11v11 Football Questions
Explore real 11v11 football questions, useful answers, Verified Coach perspectives and community discussion in The Coaches' Room.
From team shape and tactical organisation to individual roles, transitions and matchday decisions, this section brings together advice for anyone involved in the full 11v11 game.
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Latest 11v11 Football Questions
We changed captains in pre-season and the old captain has gone very quiet
The new captain is probably the right choice, but the previous one had worn the armband for years and still has a big influence in the dressing room. How would ...
My players kept just kicking the ball long. U14 11v11 matches. I want them to win the first ball too
My players kept just kicking the ball long. U14 11v11 matches. I want them to win the first ball too
My U16 11v11 team play 4-3-3. When teams press us with two forwards and lock onto our full-backs, our number six gets marked and we end up going long.
My U16 11v11 team play 4-3-3. When teams press us with two forwards and lock onto our full-backs, our number six gets marked and we end up going long. What chan...
My U13 midfield are really slow to react when we lose possession and teams keep breaking through the middle. How would you coach this?
My U13 midfield are really slow to react when we lose possession and teams keep breaking through the middle. How would you coach this?
Player says she's fine with being benched, but clearly isn't
An U15 who usually starts has been on the bench twice recently. When I check in she says 'it's fine' and shuts the conversation down, but her body language arou...
When the full-back jumps to press, who should protect the space behind?
I'm trying to get our U15s more aggressive out of possession. The full-back can step in well when the pass goes wide, but we are inconsistent about who covers t...
Late availability changes are making matchday squads a mess
From the club side we're getting more and more Friday-night messages saying a player is suddenly unavailable for a Saturday U16 game, then another player who wa...
How much responsibility should an U17 captain actually have?
I've appointed a captain who is respected by the group, but at the moment the role is mostly the armband and the coin toss. I want to give her more ownership wi...
My teenager has asked me not to come to every match
My son is U16 and has said he'd rather I didn't watch every week because he feels more relaxed when I'm not there. I haven't been shouting instructions or anyth...
My son tries to play forward every time his team wins it back
He's U15 and the message seems to be attack quickly after regaining the ball. He has taken that very literally and now nearly every first touch is trying to go ...
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Our tactical walkthroughs are tidy but don't survive the game
With our U14s we can walk through the shape and everyone can tell me where they should be. Once we go fully opposed, the distances get messy again almost immedi...
School sport is wiping a few of our U16s out before training
A few of our players have heavy PE or school fixtures on the same day as club training and they turn up saying their legs are gone. We only train twice a week, ...
Adult players arriving late because of work — where do you draw the line?
We have a few players who genuinely can't always get away from work on time. I understand that, but it means the same people sometimes miss the start of the war...
One of our players has been invited to trial elsewhere mid-season
An U17 has been offered a trial with a club at a higher level. I'm pleased for him, but it lands right in the middle of an important run of fixtures and he is o...
Coaching my own son is getting awkward now he's older
I've always tried to treat him the same as everyone else, probably harder if anything, but at U16 he is much more aware of what I say in front of his mates. He ...
How do you include trialists without wrecking the session for your existing squad?
We sometimes have three or four players coming in to train with an established U16 group. I want enough football to assess them properly, but if I change the wh...
Why is the full-back being asked to come inside?
My lad is playing U16 11v11 and has always thought a full-back should stay wide. His coach now wants him much narrower when the ball is on the other side. What ...
Our front three don't know who starts the press
We're playing 11v11 with a front three. The striker often goes to a centre-back, but both wide players wait because they aren't sure whether to jump to the full...
What should I be watching from the bench before I come on?
I've been trying to be calmer when I get my chance instead of just running everywhere. While I'm on the bench, what is actually useful to watch? Their centre-ba...
When the manager changes shape mid-game I lose five minutes working out my new job
We sometimes go from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 during the game. Everyone else seems to just get on with it, while I'm mentally redrawing the whole pitch. For a defen...
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If I lose my first two 1v1s I stop taking the full-back on
I'm at my best when I'm direct, but if the defender tackles me a couple of times early I start passing backwards even when the 1v1 is still there. How do wide p...
Full-back one week, wing-back the next – what should actually change?
We switch between a back four and a back three depending on who is available. I get that wing-back is meant to be higher, but I still find myself playing it lik...
As a young full-back, how do I know when the overlap is actually on?
I'm 18 and our winger often comes inside, so I'm told to get forward outside him. Sometimes I go and never see the ball, and other times we lose it and I'm sudd...
Missing one good chance affects my next two chances as well
I play wide or up front and finishing is the part of my game I think about most. If I miss an early chance, especially one I feel I should score, I notice I'm l...
I watch loads of tactical stuff and then overthink everything when I actually play
I'm a defensive midfielder and I probably consume too much football content. In games I'm thinking about pressing triggers, cover shadows, rest defence, where t...
I get so focused on their number 10 that he ends up dragging me everywhere
I've tried simplifying things, but one issue keeps coming back: if their 10 moves wide or drops deep I feel responsible for following him because he's 'my playe...
Manager says I need to improve my all-round game, not just score – what does that mean for a striker?
I finally asked why I'm not starting more and he said my finishing is fine but I need to give the team more when I'm not scoring. I didn't want to keep asking q...
