Communication on the field of play.
20th December 2010

One of the most important, if not the most important aspects on the field of play is communication. Good communication is vital if a team is to be successful. Players need to communicate effectively with each other to play well as a team. If you listen to the players playing in a top flight match, one thing you will notice is the amount of talking between the players, not only the instructional communication but also the level of encouragement offered between the players.  

Communication not only means talking to each other, but non-verbal communication also plays an important part. Directing team-mates using hand signals and other gestures both with and without the ball is very important. Verbal and non-verbal communication used together can be as effective as a well-placed pass, shot or tackle. Playing football without talking limits the effectiveness of the team and makes winning the game doubly hard.  

We all see players who are gifted with the ball, but sometimes let themselves down with their communication, failing to show their team-mates what their intention is with the ball but also what they expect from them. What is worse, it is sometimes these very same players who because of their own ability expect the same level of play from the weaker players in the team, and when the ball goes astray they get frustrated and call out negatively to their team-mate. This is an example of how important positive chat is on the pitch, because negative communication not only gives out the wrong signals but also demotivates the other players. It can also send a message to the opposition and giving them self-belief that telling them that the opposition cannot play together.  

Some young players can suffer from low confidence and this manifests itself in their ability to talk on the pitch. It is important for the football coach to identify this as early as possible and encourage the player to use their voice. If you have a player who lacks confidence, when it comes to instructing team-mates, you need to give them encouragement to improve their footballing self-esteem by doing drills focussed on talking. This may not come naturally to some players, though over time and with practice this can be improved and cured completely. For these players it is also very important for their team-mates to take a responsibility and encourage them to use verbal communication as much as possible. Football is a team game.  

The many aspects of communication can be broken down in the different phases of play, both in defending and attacking. Players need to understand positions and the tactics required for the various phases, and the need to talk to each other, both for where the player should be in any given situation and where the ball should be or is expected to be.  

Communication is the responsibility of every player, not just the captain or the goal-keeper; everyone has to communicate as if they are the leader on the pitch. Each player has a position and an area they are responsible for, and in that area they should play like a captain and communicate accordingly, calling players into their area as needed and advising them what they expect of them in their area. In that zone they also need to take advice from other players who are perhaps better able to see a situation developing from afar.    

Players need to indicate to each other where they expect their team-mates to be in any given situation, where the ball will be directed to and they should also be able to take instruction from any other member of the team, regardless of their perceived level in the team’s hierarchy.  

It does not matter what the words used are, they may be the conventional calls associated with the ball, space on the field or the opponent, though the words used can be anything, as long as the whole team understands the code in use.    

Young players need to focus on the team, and must understand that the best players and most successful teams have a habit of communicating well. In doing so players need to follow these simple rules:  

• Don’t be afraid to instruct and advised your team-mates on what you expect from them.

• Be responsive to instruction given.

• Don’t openly criticise your team-mates and encourage whenever possible.

The ultimate goal is to be able to watch a junior match without hearing the coach or a parent shouting and screaming instructions at a player, and for all player’s to equally give and take important instructions and advice from each other.