5 Homework Tasks for New Soccer Coaches

Whether you have recently volunteered to coach youth soccer to spend time with your kids or because your child’s team desperately needs a coach, you must understand that you have taken on an enormous task. You have plenty of work to do behind the scenes to ensure the perfect season. You have just taken on the job of teaching young kids the most popular sport in the world.

Since many youth soccer coaches have never coached or played soccer, you have some homework ahead of you to fulfill your responsibilities for this task. As a new soccer coach, you must get a handle on the basics such as rules, terminology, and youth soccer strategies.

1. Know the "Laws of the Game". Get a rule book and learn the rules of the game. If your age level plays with the offside rule, make sure to pay close attention to this rule. Offsides are the most controversial rule of soccer, and knowing the details surrounding this rule is essential. Focus on regulations such as indirect or direct kick, throw-ins, corner kicks, and goal-kicks. Here is the 2020-2021 Fifa Laws of the Game.
2. Know your soccer league or association's rules. Your homework as a coach starts by finding out the specific special rules that your league operates. These rules typically vary depending on the experience level and age of the players. Things such as ball size, field size, goal size, number of players, and whether you play with a goalkeeper or not will need to be established before getting started. Contact your youth age coordinator to find the specifics on how your league operates.
3. Soccer Terminology. Learn soccer-specific terminology and teach this to your players. You are taking the right step since you are reading this online. You can find many sites on the Internet by doing a Google search for “Soccer Terms.”
4. Watch soccer coaching videos and read soccer coaching related articles. Make sure you read articles, tips, books, and watch instructional videos and pick up on your age group strategies. Often area soccer associations put on coaching clinics for all skill levels of coaches, giving you a big jump start on the season. Also, check with your local library to see if they have any soccer videos that you can check out to better your knowledge of the game.
5. Plan practices ahead of time. Take drills that you have learned in coaching clinics, videos, and articles, and plan your team's practice sessions ahead of time.  

Good luck, coaches! Remember, do your homework!