I'm 41 and mostly reading danger now rather than running it down
I can still compete in midfield, but if I get dragged too far from the middle I'm not recovering like I used to. I've become much more focused on being in the r...
I've simplified my game with age – how simple is too simple?
I move the ball quicker now and don't try as many ambitious passes, which probably helps the team. The downside is I sometimes finish games thinking I've just g...
Our keeper and I keep disagreeing about the defensive line
I'm a centre-back and probably more comfortable defending five yards deeper than our keeper wants. He wants to sweep and keep us high; I think sometimes he's as...
I got caught high twice and now I'm scared to go past halfway
I've been trying to overlap more but we lost the ball behind me twice in one game and both attacks came down my side. Since then I'm holding back even when the ...
Coach wants me to come inside more but I don't want to lose what I'm good at
I've been told to make more runs into the half-space instead of always staying wide. I can see why, but width and 1v1s are probably my biggest strengths. How ca...
I can't make the same runs I did at 28, but I still want to be useful up front
I'm 38 and definitely not beating centre-backs over twenty yards anymore. I can still hold it up and finish, but sometimes I catch myself making runs my legs ar...
Adult full-backs are much harder to beat than the defenders I was used to
I'm 18 and in my first adult season. At youth level I could knock the ball past people and use my pace, but adult full-backs get their body in the way and don't...
When their striker drops short, when should I actually go with him?
I'm a centre-back and I keep getting caught between following the striker into midfield and holding my position. If I go with him there's space behind me, but i...
Manager wants me higher in possession but I'm worried about the space behind me
I've been told to push much higher when we have the ball so our winger can move inside. It makes sense going forward, but after years of thinking defensively I ...
Centre-back and goalkeeper disagree about how high we should defend
Our keeper wants us five or six yards higher because he says he'll sweep behind us. I prefer having a little more space to react because their forwards are quic...
When teams press our goal kicks, when should I stop forcing the short pass?
We're asked to build from the goalkeeper and I like playing short, but some teams go man-for-man and there are moments where it feels like I'm putting a defende...
I keep losing the far-post winger when crosses come from the other side
I'm a left-back and the goal that annoys me most is the one where the cross comes from our right and my winger ends up behind me at the back post. If I look at ...
I play as a 10 but keep dropping next to our centre-mid just to get the ball
I hate going five or ten minutes without touching it, so I naturally come deeper and deeper until I'm basically another central midfielder. Then when we get for...
Our back four drops deeper every time one ball goes over us
We got caught by one early ball in behind at the weekend and after that the whole back line seemed to retreat five yards. It stopped the same pass but then thei...
How much should a young centre-back be organising older players?
I'm 20 and one of the youngest in our back line. I'm fine shouting simple things like step or away, but I feel awkward telling a 30-year-old full-back or midfie...
How aggressive should a goalkeeper be behind a high defensive line?
Our back four has started defending much higher and I'm being asked to sweep behind them. I like being proactive, but there are balls where I start coming and r...
I spend half the game organising defenders who don't always want organising
I'm vocal anyway, but our back four changes quite a lot and some players respond well to constant information while others get irritated by it. What does a goal...
Crosses are the part of goalkeeping where I never feel fully sure
I'm okay with shots and one-v-ones, but on crosses I can be caught halfway between coming and staying. Sometimes I think I've got to claim everything in the six...
I can play out, but when the press comes properly I stop trusting it
I'm comfortable receiving from the keeper when there's space, but against a team that pressed us aggressively I started clearing balls I would normally try to p...
Coach keeps telling me to arrive later in the box – what does that actually mean?
I've been told a few times that I'm getting into the box too early and standing next to the forwards. I understand the words 'arrive late', but I'm not sure wha...
Adult football feels much quicker when I receive in midfield
I've just moved into adult football and the biggest difference is how little time I seem to have when the ball comes into me. In youth football I could usually ...
As the 6, am I screening the striker or tracking the midfielder running past me?
I've moved into defensive midfield recently and I'm getting stuck between protecting the centre-backs and going with runners from midfield. If I follow every ru...
One mistake on the ball and I turn into a completely different centre-back
I like playing through midfield and normally back myself, but if I give one pass away near our box I spend the next twenty minutes clearing everything. How do y...
Being able to play everywhere is starting to mean I don't feel natural anywhere
I've always been the one who can fill in at full-back, midfield or wide and I've been happy to do it. Lately I feel like I understand bits of every role but don...
Playing against two strikers keeps pulling our centre-backs apart
We normally face one striker, but against a front two I find myself unsure how tight to go when one comes short and the other stays high. If both centre-backs f...
How do you know when a game needs slowing down instead of another forward pass?
I've always been someone who wants to move the ball quickly, but our games can become end-to-end for no reason. I'm starting to think I should manage the tempo ...
I'm a striker but some games I barely touch the ball
If the service is good I'm normally involved, but against better teams I can go long spells without seeing it and start dropping everywhere trying to get a touc...
I've started scanning more but I still panic when someone is tight behind me
I've been trying to look before the ball comes like I've been told, and I can see the player behind me now. The problem is I almost think about him too much and...
Their centre-back won everything in the air – should I have stopped playing against him?
