The Playbook
Football decisions, explained.
Short reads for parents, players and coaches — on scanning, confidence, matchday nerves, and playing with your head up.
Featured
What Are the Best Football Drills for Kids?
Discover the best football drills for kids are not drills at all, but fun, game-like practices that promote decision-making and a love for the game.
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When is the right moment? The mystery of timed runs
We've all seen it: our child makes a run a little too early, or a little too late, and the perfect pass never quite connects. It's one of those moments that makes you wonder what they were thinking.
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Why Moving the Ball Across the Pitch is Harder Than it Looks
You've seen it countless times: your child has the ball, there's a sea of opponents in front of them, but a teammate is wide open on the other side of the pitch. Why don't they just pass it over there?
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Making the Numbers Count: When Your Child Sees a 2v1
We've all seen it: your child's team has an advantage, two attackers against one defender, and yet the moment fizzles out. It often looks so simple from the touchline.
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When Your Child is 'Next to' the Ball, But Not in the Play
We've all seen it: our child's teammate has the ball, and our child is standing right beside them, a little too close for comfort.
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The 'Extra Pass' Dilemma: Why Sharing the Ball Can Be So Hard
We've all seen it: a child with the ball, a teammate wide open, but they try to score anyway. It's a common moment on the pitch, and often, a really difficult one for young players.
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Why Playing It Safe Can Be The Smartest Move
It can be confusing when your child doesn't win the ball, but sometimes preventing danger is a bigger win.
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The Lonely Journey: Why Taking on the Last Defender is So Tricky
That moment when your child has the ball, there's just one defender left, and a sea of green grass to the goal. What happens next isn't always what you expect.
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Why That Two-On-One Pass Is So Tricky
We've all seen it: two defenders close in on our child, and a teammate is completely free nearby, but the pass just doesn't happen.
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Why That Empty Space Isn't Always Obvious To A Young Player
You see it from the touchline, that inviting patch of green ahead. But for a young player with the ball, seeing and seizing that space isn't always straightforward.
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When the Game Opens Up: Understanding Counter Attacks
That moment when your child's team wins the ball and suddenly there's space all over the pitch. It looks like a golden opportunity, but it doesn't always play out as you'd expect.
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How to Teach a Child to See the Whole Pitch in Football
Practical advice for parents and coaches on how to help young players improve their pitch vision, scanning, and spatial awareness to make better decisions.
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Could Grassroots Football Sponsorship Do More Than Put a Logo on a Shirt?
Grassroots football sponsorship matters. But could your business go further than a logo on a shirt and put something directly into young players' hands?
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Why Fast Breaks Aren't Always That 'Fast' for Young Players
You've seen it: your child's team wins the ball, the opposition looks a bit disorganised, and a big chance feels like it's on. But then, the moment passes.
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Why Young Players Bunch Up Around The Ball
It's a common sight on a Sunday morning: your child's team all chasing the ball in a big cluster, or two players standing right next to each other when one has possession.
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When is 'the extra pass' the right pass?
We’ve all watched from the touchline as our child has the ball in a promising position, only to either force a shot or turn away from goal when a teammate was in a better spot. Why does this happen so often?
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When a pass goes begging: Why spotting an attacking run is harder than it looks
We've all seen it: the striker making a fantastic run, but the pass just doesn't come. What's happening in your child's head at that moment?
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Why Forcing Players Inside Isn't Always a Mistake
Sometimes, watching our kids defend, we might see them 'invite' an attacker into what looks like a dangerous area. What's really going on?
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When a Teammate Runs Around the Outside
Ever wonder why your child makes the run they do when a teammate has the ball near the touchline, and there's a defender right there?
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Why spotting the open player isn't always obvious
We've all seen it: our child with the ball, a teammate free nearby, and somehow that pass just doesn't happen.
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The Invisible Stretch: Why Pitch Size Matters to Young Players
Ever wonder why your child seems to gravitate towards the centre of the pitch? It's a common sight in junior football, and understanding why can shed a lot of light on how young players see the game.
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Why Keeping Attackers Wide Isn't Always Easy
You've seen it countless times: an opponent driving towards your child's goal. As parents, we often instinctively want them to 'stop them!' but what does that actually mean on the pitch?
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When a Teammate is Open: Why Drawing a Defender is Harder Than It Looks
It can be baffling when your child passes the ball straight to an opponent, or misses an obvious opportunity. But there's a lot going on in those split-second decisions.
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Why Do Some Players Always Seem to Have More Time?
Watching from the touchline, some young players just seem to glide, making everything look effortless, as if they have an extra second or two with the ball.
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Why We Created Become Unplayable
Ever wondered why some moments on the pitch seem trickier for young players than they appear to us? We certainly did.
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Asking Better Questions After a Football Match
That drive home after a match can be a tricky time. How do you talk about what happened on the pitch without it feeling like a debrief or an interrogation?
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Delaying the Attacker: Buying Time and Protecting the Goal
When an attacker is running at your child, their first instinct might be to win the ball. But often, the best defence is to slow things down. Read why delaying an attacker can be the smartest move on the pitch.
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Two Against One: Making the Best Decision
Learn how to make the smartest choices in 2v1 attacking situations in youth football. It's about using your teammate wisely.
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What Does Decision-Making in Football Actually Mean?
When we talk about 'decision-making' in football, what are we really talking about? It's more than just what to do with the ball.
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Why Confidence Can Change From Training to Matchday
Watching your child light up in training, only to seem a little quieter on matchday, is a common thing for parents to see.
Read →The card game that teaches kids how to think like a footballer.
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