Football Coaching Vocabulary

This is what the game is all about! The ball is

large and round. Most modern footballs are

made from 32 panels of plastic or leather,

stitched together.

When footballers are learning new skills, the

trainers make them do drills. Drills are when

players practise the same action again and

again to make it automatic.

A players' fitness describes how strong and

healthy they are. High-class league teams have

special fitness coaches.

How the players are arranged on the pitch is

called their formation. Some formations are

better for attacking and some are better for

defending.

In football, a medical is a type of examination.

The club uses a doctor to check that new

players are healthy and don’t have any

condition that might stop them playing.

A strategy is a plan to win the match. The

manager will make a strategy before every

match.

Stretching is a way to prepare a players

muscles before training or a match. It is

important because it helps prevent injuries.

Tactics are the short plans that form the

strategy. A tactic might involve two or three

players. A strategy involves the whole team.

The trainer is a type of coach that focusses on

skills. It is a trainer’s job to make sure that

players practise set pieces and tactics.

Training describes the activity players do when

they are developing their skills, tactics and

fitness.