At the weekend their centre-half dominated me whenever we played direct. I kept competing because I didn't want to hide, but looking back I'm wondering if I sho...
I've stayed higher like the coach asked – now how do I actually get found?
I've stopped dropping as deep and I'm getting into better positions behind midfield, but there are spells where our defenders and midfielders just don't see the...
Switching from right-back to centre-back every other week is messing with my positioning
I don't mind filling in where the team needs me, but right-back and centre-back feel completely different defensively. The week after playing full-back I catch ...
I can't cover the same ground I used to – how should a midfielder adapt?
I'm 34 and still feel good on the ball, but I notice I can't recover from end to end as often as some of the younger midfielders. I don't want to just sit deep ...
How do you actually affect a game when you only get twenty minutes?
I'm usually the striker coming on for the last 15 or 20. I go on desperate to do something and end up chasing everything, making runs constantly and sometimes b...
I'm sometimes being used as the deepest midfielder now – how risky should I be?
I've had a few games as the 6 instead of one of the 8s. I like getting on the ball, but one mistake there feels like it opens the whole pitch. Should the deepes...
How much should a centre-back cover when the full-back keeps going forward?
Our right-back is encouraged to get high, which is fine, but when we lose it I'm often pulled towards that side and leave a big gap between the two centre-backs...
I keep joining attacks and then I'm nowhere when we lose the ball
I'm a box-to-box midfielder and I love getting beyond our striker, but I've noticed that if the attack breaks down I'm often the wrong side of the ball. I don't...
When my winger doesn't track back I'm constantly defending two players
Our left winger stays high quite a lot, so I often have their winger wide and the full-back overlapping outside him. I can delay it but eventually I have to cho...
I call us up but sometimes nobody moves with me
I'm trying to be louder with the line, but there have been a few times I've stepped up after we clear it and one defender stays five yards behind. Then I don't ...
Attacking mid positioning
Joined a new team this year in premiere division .Plyaing in the number 10 role as our team values discipline we got to keep tracking player tightly to defend.B...
Do U18 players still need position-specific extras or should the team session be enough?
A few are asking for extra finishing, crossing or centre-back work because they feel the team sessions are too broad. I like the ownership, but I do not want th...
Final home game is becoming a sentimental selection headache
A couple of lads are leaving after years at the club, but we also have players fighting for senior opportunities and a result that matters. How much should sent...
Opposition keep swapping their two wingers and our full-backs stop passing them on
One starts outside then comes inside, the other does the opposite, and after three or four swaps our back four are following players rather than defending space...
Corner blockers are screening our goalkeeper every week now
Legal movement, not fouls. How are teams protecting the keeper without losing every other marking job?
Twenty-two at training. Sixteen can play Saturday.
How do you keep sessions competitive without every drill feeling like an audition?
player arrives late every week because of work but is still one of our best starters
everyone understand the reason but others train full session and sit bench. how do you balance real life with fairness when adult grassroots is not professional...
They sit in a 4-1-4-1 and their lone striker barely presses
We have loads of possession in our first line and almost no space centrally. What should the centre-backs be trying to provoke rather than just passing between ...
Our home pitch is really narrow and the way we train does not fit it
We practise switches, wide overloads and wingers holding width on a decent training area, then Saturday's pitch compresses everything. I do not want to use the ...
Experienced player keeps challenging the tactics in front of everyone
Some of his points are actually fair. The problem is he questions changes during the team talk and other players then start debating instead of listening. How d...
Their weak-side winger stays high and our attacks keep ending with a 50-yard diagonal against us
Feels obvious after the third one. Still happens.
We want the keeper to find our winger direct, but the full-back keeps standing in the same lane
Two teammates marking each other for free. What movement fixes it?
A draw is enough for us on the final day – do you tell the players to manage for it from the start?
We do not need to win, but I worry that talking about the draw before kick-off makes the whole team passive. At what point should the league situation genuinely...
First team only use him as a winger. We play him as a 10.
Should youth role now change to match senior opportunity?
Several U18s coach younger teams – can we use that as part of their own development?
Some of them are starting to understand communication and decision-making differently now they have to explain football to U10s and U11s. Would you formally con...
A club has asked me for an honest reference on one of our U18s
I want to help the player, but I also do not want to oversell them and damage trust with the other coach. How specific should you be about strengths, weaknesses...
Should players choose the clips in their own video review?
We normally pick the moments we want to discuss. I am wondering whether asking the player to bring three clips first would show us what they notice and what the...
Our best free-kick taker takes every single one
He is excellent, which is the problem. Nobody else gets meaningful reps in matches. At U17, do you protect the best delivery or deliberately develop a second an...
Our centre-backs defend crosses side-on and lose sight of the striker
When the ball goes wide, both centre-backs turn completely towards it. They can see the cross but not the striker moving behind them, especially on deeper deliv...
Keeper gets a back-pass on the weak foot and everything becomes panic
He is fine when it comes onto his right. Left side under pressure looks completely different. How much should we deliberately build through the weak side?
Our midfield three all slide towards the ball and leave the far side empty
If the ball is with our right-back, all three midfielders drift towards that side trying to help. We then have nobody positioned to connect if the ball switches...
