footy4kids/Right to Play basic soccer coaching manual

The manual has been designed to be used by volunteer sports coaches who have very little experience of soccer. It is simple, concise (it's only 30 pages long) and easy to understand.

It does, however, feature many of the most popular drills and games on this site and contains lots of information that new coaches (and some not so new coaches!) will find useful.

You can download it for your own use completely free of charge (see the link at the foot of the page).

Contents

The History of Football

How the Game of Football is Played

Field of Play

Minimum and maximum dimensions.

Pitch layout

The Basic Rules of Football

Coaching football – some hints and tips

BASIC SKILLS

Ball Control 

Dribbling

Passing

Shooting

Kicking for Distance

Heading

The Throw In

Goalkeeping

Tackling 

Drills

Warming Up

Cooling Down

Ball Control

Dribbling

Passing

Shooting

Heading

Goalkeeping

Small Fun Games

Mini Football 

SAMPLE PRACTICE SESSION PLANS 

Ball Control and Dribbling

Passing and Shooting

The Header and Throw-In

Goalkeeping

Click on the link (or right click, 'save target as') to download the Right to Play football coaching manual (zip file, 605kb)

more soccer coaching downloads

*Right To Play is an athlete-driven international humanitarian organization that uses sport and play as a tool for the development of children and youth in the most disadvantaged areas of the world.