5 top tips to prevent mismatched games

FA regional coach development manager, Jack Walton, provides five top tips that coaches can use to help prevent mismatched fixtures. 

1. Prevention before cureYou may already have a good idea, from looking at the league table and previous results, whether there may be a mismatch before the game kicks off. Maybe try a quick chat with the other coach before the game to discuss potential strategies to help achieve a more balanced match. You could even contact the coach before matchday – so that your suggestion doesn’t come out of the blue.

2. Play imbalanced numbers

One of the players I currently coach told me that their playground match was always Year 6 v Year 5. “That’s a bit unfair isn’t it” I asked. “No, because there’s ten of us and twenty of them” came the response. How naive of me.

3. Mix the teams upI recall a big mismatch in a girls U14 game I was involved with in a previous role. At half-time, it was clear that nobody was getting a beneficial experience out of the game, so I agreed with the other coach that we would get the bibs out and mix up the teams. First-half: 6-0. Second-half: 3-3.

The ‘more able’ players also benefited from having to take more care over their decisions and actions. For example: much greater consideration of pass to one of their new teammates.

4. Quarters rather than halves
Agree to play quarters instead of halves. This gives more opportunities for the coaches to speak with players and agree on strategies to keep the game competitive.

5. Player-centredPrioritise the players’ needs over your own ego. Most of the problems in youth football are either caused or fuelled by adults. So often it’s up to us to do what’s right and not just what’s easy.