The striker checks short and our winger never recognises the space behind
The 9 comes off the centre-back well and can receive to feet, but the defence simply follows because nobody threatens the gap that opens. Should the winger be t...
Defending throw-ins near our own corner flag is a mess
One player presses the receiver, another follows a runner, then somebody is free inside the box. What simple responsibilities would you give an U14 team defendi...
The first ten minutes of every match are frantic
Both teams start at full speed, our midfield force passes and the back line clear balls they would normally keep. Once the game settles we play much better. How...
free kick wall - keeper and defenders both try to organise it
sometimes keeper want four, defender move one away, then nobody watch quick free kick. who should own the wall at this age and how much detail do you actually n...
Our press is good until the first pass gets through it
The front three work hard and often force a difficult pass, but once the opposition find a midfielder beyond them the whole team seems to stop pressing and drop...
Corner cleared. Everyone walks out. We never win the next ball.
Attacking second phase is basically gone before it starts. What should stay around the edge?
our centre back steps into midfield with the ball and the 6 stays next to him
both end up in same line and if we lose it nobody protects centre backs. how do you get one to recognise the other has moved without giving them fixed rotations...
Opponents keep switching their wingers and our full-backs look uncomfortable
One full-back is happy defending a winger who comes inside, the other prefers a player who stays outside. When the opposition swap sides mid-game it changes the...
Our 6 gets marked from goal kicks and just stands next to the marker
The centre-backs can still receive, but the player we normally use to connect into midfield does nothing to move the opponent or create another route. What move...
How do you attack a back five without just crossing all game?
We can get our full-backs and wingers into decent wide areas, but the opposition have three centre-backs waiting for the delivery and we end up repeating the sa...
Our keeper claims a cross and releases it before anyone is ready
I like the positive thought, but sometimes the full-backs are still inside the box, midfield are facing our goal and the quick throw starts a counterattack for ...
Our 8 keeps making great runs beyond but nobody balances behind him
He times the movement well and gets into the box, but both full-backs are already high and the other 8 wants to join too. We can have six players ahead of the b...
We play with two 10s and they keep occupying exactly the same pocket
Both are good between the lines, both want the ball to feet and both drift towards the same side as possession. How do you create complementary roles between tw...
Corner blockers. Let them fight through it or change the marking?
Teams keep standing attackers in front of our main headers. What are people teaching defenders to do?
can our striker deliberately stand on their full back from goal kicks?
their centre backs are very strong in air but full back is small. our 9 keep starting central because that is his position. would you move him wide for goal kic...
Their 10 keeps standing on the blind side of our 6
Our holding midfielder thinks they are screening the middle, but the 10 keeps moving just behind their shoulder and receives when the pass comes from a centre-b...
Our back four are perfectly flat whenever the ball is wide
Looks organised until a runner goes behind the far full-back. Should there always be some cover depth even if the line is holding well?
Centre-back can break a line by dribbling but coach keeps demanding the pass
If the pass is blocked and the space is open, why not carry?
One of our double pivot has to travel forward with the ball – both keep passing sideways
In our 4-2-3-1, opponents are happy to let both deeper midfielders receive because neither one carries through the first line. How do you encourage one to commi...
We equalise late and immediately cannot decide whether to keep pushing
Five minutes left, score 2-2. Some players smell a winner, others start protecting the draw and the team splits in half. How do you give a clear game-state deci...
Opponent goalkeeper keeps hitting diagonals to the winger and our whole block turns around
It is not a normal long ball into a striker. Their keeper clips it over our midfield towards a winger who stays high and wide. Our full-back gets dragged into r...
Could the goalkeeper be the extra outfield player when we are chasing a game?
Not talking about going up for a corner. If we are losing late and the opposition drop off, our keeper could stand 30 yards from goal and help circulate. Is tha...
Our 10 keeps dropping into the 6's space because he wants more of the ball
He is one of our best players and is trying to help, but when he comes all the way back we lose the player between the lines and their midfield can all see the ...
Cross comes in. Both centre backs attack it. Nobody covers.
Who decides which one goes?
We use loads of tactical language but I am not sure the players actually see the picture
They can tell me what rest defence, overload, half-space and counterpress mean in a meeting. In the game, the decisions are still late. How do you know when tac...
Our striker drifts wide and the 8 becomes the highest player – should we encourage it?
It happens naturally rather than as a planned rotation. The striker likes pulling a centre-back towards the channel and one of our 8s is very good arriving thro...
They play a narrow diamond and our wingers keep coming inside with them
The wide areas are almost completely free, but our wingers get drawn towards their midfield because they feel they should help centrally. How would you coach th...
Their left winger never tracks our full-back. Do we keep attacking that side or use him as a trap?
We can overload him, but it also means he is always ready to counter.
One bad touch is our best pressing trigger but players wait for the planned one
Have we over-coached the press?
One of our players wants to leave now for adult football somewhere else
He is playing regularly for us, but another local club have offered him senior minutes immediately. We could probably keep him until the end of the season, but ...
Our forwards understand offside but still make the run too early
We have spent plenty of time explaining the offside law and they understand it. The problem is the timing. Our winger and 9 often start running as soon as the m...
