Is communicating in soccer something that you struggle with? Are you constantly being told that you that you need to “talk more!” but you aren’t really sure how to make that happen? If so, you’re in the right place because we’re going to give you some very easy-to-implement tips that will help you talk more in soccer right away.
Better communication in soccer is something that SO MANY players want to improve at, but have a difficult time making it happen. There are numerous reasons why soccer players struggle to communicate on the field, but much of it comes down to the fact that they were never taught HOW to talk more in soccer or WHAT they should be talking about.
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How good communication impacts the game
First off, how exactly does communication (or lack-there-of) affect a soccer game?
When individual players talk more in soccer, guide the ball and provide information & details to their teammates, the entire team plays better. The collective defensive effort is stronger and the attack is smarter, quicker and more connected. Good communication on the soccer field plays a key role in a team’s success on both sides of the ball and in the transition moments in-between
Players with good communication skills positively impact their team’s play with on-field leadership when they talk more in soccer. When you talk more in soccer and provide your teammates with timely, quality information about the environment around them, they are able to make better, more informed decisions. This makes a huge difference in the game because everyone (including the person doing the communicating) is more aware and more equipped to handle whatever situation comes their way.
A lack of communication on the field often results in disconnect and confusion between teammates – and leaves opportunities for the opponent to take advantage. Without good communication, it is impossible to have solid defensive structure or an organized system of attack. Without good communication, matches can quickly become a chaotic jumble of individual players running around without direction or purpose.
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But I'm afraid I'll say the wrong thing!
Although not an exhaustive list, here are some of the reasons players struggle with effective communication in soccer:
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they don’t know what to say
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they are worried they might say the wrong thing
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they believe no communication is better than bad communication
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they lack confidence and don’t trust in their ability to communicate well
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they think that what they have to say is not worthwhile
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they are afraid they will be held responsible if they give bad information
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they just don’t know how to talk more in soccer
Many players try to get themselves to talk more in soccer by simply telling themselves to do it, or even threatening themselves and being self-critical about it. Their self talk might be something like “You need to talk more this game. Just open up your mouth and talk. It’s not difficult, why can’t you do this?!”
Using negative self-talk and placing unrealistic demands & expectations on yourself at a soccer game is a quick route to never-ending feelings of failure and inadequacy, not to mention low self-confidence.
Demanding change doesn't work
The problem with just demanding that you do things differently is that it doesn’t really work. And it can actually have the unintended consequence of keeping you MORE tight-lipped and talking LESS in soccer because now there’s this bigger threat, this internal pressure from yourself to perform.
How do we change things then, if demanding improvement from ourselves doesn’t work? First, you have to make a conscious choice to WANT to try something different. If you continue to pretend that better communication is something you can just magically switch on, it’ll continue to be an obstacle for you. You have to take actionable steps toward change, and the first step is reframing the situation.
So – are you ready for a new way of looking at things? Let’s dive into situational awareness and talk about how it’s the key to unlocking your potential and helping you talk more in soccer. You might be surprised with how simple it is to make this change, and how much impact it has on your ability to communicate in soccer.
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Situational awareness is key
Improving your communication is really about improving your situational awareness, and then TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE. Players that are good communicators on the soccer field are actually just players with great game awareness and the confidence to speak up.
What is situational awareness exactly? Situational awareness is kind of what it sounds like: it is being very aware of the game environment. It’s having your head on a swivel and absorbing information on all sides of you. It’s checking your shoulder, and then your other shoulder, and then your front, and then repeating that over and over. It’s constant 360 degree awareness.
Qualities of players with good situational awareness
- Players with strong situational awareness are often very impactful in game play; they are the difference-makers on the team
- They play proactively, create chances and make critical defensive interventions
- They make early decisions and they have great anticipation and pattern recognition
- They keep their head on a swivel and are constantly checking their surroundings, absorbing information about potential hazards and opportunities; they adjust well to unexpected changes in the game environment
- They are able to selectively focus and hone in on what is happening around them, they aren’t easily distracted
- They are often selfless players who read the situation and act accordingly based on what is best for the ball and the team in that moment
- Players with strong situational awareness are good at calculated risk assessment, meaning they know when to take a chance and when to be conservative
- They are effective communicators, guiding the ball from player to player and directing traffic on the field
Staying focused on the game environment is absolute PIVOTAL to leveling up your communication and becoming more impactful in team play. To talk more in soccer, start with improving your situational awareness, and then start to incorporate these 3 simple steps into your game.
