Training Session Design
Part II — Player & Coach Standards • Chapter 8
Chapter Purpose
This chapter establishes a consistent framework for planning, delivering, and reviewing every training session while developing coaches who communicate clearly, ask purposeful questions, and create intelligent footballers.
The Session Planning Framework
Every session should have one clear learning objective that connects directly to the club curriculum. Activities should progressively increase the demands on perception, decision making, and execution.
Skill Development
Introduce the learning objective
Quality coaching
Game-Based Practice
Apply skills under pressure
Observe decisions
Conditioned Game
Reinforce behaviours
Manipulate constraints
Design Principles
- One learning objective per session.
- Progress from simple to complex.
- Maximize ball rolling time.
- Design realistic football situations.
- Challenge every player appropriately.
- Finish with game play whenever possible.
Evaluating a Session
- Did every activity support the objective?Yes / No
- Did players make frequent decisions?Yes / No
- Was engagement high?Yes / No
- Did the session resemble football?Yes / No
- Did players leave knowing what they learned?Yes / No
One Club • One Philosophy • One Language