They leave our centre-back free and we still refuse to carry the ball
Opposition block midfield and invite him forward. He passes sideways. How do we make carrying into the space feel normal?
pressing from opposition throw ins - useful trigger or too much detail?
we notice their full back always throw short to same midfielder and we could trap it. but if our winger jump early they just throw down line and we open space. ...
Wide 2v1s are destroying us because our midfielder arrives too late
Every decent team seems to get the same picture against us: their winger holds our full-back, their full-back overlaps, and our wide midfielder watches it happe...
Our full-back receives by the touchline and has nowhere to go
We build out and can find the full-back, but the pass often arrives with an opponent already pressing and the touchline behind them. They either force it down t...
Goalkeeper gives good information and the defenders ignore it
From behind the goal I can hear the keeper calling turn, time, away and step, but the defenders barely react. It is not that the goalkeeper is silent. How do co...
Our winger gets to the byline and nobody attacks the far post
We create decent wide situations and the 9 usually attacks the front area, but the opposite winger stays outside the box waiting for a cut-back. It means good c...
midfielders receive but body always face own goal
they check shoulder sometimes but first touch still go back where pass come from. then opponent push us backwards. how help young midfield turn or play forward ...
Teams are playing into the channels behind our full-backs all game
It is not really a straight ball over the centre-backs. They are clipping diagonals into the space between full-back and centre-back, especially when our full-b...
We score and spend the next five minutes playing like it is 5-0
Everyone rushes forward. Game becomes chaos. How do you coach the spell straight after scoring?
one sub means three players changing positions
we have a lad who covers full back midfield and winger so every time he comes on somebody else moves too. minutes are fair but team looks completely different. ...
What do you actually do with free kicks 35 yards from goal at U14?
Too far for most players to shoot, but close enough that simply playing backwards feels like wasting the position. We have tried clipping balls into the box and...
Opposition do not press our goal kick and we still rush the first pass
Sometimes both centre-backs have ten yards of space and the keeper immediately plays the same rehearsed pass. I want the players to recognise that if nobody pre...
Third-player runs look great on the board and disappear in the game
We can show the players the idea of pass, set and run beyond, and they do it perfectly unopposed. In matches the second player receives and either turns themsel...
Back-post defending – is it the winger or the full-back's runner?
When a cross comes from our right, their left winger attacks the back post and their left-back also arrives outside him. Our right side is fine, but on the far ...
Our first line-breaking pass works and the second pass gives it away
We are getting much better at finding an 8 or 10 beyond the opposition midfield. The problem is the receiver then has three players around them and nobody close...
4-4-2 against three central midfielders. Change shape or live with being outnumbered?
Interested what people actually do.
Our winger has been told to stay high and now never helps the full-back
I understand wanting an outlet for the counter. The issue is the opposition full-back keeps overlapping and ours is defending repeated 2v1s. If we make the wing...
We recycle through the keeper but nobody moves while the ball travels back
Looks like we are keeping it. Really we just restart the same problem. What should change when the ball goes back to the goalkeeper?
Captain talks constantly. Rest of team stop solving anything.
Good leader or too much?
We go 1-0 down and change everything with 25 minutes still left
Our first reaction is always more forwards, full-backs higher, 6 pushed on, and suddenly the team that was competing well is stretched. I know the game state ha...
2-0 up at half time and we either relax or defend our box
We dont seem to have a middle setting. Players either think game is done or come out for second half trying to protect it. How do you talk about controlling a g...
We want to overload one side to isolate the winger on the other – but it has become a pattern
The idea is good: draw opponents towards the ball, then switch to our quickest winger 1v1. In training the players now force three passes down one side because ...
Their 9 and 10 keep swapping and our centre-back and 6 cannot decide who owns who
If the 9 drops and the 10 runs beyond, our centre-back sometimes follows the 9 and leaves the runner. Other times the 6 follows the 10 and ends up on the back l...
We choose to go direct from goal kicks but nobody supports the striker
This is not about abandoning playing out. Against some presses we deliberately hit the 9, but our midfield stay in their build-up positions and the striker is c...
The centre-forward is isolated in our 4-3-3
Our 9 is spending long periods between two centre-backs with nobody close enough to combine. The wingers stay wide and the 8s arrive late, so the striker either...
First month of 11v11 and our midfield three are miles apart
We have moved into a 4-3-3 for the new 11v11 season. In 9v9 the midfield relationships felt obvious, but now the 6 drops towards the centre-backs, one 8 runs fo...
Both full-backs go and our two centre-backs are left on their own
We want the full-backs to join attacks, but in our first 11v11 games both are going high at the same time and the 6 is often ahead of the ball too. When we lose...
How much full 11v11 shape work do U14s really need in training?
The temptation since moving up is to spend more time doing 10v10/11v11 walkthroughs so the players understand the bigger pitch and units. I can see the value, b...
Our back four are playing offside instead of defending
They have got excited about having offside now. The centre-backs keep stepping and looking at the assistant instead of dealing with the runner, especially when ...
Seventy minutes is exposing our spacing more than our fitness
Late in games the players say they are tired, but when I watch it back the bigger issue seems to be that the team gets stretched. Our front three still press, t...
