I have a Question which implicates myself. I coach a U10 girls team with 4 new girls (never played) and a few ok players and 2 good players. at the games i tend to be vocal in telling where the girls need to be positioned, too cut off the angles and basically give them instructions while the game is inprogress. the fist two games i said not a word and we got slaughtered 10-2 and then lost 3-1. Since then i have been helping the girls positing and tactics by be vocal (yelling)and since then we are 3-0. I still give alot of praise when the girls do something good and would never belittle them if they did something wrong. The wierd thing is none of the other coaches are quit as vocal as I am. I hope this is not bad ediquitte.The girls and there parents have know problems with me being vocal at the games. any insight on the plus side and the negative side would be great. Ths team is finally starting to stay in there positions and are learning at a much faster rate.

Thx
Mecro

I understand, try to allow 15 mins at each practice on player field position when the ball is in different areas. Put the team into their positions. You move the ball into different areas of the field and more the players into the positions you want them in. This will save your voice at games and allows you to get feedback from the players to make sure they understand.

Coach PB

Mecro,

I used to be as vocal as you (if not more so). The problem with that was that it was not the girls playing soccer, but me playing chess.

I still (U12 girls) occasionally remind the players where their positions are, or ask them to fill in for a player who has walked off in attack and never returned, but I would rather have them learn to play on their own: if one of them forgets where she is supposed to be playing - something that happens all the time - but the others remember where they should be, you all of a sudden get an unbalanced team. try teaching them the principles of pressure - cover-balance on defense and support (in front, behind and either side) on attack, and they will get into whatever formation works best for them.

With U10, what worked for my team was ultimate frisbee scrimmage at the end of practices instead of a soccer scrimmage: when their heads are not too occupied by looking down at the ball, they tend to get into positions on their own. We did it a couple of times, and after that they played soccer the way it is supposed to be played.

I also give them "homework": soccer diagrams of plays from the games they had. They have to make the decision for one or two "players" on the diagram. We spend 2-3 minutes discussing those at practices.

We don't win every game (about half), but they learn how to be self-sufficient on the pitch (and I learn how to be patient on the sideline).

Cheers!
-Alex

"I used to be as vocal as you (if not more so). The problem with that was that it was not the girls playing soccer, but me playing chess."

Bingo. Great point.

Mecro, the plusses are that you're getting results and hopefully some of what you are saying will sink in a little. The minuses are you're training the girls to expect that crutch. "Oh, I don't have to think all the time, because coach will always be there to tell me what to do."

Most of my touch line vocals tend to be:
"well done"
"nice trap"
"great pass"

I found it works a lot better then trying to move them around..as they they start to think too much.