Football Coaching Guide 2021 WELCOME TO SPECIAL OLYMPICS FOOTBALL COACHING GUIDE 2021 EDITION This guide will aim to provide coaches with valuable information to get them started as coaches within Special Olympics (SO) Football. Throughout this guide you will find information relating to what football is, the role of a football coach, how coaches interact with players, and a variety of other information relating to coaching the sport, such as safety, preparation and sportsmanship. This guide should be read in conjunction with the Special Olympics Football Sport Rules document and the Special Olympics Sports Rules Article 1. Keep in mind, that this guide is just one resource which may be useful to you as you progress through your career as a coach. As you develop your own style of coaching, you will find other books, websites, magazines and coaches, who will help to shape your approach to coaching. Always be curious! Always be open to new ideas! Always keep your athletes at the heart of your coaching! Page | i Football Coaching Guide 2021 Acknowledgements Special Olympics would like to thank the following professionals, volunteers, coaches and athletes who helped in the production of the Football Coaching Guide and its 2021 revision. They have helped fulfill the mission of Special Olympics: to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for people 8 years of age and older with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. Special Olympics is proud to acknowledge the support of Gallagher, official sponsor of Special Olympics International Sport and Coaching programming. Special Olympics athletics welcomes your ideas and comments for future revisions of this guide. We apologize if, for any reason, an acknowledgement has been inadvertently omitted. 2021 REVIEW FOOTBALL SPORT RESOURCE TEAM (SRT): André Peeters, Christian Guiralt, Miroslaw Krogulec, Oisín Jordan, Cal Lovering, Richard Schreiner. SPECIAL OLYMPICS INTERNATIONAL: Fiona Murray Jeff Lahart Monica Forquer Page | ii Football Coaching Guide 2021 Contents WELCOME TO SPECIAL OLYMPICS FOOTBALL COACHING GUIDE ........................................................... i 2021 EDITION ........................................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................. ii What is Football? .................................................................................................................................... 1 The Benefits of Football: ..................................................................................................................... 3 Unified Football: ................................................................................................................................. 5 SO Football and Events Offered: ......................................................................................................... 6 Events Offered: ................................................................................................................................... 7 Coaching: ................................................................................................................................................. 8 The Role of the Coach: ........................................................................................................................ 8 Responsibilities of a Coach: .............................................................................................................. 13 Qualities and Skills of an inclusive coach .......................................................................................... 14 Coaching Models to assist coaches: .................................................................................................. 15 Coaches Education Process / Minimum Requirements .................................................................... 16 Psychology Section:............................................................................................................................... 19 Understanding and Utilizing Sport Psychology: ................................................................................ 19 Psychological Considerations ............................................................................................................ 19 Athlete Readiness ............................................................................................................................. 19 Positive Reinforcement and Rewards ............................................................................................... 20 Motivation......................................................................................................................................... 21 Handling Grief ................................................................................................................................... 32 Taking Athletes to Competition ........................................................................................................ 33 Fitness Section: ..................................................................................................................................... 35 Fit 5 + Other SO Resources ............................................................................................................... 35 Common Injuries in Football ............................................................................................................. 47 Fitness Resources .............................................................................................................................. 50 Basics of Football: ................................................................................................................................. 51 Page | iii Football Coaching Guide 2021 Getting Started:................................................................................................................................. 51 Safety ................................................................................................................................................ 51 Player Equipment: ............................................................................................................................. 52 Coaching Equipment: ........................................................................................................................ 53 Preparing for a Training Session: ...................................................................................................... 55 Football Principles: ............................................................................................................................ 58 The Pitch ........................................................................................................................................... 60 5 vs. 5 Pitch Dimensions: .................................................................................................................. 61 7 vs. 7 & 8 vs. 8 Pitch Dimensions: .................................................................................................... 62 11 vs. 11 Pitch Dimensions: .............................................................................................................. 63 Futsal Pitch Dimensions: ................................................................................................................... 64 Formations and Units: ....................................................................................................................... 65 5-a-side/Futsal Formations ............................................................................................................... 68 7-a-side Formations .......................................................................................................................... 69 8-a-side Formations .......................................................................................................................... 70 11-a-side Formations ........................................................................................................................ 71 Restarts: ............................................................................................................................................ 72 Fundamentals of Football: ................................................................................................................ 74 PASSING ............................................................................................................................................ 74 CONTROLLING ................................................................................................................................... 77 DRIBBLING ......................................................................................................................................... 80 TURNING ........................................................................................................................................... 83 SHOOTING ........................................................................................................................................