Our goalkeeper can play short but struggles with the full-pitch picture
In 9v9 our keeper was very comfortable finding the first pass. On the bigger 11v11 pitch there are more options and they are taking so long to scan that the pre...
Heading is allowed now – how much should it actually appear in training?
The players are suddenly in a format where heading is part of the game. I do not want to ignore aerial football, but I also do not want a weekly block of repeti...
Fifteen-player squad with rolling subs – how do you keep the game coherent?
We have 15 and everyone needs meaningful minutes. If I make lots of rolling changes, the midfield and back line can lose their relationships every ten minutes. ...
Parents are already asking what their child's 'position' is in 11v11
We are only a few weeks into U14 11v11 and parents are asking whether their child is now a centre-back, winger, 6, 8, 10 etc. The coach still rotates some roles...
Set pieces are taking over our training now we play 11v11
Corners, wide free kicks, defending corners, kick-offs, throw-ins near the box – there suddenly seems to be a lot more to organise. We train twice a week and co...
The bigger goal has changed how our keeper sets up
Our U14 goalkeeper was confident in the smaller goal but looks uncertain with the 21x7 goal and the extra width to cover. They are dropping too deep and reactin...
Our double pivot both show for the same pass
We play 4-2-3-1 and both deeper midfielders keep coming towards the centre-backs at the same time. It makes us look safe but leaves nobody between the oppositio...
When do you abandon a high press and settle into a mid-block?
Our U15s enjoy pressing high and can do it well for periods, but against teams that play through the first line we keep chasing and opening bigger spaces. I wan...
Weak-side winger keeps switching off when we defend
When the ball is on our right, the left winger stays very wide and high. If the opponent switches, our full-back gets overloaded before the winger reacts. I do ...
How do you break a low block without all ten outfield players coming towards the ball?
Against deep teams our centre-backs step in, the 6 comes short, both 8s come short, the wingers come inside and suddenly nobody threatens the space behind. We k...
Our back line stays high even when nobody can pressure the ball
We have coached squeezing the pitch and being brave with the defensive line. The problem is the defenders now hold the line even when an opponent has time to lo...
How much match video is actually useful for U15s?
Our coach has started clipping the game and sending players short examples. I like the idea, but I can see how quickly it could become a list of mistakes. What ...
Do you pick on training standards or Saturday performance?
We have one player who trains brilliantly but is inconsistent in matches, and another who is excellent on matchday but coasts through training. At U15, how much...
Growth spurts are changing what positions suit some of our players
One of our quicker wide players has grown a lot and currently looks less sharp, while a smaller midfielder who used to struggle physically is now coping much be...
How soon after a bad result should you change the plan?
We lost heavily and the immediate reaction from players was that the formation does not work. Watching it back, some of the problems were individual decisions a...
College, work and exams are starting to affect attendance and selection
A few players now miss training for genuine school or work commitments. One coach thinks starting places should always go to the players who train most; another...
We protect a lead by dropping deeper and deeper
At 1-0 our U16s almost automatically retreat ten yards, then another ten, until the striker is near halfway and everyone else is around our box. I want them to ...
Should rolling substitutions become more tactical at U16?
We still want everyone getting meaningful football, but U16 games can have clear tactical problems where a different profile would help – extra pace wide, a sec...
Our 6 keeps dropping between the centre-backs and emptying midfield
It helps us build against two strikers, but the player now does it almost automatically even when the centre-backs already have an overload. We then have a huge...
Pressing a back three – who jumps to the outside centre-back?
Against a 3-4-3 we are unsure whether the winger presses the outside centre-back and leaves the wing-back, or the striker curves the press and our winger stays ...
We defend the first switch and then lose the second one
Our block shifts across well when the ball goes from one side to the other. The problem is the far winger and full-back both sprint out, the middle opens, and i...
Are we building the team around our best playmaker too much?
Our 10 is outstanding and naturally gets on the ball constantly. We have started changing build-up positions just to find them earlier, and other players are lo...
We lose the ball around their box and concede within three passes
Our attacking shape looks good until possession breaks down. Both full-backs are high, the 6 has joined the edge of the box and the centre-backs are split. One ...
Is U16 the point where positions should become much more specialised?
My daughter has played full-back, centre midfield and wide this season. She enjoys the variety, but other players are now training almost entirely in one role a...
Ninety-minute football is changing how we plan training
Our U17s can now play up to 90 minutes. We train twice a week and I do not want one session becoming fitness without the ball, but the physical drop-off late in...
Playing adult football on Sunday is changing his U17 role
My son plays central midfield for U17s and has started getting adult minutes at full-back because that is where the senior team needs him. He likes the challeng...
Our inverted full-back idea works in training and disappears in matches
We want one full-back to step into midfield when we build, giving the winger the outside lane and creating an extra central player. The group understands the di...
Set-piece roles – should the best players get the key jobs every week?
We have clear corner and free-kick roles now, but the same taller players always attack the main zones and the same technical player takes everything. It improv...
Eighteen-player squad and rolling subs feels like too many
We carry 18 because of availability across the season, but on a good-attendance week seven players start off. Rolling subs help, yet it can still feel like cons...
One captain or a leadership group?
Our captain is excellent but the coach relies on him for everything – standards, warm-up, team huddle, speaking to the referee, organising shape. A couple of ot...