3 simple steps to help you talk more in soccer
Now for the million dollar question: WHAT should I talk about on the field? Next time you are out at training or a game, instead of putting pressure on yourself to just talk more in soccer, refocus your effort on trying out this simple 3-step process:
Step 1) Collect INFORMATION constantly
scan the field; keep your head on a swivel; check your shoulder every few steps
Examples of what to look for:
- Where is the space to exploit?
- What is going on in each channel?
- Where are your teammates?
- Where are the opponents?
- Is everyone marked? Are our defensive layers connected, ready to go?
- Are we positioned well for transition?
Step 2) Feed the INFORMATION to your teammates
talk about what you see; give details about what is happening
Examples of what to say:
- Man on! (when an opponent is approaching fast)
- You’ve got time! (when they don’t need to rush)
- You’ve got space! (when they can carry the ball)
- You’ve got drop! (when they’ve got support behind)
- Step! (when they need to be first defender and pressure the ball)
Step 3) Use the INFORMATION to impact
use it to anticipate, create & organize; Make a difference
All that information you now have, you can use that to:
- find & create opportunities!
- anticipate and make critical, defensive interventions!
- be creative!
- adjust on the fly!
- move proactively into pockets and holes!
- think two steps ahead!
- move the ball quickly after transition before the opponent can set up!
- unbalance the backline!
- help organize the players around you!
Focus on gathering information & the rest will come
When you start to grow your situational awareness, you might find that better communication just naturally starts flowing. You might also intuitively feel more driven to speak up because you will want to help your teammates by feeding them the information you now have.
For example – if your teammate is about to get tackled from behind by an opponent (something you are aware of because you’re now paying more attention), are you going to remain silent and let her get hit? Of course not, you’re going to say something to warn her and help her keep possession. But had you not been hyper observant you might not have seen it coming.
The same idea can be applied to the rest of the game – once you are more focused and aware, you’ll naturally begin to feel more comfortable with communication and grow your confidence to talk more in soccer.
{Related read: How to play with more CONFIDENCE in soccer RIGHT NOW}
Tips for better communication in soccer
Beyond better game awareness, there are additional things you can do to level up and improve your communication and on-field leadership skills in your soccer games. Julie Ertz of the USWNT is a fantastic example of a player that makes a huge impact with her awareness, her detailed guidance and clear communication.
Here are some tips to level up your communication and talk more in soccer. Many of these come from the wonderfully brilliant book Soccer I.Q. by Dan Blank (it’s a quick, easy read that I highly recommend to all players and coaches).
- Give detailed directions! Don’t just yell switch! Actually guide the ball from player to player as it moves across the pitch.
- Do not just shout someone’s name on repeat! YOUR TEAMMATES ALREADY KNOW THEIR NAME. Say their name once or twice to grab their attention, yes, but then accompany it with specifics about what you want them to do.
- Say things like “Through! (when you want it placed through the back line)
- Outside! (when running for an overlap)
- Back! (when you want a 1-2 pass played right back to you for a quick combination)
- Run to where you want the ball! Movement is also a form of communication and helps immensely in addition to talking. Movement is visual and attracts the eye easily, especially in a sea of people standing still .
- Use body language to communicate! Body language is extremely helpful, and again another visual that helps teammates with placement and timing. Point to where you want the ball, stick out the foot you want the ball played into, point your hips in the direction you are moving, etc.
- Use urgency in your voice when necessary! Such as when you want the ball released. Yelling NOW! can help your teammate time the pass for optimal potential and slot the ball at just the right moment to connect with the runner.
- Volume! No one is going to get upset with you for being too loud on the soccer field. I promise.
Paying it forward
Do you have a teammate that is really just EXCEPTIONAL with communication? Someone that gives good information, guides the play and provides a lot of instruction on the field?
Now, how does her exceptional communication impact you? Does it help you make better decisions? Does it help make you a better player? Don’t you want to pay this forward?
Your teammate’s words are important and impactful. YOUR WORDS ARE TOO. Your teammates WANT you to talk more in soccer about what you see; you are a valuable part of the team and your knowledge and game sight is part of what makes the collective so great.
The more players on the soccer pitch that are talking, guiding and being vocally active, the better the team will connect and the better they will play. Your individual communication is a very important piece of that!
Remember, the more you talk more in soccer, the more comfortable you will get with it and the easier it will become. And, as you focus on bringing these 3 simple steps into your game play, have patience with yourself because it takes a long time, and it can be really difficult work. Give yourself props anytime you make progress or communicate a bit better than you did yesterday. Give yourself the credit you deserve every time you talk more in soccer.
Hi everyone! I’m Jenn and I create content to help female soccer players and coaches maximize individual and team potential by developing healthy mindset skills. Join other subscribers and sign up for the newsletter for all my best tips and advice!
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