration at Football Tournaments: A Guide for Clubs
How to plan a summer football tournament in hot weather: timings, water breaks, shade, warning signs of heat illness and what organisers should prepare.
History of Football Tactics: From 2-3-5 to Modern Pressing
A short history of football tactics from the 2-3-5 and WM to catenaccio, total football, pressing and positional play, with lessons for youth coaches.
How to Become a Football Coach in the UK: Courses and First Steps
How to become a football coach in England: DBS check, safeguarding and first aid, Introduction to Coaching Football, UEFA C and B, costs and first steps.
Injury Prevention in Youth Football: Warm-Ups, Growth and Rest
Injury prevention in youth football: the FIFA 11+ Kids warm-up, growth-related aches, training load and rest, concussion guidance and when to stop.
Midfielder Training Drills: Scanning and Playing Between the Lines
Midfielder training drills for youth football: scanning, open body shape, receiving on the half-turn and playing between the lines, for 6s and 8s.
Parents on the Touchline: Behaviour, What to Say and the Ride Home
A guide for football parents on the touchline: the Respect code of conduct, what to say and what not to say, and how to handle the car journey home.
Planning a Youth Football Season: A Simple Plan for Grassroots Coaches
How to plan a youth football season: simple periodisation, goals by term, a weekly training plan, player reviews and adapting to the age group.
Respect the Referee: A Guide for Youth Players, Parents and Coaches
How players, parents and coaches can respect the referee in youth football: young referees, sin bins, handling bad decisions and leading by example.
Striker Training Drills for Youth Football: Finishing and Movement
Striker training drills for youth football: finishing, runs in behind, back-to-goal play and pressing from the front, with three drills and age notes.
What to Eat at a Football Tournament: Snacks and Timing for Kids
What to eat at a football tournament: simple snacks, when to eat between matches, drinks and a packed lunch plan for a full day of youth football.
Youth Football Psychology: Confidence, Mistakes and Losing
A practical guide to youth football psychology for grassroots coaches: building confidence, handling mistakes and defeat, motivation and the coach's role.
Football Tournament Schedule in 5 Minutes: Free Fixture Generator
How to build a one-day football tournament schedule with a free, no-signup fixture generator: format by team count, pitches, slot length, breaks and rest.
7v7 Soccer Formations: 2-3-1, 3-2-1, 2-1-2-1 and 3-1-2
The four common 7v7 soccer formations, what each position does with and without the ball, and simple exercises to teach them to U9–U11 players.
9v9 Soccer Formations: 3-2-3, 3-2-1-2, 4-1-2-1 and More
The main 9v9 soccer formations with positions and numbers, how each one attacks and defends, and which shape suits U11–U13 teams.
Football Drills for 8 to 10 Year Olds: 10 Drills With the Ball
Ten football drills for 8 to 10 year olds, every one with a ball: set-up, rules, coaching points and how to adapt them for ages 6–7 and 11–12.
Football Tournament Rules and Regulations: What to Include
What football tournament rules and regulations should cover, a section-by-section template, and variants for youth, 5-a-side and 11-a-side events.
Football Warm-Up Drills With the Ball for Kids and Adults
Football warm-up drills with the ball for kids and amateur teams, a 12-minute pre-match routine for tournament days and how to stay warm between games.
How to Organise a Football Tournament: Plan, Format, Timetable
How to organise a football tournament for a school, charity 5-a-side or youth club: planning, formats, a multi-pitch timetable and the day itself.
How to Play Out From the Back in Youth Football
How to play out from the back at 7v7 and 9v9: positions, the goalkeeper's role, beating a high press, when to go long, plus a session plan with drills.
Pressing Drills for Youth Football: 5 Sessions for U10 to U14
Pressing principles for young players, the triggers to press, how the second defender covers, and five pressing drills for U10–U14 teams.
Small-Sided Games in Football: How to Design Them, 9 Games
How to design small-sided games in football: pitch size, numbers, goals and rules, plus nine ready-to-use games with constraints for youth and adult teams.
Youth Football Formats by Age in England: 2026/27 Guide
Youth football formats by age in England for 2026/27: 3v3 to 11v11, ball sizes, match lengths, pitch and goal sizes, and the main rules for U7 to U18.
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