Football session plans: What to include?

Football coaches are always looking for ways to get the best out of their players during football training sessions, at all levels: youth, amateur, or professional. It is not enough to arrive at football training without preparing something or to give the players a ball and simply tell them to play a game.

There is a widely used phrase that also applies to football, which shows the importance of preparing a training session: If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

In this post, we'll look at how to prepare a football workout plan and the key elements to include. And if you are passionate about a career as a coach, you should think about studying the Sport Coaching Course or the Master in Football Coaching with the Real Madrid Graduate School - Universidad Europea.

The importance of a football training programme

Planning a training session helps coaches to make it more enjoyable and useful for the players, and to make the most of the time available.

Planning doesn't have to be a lengthy process: with practice and experience, the coach can quickly prepare session objectives, identify activities, and select the equipment needed. Planning can make a difference in the effectiveness of training sessions.

Effective planning helps ensure the coach:

• Has all required resources available
• Provides a safe environment
• Maximises participation and make effective use of available time
• Provides challenging activities and that allow for progressive player development.
• Includes all participants, regardless of skill level.

What to include in a football coaching session plan?

A well-planned session is one that transitions quickly from one activity to another, increases player satisfaction, commands respect, and improves performance.

Planning a successful session requires skill, which is developed over time and with experience. Part of a successful training session is that the coach also learns and can make improvements for future sessions.

Football training sessions should have three main elements:

• The warm-up: It should stimulate and prepare the players for the most physically intense part of the session. It involves activities that are low intensity, high repetition, fun and generate enthusiasm. Stretching should also be included during the warm-up. In the perfect world, the warm-up should be related to the main activities of the session.
• Main activities: Emphasises the technical or tactical development of players through the use of small games. Some of the basic principles to follow are progress from the simple to the more complex, and gradually increase the physical and mental demands.
• Wrap Up Activity: At the end of each session, players should be given the opportunity to play a match. This will allow them to practice the ideas they have learned during the session. Here, players will gain invaluable experience using their skills in live game-like conditions, with minimal coach intervention.

Factors to consider when planning workout routines for football players

There are a number of factors that the coach must take into account when planning a football training session, including the age of the players and their level. Here are some of these factors:

• The age of the players: Players of different age ranges have different skill levels. The coach must take this into account because each player has a unique requirement.
• The number of players participating: The exercises and activities may depend on the number of players participating. It is always important to have a plan B if there are not enough players to do the drills correctly.
• The objective of the session: Before each session, it is important to have an objective: to improve the ability, physical condition, resistance, or to work on tactics, for example. That way, the coach and players can stay focused.
• The duration of the session: It will depend on the age of the players. For younger groups, 45-60 minutes is recommended. For older, amateur or elite players, 90 minutes is the standard time, replicating the time of a real match.

Become a soccer coach at the Real Madrid Graduate School

If you're considering a career as a coach, there's no better place to learn than Real Madrid Graduate School - Universidad Europea. We have an academic offer that will give you the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed.

Our collaboration with Real Madrid means you'll gain insight into the most successful training methodologies and learn from top-tier coaches and leaders in world football.

With an academic model based on experiential learning, you will also participate in and lead training sessions, being able to use Real Madrid facilities such as Real Madrid City in Valdebebas.