Football guides for parents and coaches

Short, practical guides for anyone helping a young player improve, written for people who have never coached. Each one links to the matching skills in the roller so you can go straight from reading to playing.

• How to run a 30-minute football session at home

  A warm-up, ball mastery, one skill focus and a finishing game, with tips on coaching when you are not a coach.

• Football drills for 5 to 7 year olds

  Six games with no queues and no knock-outs that build close control and confidence.

• Football drills for 8 to 11 year olds

  Five drills that build technique and decision-making, and a weekly routine that grows with the player.

• How to improve your weaker foot: a 4-week plan

  Ten minutes a day, one theme per week: touch, passing, movement and finishing.

• Football juggling for beginners

  The technique, a five-stage progression and why the ball keeps flying off in the wrong direction.

• Football tactics explained for parents

  What 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 actually mean, and how to use a tactics board to explain a shape or a run.

• Solo football drills for a small garden

  Six drills that need almost no space, plus a 15-minute routine.

• A simple football warm-up for kids

  A five-minute routine with no equipment, and a short cool-down to finish.

Looking for something to practise right now? Browse all 50 skills, or tap ROLL and get one at random.