The Coaches' Room
9v9U13Matchday

Pre-match team talk is getting longer every week

Asked by LeftBootOnly7
1092 views 3 replies
We are now talking about shape, their threats, our restarts, pressing and set pieces before the game. It is starting to feel like the players have a checklist before they even kick a ball. How much information are people actually giving U13s before a match?

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UEFA B Coach

9v9 tactical • player development

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I’d cut that list down. U13s can understand more tactical detail than younger players, but pre-match is still a poor time to give them five separate priorities. They then spend the opening minutes trying to remember instructions instead of reading the game. I’d normally have one or two team references connected to what you have already trained. For example: how we want to build if pressed, and what our reaction is when we lose it. Set pieces can be reminders rather than another speech. If there is something specific about the opponent, keep it simple and observable: “Their wide player stays very high, so notice the space behind them.” The team talk should create clarity, not prove how much the coach has analysed. If the players cannot tell you the main message in one sentence, there was probably too much.

COMMUNITY DISCUSSION

Join the football discussion. 3 replies

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SundayManager2

Community Member

We now give one in-possession idea and one out-of-possession idea. Anything about the opposition has to fit inside those, otherwise it waits.
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ScottJ

Community Member

From the sideline you can tell when kids have had too much information. First five minutes they are looking at the coach after every action.
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TwoConesShort7

Community Member

If they need notes to remember the team talk, its too long.