How do you prepare U18s for adult football with limited substitutions?
Our players are used to rolling subs, but open-age football will often mean fewer opportunities to come off and return. Would you deliberately manage some U18 g...
Player wants a higher-level trial – how much should we help?
One of our better U18s has been offered a trial with a stronger club. We want to support him, but we also know he could lose his current place if the move becom...
How opponent-specific should an U18 match plan be?
We have a clear way we want to play, but by U18 the players are good enough to understand opponent tendencies as well. If a team overloads one side or always bu...
Released academy player has joined us and is trying to prove everything
He is clearly talented, but every session feels like an audition. He forces difficult passes, gets frustrated with teammates and seems to judge himself on wheth...
Utility player or specialist – what actually helps the senior transition?
We have a player who can fill four positions well but is probably not the first choice in any one of them. Coaches like the flexibility, but he is worried senio...
Can we defend in a 4-4-2 and attack in a 4-3-3 without overcomplicating it?
We have two forwards who press well together, so out of possession a 4-4-2 suits us. With the ball, one drops into midfield and the wide players go higher, whic...
Our availability changes so much that the system never settles
One week we have quick wingers, the next week no natural wide players, then our only holding midfielder is away. I keep trying to maintain the same 4-3-3 princi...
Limited subs – when do you make the first tactical change?
At youth level I was used to rolling changes. In our open-age league I have to think much harder because once I use a substitution I cannot treat it as a tempor...
Player-coach problem: I see the game better from the pitch but coach it worse
I am still playing and managing. From midfield I can feel where the spaces are, but I also end up giving instructions constantly and miss what is happening behi...
One 75-minute session a week – fitness or tactics?
We are a decent amateur side but only train once. If we spend the whole session on tactical work, some players struggle physically on Sunday. If we run them, we...
Zonal, man-to-man or hybrid when defending corners?
We have tried all three in the last two seasons and every system looks good until somebody loses a runner or attacks the wrong zone. I am less interested in whi...
Do you recruit a specific position or just take the best available player?
We badly need a centre-forward who can run in behind, but a very good central midfielder wants to join us. Squad numbers are limited and taking him probably mea...
A booking changes how our aggressive full-back defends
Our right-back is excellent stepping in and competing early, but once booked he becomes very passive and opponents target him. I do not want to encourage reckle...
Low block against a stronger side – when does compact become passive?
We played a much stronger team and deliberately defended deeper. For 20 minutes it worked, then our striker was 40 yards from the midfield and every clearance c...
How do you defend a number 10 who keeps drifting into wide areas?
Our holding midfielder is comfortable screening a 10 centrally, but the player we faced kept drifting outside our winger and combining with the full-back. If th...
Do adult teams use U18s as development or just cheap bench cover?
We keep naming two youth players in senior squads and they barely get on. If they are not genuinely in the match plan I think they should play youth football in...
Chasing a goal late – when does sending a centre-back forward become useful?
We were 1-0 down with five minutes left and pushed our biggest centre-back up front. It created chaos but also left us defending counters with one centre-back. ...
Do position-unit meetings actually help at grassroots level?
I keep hearing academy sides talk about separate defender or midfield meetings. We only train twice a week and I am not sure U17 grassroots players need another...
University football, non-league or staying with the current club – how do you advise an U18?
A player has several realistic options next season. None is obviously 'higher' than the others: university football with good facilities, a local adult side whe...
Our goalkeeper wants to play short even when adult teams press with five
He is technically strong and I do not want to coach bravery out of him. But some senior-style opponents are leaving almost nothing short and waiting for the mis...
First-team bench every week, ten minutes once a month
Better than 90 for the U18s?
When should an U18 coach start having honest exit conversations?
Some players clearly have a senior pathway at the club and others probably will not. I do not want to write anyone off early, but leaving the conversation until...
Should players be expected to solve tactical problems at half-time themselves?
At U18 I feel we still rush to the board too quickly. If the opposition are pressing differently or overloading one side, should the first question now be 'what...
Our 3-5-2 becomes a back five as soon as we lose the ball
Both wing-backs recover all the way alongside the centre-backs and the front two end up 40 yards from midfield. It looks secure but we cannot get out. Is that j...
Long throw-ins against us feel more dangerous than corners
Every team seems to have one now. How are people setting up for the first contact and second ball without dropping all eleven into the box?
Two strikers. Both come short. Nobody runs behind.
Pair works hard. Makes us easy to defend.
Opposition man-marks our best midfielder and our whole build-up disappears
we know its coming now. Their forward follows him everywhere and the rest of us still try to find him. Would you move the playmaker higher, drop someone else in...
Bad pitch, strong wind, both teams still trying to play exactly the same way
At what point is adapting style just sensible rather than 'going long'?
Our most experienced centre-back is still the leader but the space behind him is becoming a problem
He reads the game, organises everyone and wins first contacts. He is also getting caught when we hold a high line against quicker forwards. Moving him out feels...
Our defensive plan against a target man is basically 'hope he heads it badly'
Not ideal. Who deals with the second ball?
Late corner. Keeper asking if he can go up. We have no idea.
