Tactical Soccer Coaching Commands
© CoachingAmericanSoccer.com®
It’s okay for soccer coaches to give tactical direction, or “commands,” to players during scrimmages and games. When doing so, however, coaches must ensure that the commands are consistent and fully understood. This is accomplished in practices.
Soccer Coach
As one Director of Coaching put it in a training session, “I just finished watching your U-9 soccer games this past season and I would like to discuss commands used during these matches. Most of these commands were reasonable and timely, but not necessarily for your team or age group. Unfortunately, it was very clear that the kids had absolutely no idea what many of the directions meant or what they were supposed do when they heard them. At this age, if a coach is going to give an oral direction during a game, the command is meaningless to a player unless it has been discussed, demonstrated, understood, and drilled in practice.”
When a command is given, it must be short and concise, it should be specific to an individual, and it must contain an action, and a desired outcome.
The general format for a command given to young players in a scrimmage or a game is:
PLAYER’S NAME – COMMAND – EXPECTED RESULT
Consider the following improper example heard from a coach by his defenders in a U-9 rec game, with no specificity or understanding, and resulting in a blank stare:
“Cover Number 12!”
First, WHO is supposed to cover Number 12? Second, WHAT does “cover” mean? And, third, WHERE is Number 12? The most glaring portion of this improper example was that the offensive player to be covered was facing the closest defender and this offensive player only had his number printed on the BACK of his jersey. While the coach could see the number, the closest defender could not see it all!
Clearly, this could be improved in any number of ways but,
“James – mark – the player behind-you / to-your-left / right-here (point)”
is far better than what was offered, as long as James knows what “mark” means and how to do it. Clearly, coaches must be able to impartially examine their commands and to modify them accordingly in order to achieve the desired result.
There is simply nothing wrong with providing commands or instruction during games, but only if they are constructive and correct. This is especially true for younger age groups where coaches may only have one practice a week. Often games are the only opportunity for players to be exposed to tactical decision-making where coaching commands often become their first experience with understanding either what they should do with the ball or how they should move without the ball. This is part of the “Soccer IQ” learning progression. As players age and understand what is expected, there should be fewer directions/commands from the coach as players recognize and implement their responsibilities and options learned over time.
A command can not be executed by a player if a player does not hear it. This is why coaches are forced to yell. Players must be taught how to listen for commands because they are almost always concentrating on the game or the ball. Conversely, players must learn how to not listen to “outside” directions from parents or fans. Similarly, coaches must ensure that they are always providing constructive instruction when yelling commands. Children can and will learn proper decision-making from this kind of commentary. Coaches still yell commands and direct players at the highest professional levels.
Yelling without a constructive command is counter-productive because it almost always comes across as criticism. There is a HUGE difference between yelling commands and criticizing players. Without proper, recognizable commands, yelling is just yelling. As in the “improper example” above, coaches must personally monitor and modify their own commentary to ensure that they get it right. This includes when and how often commands are being given. Parents must be taught that coaches have to yell to be heard and that they are not criticizing the children. Further, parents need to understand that they are to offer praise and encouragement, not coaching direction.
Sample Coach Action Commands
Center
Cover
Cross
Down the line
Goal side
Johnny’s open
Keep your foot down (thrown-in)
Keep your hands down
Kick it out
Kick it up
Mark
Move up
No foul throw
Offside
On your left
On your right
Pass to
Run through the ball
Self-pass
To open space
Upfield
See the ball
Wide
You’re the (position name)
Coaches can move on to the point where only the action command is necessary for players in possession of the ball. Simple, specific commands may be delivered to a ball carrier (dribbler), only if the player recognizes that the command applies to them. Again, this is accomplished in practices. Examples include:
Away
Man On
No bounce
Shoot
Switch it
Through ball
Time
Turn
There are certain commands that may apply to the team as whole, or to the offense, the defense, or the goalkeeper. Examples include:
Clear
Corner
Don’t bunch up
Eight seconds
Get back
Goal Kick
Move
Spread out
Get rid of it
“Don’t bunch up” and “Spread out” are notorious for being meaningless without detailed explanation and practice about what to do when they are heard.
After an understanding of commands is achieved, coaches can move on to where the players themselves take responsibility for oral communication. It’s an evolutionary process. See: On-Field Oral Communications.
Soccer Coaching Tips:
- “Joysticking” (“Joystick,” “Joysticker”) is a term, carrying a negative connotation, that is used by some coaches to suggest that other coaches yell, direct traffic, and issue commands for their own self-satisfaction or feeling of importance. The implication is that this does not help the players learn to make their own decisions. A proper balance must always be found. Consider the following:
- “I have to add that the penalty for shouting too much is that players (individuals and teams) quickly learn to tune out ALL or nearly all game-play instruction. I see this a lot, did it a lot as a player, and it really defines communication failure.” – Rick Fenoglio
- “I’ve ‘talked-in’ a few goals in my time (pass here, pass there, shoot now). I never once heard anything negative about it from any of my players, parents, or opposing coaches.” – John Harves
- For that “120-yard yell,” being used regularly at practices or games, coaches should consider carrying and using use throat lozenges to save their voice.
© John C. Harves