Football tactics and formations explained
Formations and team ideas in plain words, with animated tactics boards and drills so you can teach them at training.
How to stop kids bunching and chasing the ball in football
Why young players swarm the ball, when it's normal, and the games and simple cues that teach them to spread out without turning them into statues.
Read →
Pressing for youth teams: triggers and drills that work
How to teach pressing to 9v9 and 11v11 youth teams: the triggers, the roles, and the practices, without wearing players out.
Read →
Playing out from the back with youth teams
How to teach playing out from the back to grassroots teams, including the retreat line, keeper and centre-back positions, and what to do when the opposition presses.
Read →
Moving from 9v9 to 11v11: what changes and how to prepare
What changes when youth teams step up to 11-a-side, the best first 11v11 formations, and how to prepare your squad in the season before.
Read →
The 3-5-2 formation explained for grassroots teams
How the 3-5-2 formation works: wing-backs, a back three, a strong central midfield and two strikers, with strengths, weaknesses and drills.
Read →
The 4-2-3-1 formation explained for grassroots teams
How the 4-2-3-1 formation works: the double pivot, the number 10, wide attackers and how to defend in it, explained for grassroots and youth teams.
Read →
7-a-side formation creator: pick and share your shape
Make your 7-a-side formation in a minute: choose 2-3-1, 3-2-1 or 2-1-2-1, drag players into place, then share it or animate it on the tactics board.
Read →
7v7 formations: how to keep width and get ready for 9v9
Which 7v7 formations give you natural width, how to teach young players to use it, and how your 7v7 shape sets them up for 9v9 and 11v11.
Read →
Best 9v9 formation for youth football
The best 9v9 formations for youth football compared: 3-3-2, 3-2-3, 2-4-2 and 3-4-1, with strengths, weaknesses and which suits your team.
Read →
Best attacking formations in football
The most attacking formations for 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11, what makes them attacking, and how to stay solid at the back while you go for goals.
Read →