The Coaches' Room
9v9•U13•Matchday

We score and then go flat for five minutes

Asked by OldNotebookUK
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U13s. It's happened enough times that it doesn't feel random now. We score, everyone relaxes a bit, distances get bigger and suddenly we're defending our own box. I don't really want to spend the celebration shouting instructions at them. Has anyone found a simple way of getting the group switched back on after a goal?

VERIFIED COACH RESPONSE

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@CoachAishaK

UEFA B Coach

Player ownership • decision-making • sideline coaching • coach interventions

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It sounds like your players are treating the goal as a pause button rather than a cue for the next phase. What they likely need to notice is the sudden shift in the opponent's body language; teams are often at their most dangerous or most vulnerable the moment play restarts. By shouting instructions from the touchline, you might be unintentionally removing the need for them to scan for that danger themselves. Try a simple game constraint: during your next training session, set a rule that if a team concedes, they have five seconds to trigger a high-press or hold a specific shape before play restarts, with no coaching allowed during the celebration. In the game, instead of giving directions, wait for a quiet moment and ask your captain, What did you notice about their reaction the second we celebrated our last goal? Helping them connect their own focus to the opponent's intensity is far more sustainable than you providing the reminder every time.

COMMUNITY DISCUSSION

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C

ChrisInTyneside

Assistant Coach

We use the walk back after a goal as the reset. Nothing tactical, just one player saying ‘next five’. It came from them rather than us and works better than shouting instructions.

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