Introduction to Coaching Football

Course structure

1. Weekly Webinars

Hosted by our expert Coach Developers, these weekly discussions will focus on some of the most important things you’ll need as a football coach:

• Week One - Engaging Players (1h)
• Week Two - Learning About Football (1h)
• Week Three - Matchday: Parent Relationships (1h)

Recordings of all three weekly webinars can be watched back on-demand.

2. E-Learning

The modules below need to be completed to pass the course. They are specifically designed to give you the knowledge you need to pass a quick assessment at the end of the course. 

How to behave as a coach (20m)  

Explore the behaviours and skills of a good coach and test your understanding of:

• Observation 
• Player engagement 
• Effective communication 
• Environment creation

Disability Football Introduction (30m)
Explore what's meant by disability and the different pathways available for disabled players from mainstream to pan-disability and impairment-specific football.

How to build a session (20m)
Gain an introduction on how to prepare for training and explore different ways to structure sessions, including the use of small-sided games.

How to adapt your session (15m)
Learn how to use The FA’s Space, Task, Equipment and People (STEP) principles to adapt sessions and practices to suit the needs of your team.

Respect for coaches (25m) 
Develop your knowledge of how to help players feel safe, have fun and remain included. This module will cover: 

• Creating the right environment  
• Understanding your players  
• Leading by example  
• Building a positive team around you
• Instilling an ‘anything is possible’ attitude

Assessment (10m) 

This short, online assessment is designed to recap your knowledge of what you’ve learned on the course.  

3. Running a team guide

Whether you're coaching young children or adults, you will be given a 'Running a team guide' as part of the course. This guide will provide practice plans, advice on how to structure and plan coaching sessions and top tips in helping your players become more skilful. The guide also includes:

• Spotlight practices – videos of practice ideas 
• Maximising matchday 
• Parent-coach communication plan
• Useful links to other FA resources
  
  

4. Podcasts

You’ll gain access to podcasts recorded by our Coach Developers, designed to complement the weekly webinars and e-learning modules: 
-Good coaching 
-Space, Task, Equipment, People (STEP) framework 

5. The FA Community

When you enrol, you’ll be given exclusive access to our online coaching community, which is a place for you to share tips, discuss ideas and learn from other coaches as you work through the course. We encourage you to stay active on the community and get involved in discussions to get the most out of your experience. 

You’ll also have access to a number of useful resources, case studies and practice videos to use alongside your weekly webinars, giving you the chance to apply practical skills to real-life coaching.