Any actual rule for when this is worth it?
we keep defending the byline and forgetting the cut-back
our full back stop cross, centre backs protect six yard, but midfielder arrive free top of box. if holding midfielder drop deep too then edge empty. how do you ...
One centre-back steps into midfield and everyone panics behind them
Our left centre-back is confident carrying or following a striker into midfield. I actually like the aggression, but the full-back immediately tucks in, the oth...
Both wingers keep coming inside and nobody gives us width
The wingers are comfortable on the ball and both naturally drift into the half-spaces. The full-backs are still quite cautious in our first 11v11 season, so we ...
Our defenders stop when a midfielder runs into the box
I keep seeing the same thing: centre-backs track the striker, full-backs track wide players, then an opposition midfielder arrives late and nobody is sure whose...
Man-to-man press at goal kicks is completely stopping us playing short
Teams are matching up our centre-backs, full-backs and 6 from goal kicks. The keeper still tries the same short pass because we have told the players we want to...
Goalkeeper is scared to come outside penalty area
our keeper read game well but since 11v11 pitch he stay very close goal. when ball go behind defenders he wait even if he could arrive first. i think bigger spa...
We lose it centrally and our counterpress turns into five players surrounding the ball
The reaction after losing possession is good, maybe too good. Our nearest players all collapse onto the ball and one pass takes the whole midfield out. I want t...
Our switches take four passes and the space has gone
We see the free side. Just far too late. How do you coach quicker switches without shouting switch every time?
size 5 ball has changed our long passing more than i expected
Couple of ours could switch play or clip passes comfortably last year and now struggle to get the same distance or weight on a size 5. Im not worried long term ...
Our far-side players switch off because the ball feels so far away
The full-size relationships are new and the biggest issue is away from the ball. If possession is on the right, the left winger and full-back can almost become ...
We keep conceding from cut-backs rather than crosses
Our defenders are getting into the box and dealing with the first runner, but when the winger reaches the byline we all collapse towards the six-yard box. The p...
Our full-backs tuck in so much that wide players receive completely free
We have really pushed protecting the middle, but now both full-backs start so narrow that a switch gives the opposition winger time to receive, turn and attack....
Striker drops into midfield – should the centre-back go with them?
We keep facing forwards who leave the front line and play almost as a 10. If our centre-back follows, space opens for a winger running inside. If they hold, the...
They build with a box midfield and we cannot work out who presses
A team we played built with two deeper midfielders and two players between our midfield and defence. Our 4-3-3 press looked fine until the first line was beaten...
Striker drops. Centre-back follows 20 yards. Good aggression or opening the middle?
Happens every game now.
Attacking corners leave us wide open to the first counter
We have two centre-backs attacking the box, a full-back taking the corner and five others around scoring areas. It looks aggressive until the clearance reaches ...
Should our striker actually press the goalkeeper?
Other team keeper is good with feet. Ours keep telling striker to go all the way to him but then centre backs are free. Is the press meant to stop the keeper or...
Our 6 screens everything but hardly ever tackles
Doing a good job or hiding?
When do you counterpress and when do you just recover?
We are trying to improve our reaction after losing the ball, but the players now think every turnover means sprint towards it. Sometimes we have three or four p...
Changing to 3-4-3 in the game confuses who becomes the third centre-back
We start 4-3-3 and sometimes want to chase game by pushing one full back higher and making a back three. The idea is simple on board but players argue over whet...
Our underlapping full-back keeps arriving in the same space as the 8
We have been encouraging the full-back to come inside when the winger holds the width. It can look really good, but our 8 naturally likes that inside channel as...
We press their centre-backs and the goalkeeper just becomes the spare man
Our front three can lock onto the back line, then the keeper steps outside the box and gives them a 4v3. If the striker goes to the keeper one centre-back is fr...
We defend the corner and then lose the second phase every time
First ball is usually fine. The problem is the clearance lands 25 yards out, our whole team stays in the box and the opposition recycle it straight back in. I t...
Keeper is starting too deep behind our high line
Great shot stopper. Never sweeps. Whole pitch gets stretched.
Individual targets are getting lost inside all the team tactics
At U16 there is so much to coach around pressing, build-up, set pieces and game management that I worry individual development gets whatever time is left. How a...
Our midfield win the ball and immediately look for the same counterattack
We have coached forward transition well and now every regain becomes a pass into the channel for the winger. Teams have started dropping off and giving us the b...
Training with the first team every week but never getting senior minutes
One of our U17s has been training with the adult first team for nearly two months. He enjoys the level and says the sessions are quicker, but every weekend he i...
U17 Saturday and adult Sunday – who should decide which game comes first?
A few of our players are now wanted by both teams. Everyone says development comes first, but the U17 manager wants continuity and the adult manager wants the s...
Should the players run half-time before the coach speaks?
Interested what others do at U17. Give them two minutes first or get information in immediately?
3-5-2. Wing-backs defend too deep. Front two miles away. Fix?
Feels like a back five every time we lose it.
We win the first header and still lose every second ball
First season of 11v11 and the direct games are causing us more problems than the teams who pass. Our centre-backs often win the first contact from a goal kick o...
Throw-ins in midfield are killing us
Not attacking throws near goal. Normal middle-third throws. We lose loads. What basic structure should an U14 have?