The training session is the basic building block of coaching. At training, football skills are learned, conditioning and fitness levels are achieved and team confidence is developed.

In football, the training session will contain various drills set between a warm up at the beginning and a cool down at the end. To decide on what drills are suitable for a particular session the coach must first evaluate the team performance and then plan for optimal practice time.

Goals should be established before each segment of a training session. This will ensure individual and team deficiencies and strengths will be focused on.

When planning a training session the following considerations should be noted:

1. Venue

Various venues can be used during the football year, particularly in the pre-season period. In addition to their home ground, coaches should seek alternative venues ranging from an athletics track or swimming pool, to a well grassed hilly surface, indoor gymnasium or basketball court. If carefully selected, these venues can greatly improve the general standard of training.

2. Equipment

The well prepared coach will have a variety of equipment on hand at training. This can include:

• Footballs, pump
• Cones, witches hats
• Whistle, stop watch
• Handball target
• Tackle bags, ruck bags
• Portable goal posts
• Training jumpers
• An adequate supply of water for players during and after training

3. Outline of the Training Session

Many coaches now provide the players with an outline of the training session prior to training. Players can be informed on the overall aims of the session in addition to the approximate length and intensity of the practice.

4. Be Specific

Training must be specific to the demands of the game. With running training, the distance covered, the intensity of the running and the number of repetitions must be appropriate to the match and the various playing positions.

It is essential that running work be supplemented with activities using footballs. This is particularly important during mid-season when the amount of daylight is limited (in Australia).

5. Quality not Quantity

In general terms the emphasis should be on a quality non-stop training session rather than one of low volume and long duration.

Training Plan
The following training plan can be used to record details for each session.