I have my final assesment in may and I'm goin to start doing this session every week from now on with some older teams. I'd just like some idea on how to lay out the session as I have the coaching points and how to try and not stray off the actual passing side of the SSG. I have been told that some people fail level 2 because they dont stick to their topic and try and overelaberate. Thanks

Hi there, do you want to start by listing your coaching points and also telling us what your structured start is? Call it a bit of guided discovery!

The trick is - keep it simple. Unless you have the ability/experience you do not need to get involved in coaching mistakes. You need to get your coaching points across and ensure that the participants understand, and can do what you ask of them.

Structured start - Midfielder starts with the ball on the halfway line and has a weak shot at the goalkeeper. 2nd striker chases ball down.

Coaching points

1. Defenders go wide and create space, recieve ball have a good first touch
2. 2nd defender covers
3. Midfielder creates space
4. 1st striker creates space with a forward run
5. 2nd striker comes inside and then outside for the ball over the top
6. sweeper keeper

It looks like you've got a good topic there. As long as you get your points across. For each coaching point after you've demonstrated it and asked them to show that they understand (by doing it). If it doesn't go right get in and reinforce once. Don't keep doing it as it will make the player look silly.

I would suggest getting your points across in that exact order, and also writing them on a piece of card.

With your structured start I would ensure that both strikers chase the ball down thus giving your keeper 2 options, and ensuring both defenders push wide. If you wanted to be clever and coach a mistake, I would ask the keeper to throw the ball out the other way. There will almost certainly be a mistake from the other defender who won't cover.

Is that helpful? Of course I am not Level 2 qualified yet but would like to think I am getting a grasp of SSG's ready for my final assessment in May having watched lots of them.

one of the best things you can do, is make sure that everyone goes back to where they were when you stopped it. If you think they were somehwere else move them until your happy. When you go in to tell your point, speak loudly and demo as much as you possibly can. Assessors will award a lot more marks for a demo rather than an explanation. Also, take your time and stop it when your ready.


good luck