What are children actually developing in an hour of football?

The FA’s 4 Corner Model: A parent’s guide to what to look for at training and matches

At a meeting for a grassroots club I help run, a parent gave a brilliant presentation on how his team uses the FA’s 4 Corner Model. Every season, each player gets a report tailored to them.

One of my favourite parts was that each child chose a player they wanted to play like. The coaches then helped them work out what they admired about that player and what they could try in their own game. A child who admires a midfielder might start looking over their shoulder before the ball arrives. Another might notice how their favourite player encourages teammates after a mistake and give that a go themselves.

It got me thinking. How many parents know about the four corners? And what might they notice at their child’s next game if they knew what to look for?

What are the four corners of football development?

The FA’s 4 Corner Model gives coaches four ways to look at how a player is developing. The corners are technical, physical, psychological and social, and they often come into play at the same time. The FA’s guide to the 4 Corner Model

Picture a child receiving a pass with a defender close behind. They use their balance to turn, take a touch away from the defender, hear a teammate call and decide whether to pass or keep the ball. In a few seconds, you’ve seen how they move, what they can do with the ball, how they communicate and how they make a decision under pressure.

What opportunities do we give children to develop each of those things over a whole session?

Social — Do children get time to be part of the team?

Plenty of children come to football because they want to see their mates. For a child who’s just joined, being invited into a game or having a teammate pass to them for the first time can be a big moment.

As coaches, we can give children chances to work things out together. In a small game, we might ask each team to take a minute to decide how they’ll help everyone get involved. Then we can watch what they do. Who brings a quieter teammate into the conversation? Who starts looking for them when they’re in space?

Physical — How much time do children spend moving?

Long queues are a pet peeve of mine. If ten children are waiting for one turn, could we set up two smaller games or give more of them a ball? It takes a bit of creativity, but it can give children more chances to practise stopping, turning, changing direction and moving with the ball.

There’s also a question about what kind of physical work the children need. If we have an hour of training a week, is fitness the priority for this group? On a particularly hot evening, would a session built around hard running make sense? Shorter games and more breaks might suit the group better. A pause to get a drink serves a purpose. So does finding a way to keep children involved when the conditions are right.

Technical — Does every child get a chance to practise?

Passing back and forth in pairs can help a child get a feel for how to strike the ball or take a first touch. It can also get repetitive, especially if the pass is always the same and the children already know where it’s going.

I like to see what happens when we take that skill into a game. Can the child look up, see where their teammate is moving and work out how much pace to put on the pass? And does every child get enough chances to try it? One player might see plenty of the ball in a big game while another barely gets a touch. A smaller game can give that second child more opportunities to practise the very same skill.

Psychological — Do children get to make their own decisions?

Think about what happens when a child gets the ball and someone immediately shouts, “Pass it!” How much time did that child have to look up and see what their options were?

One of the things we talk about at Soccer Shooters is what a child could do instead of just kicking the ball. Could they stop it, dribble, pass or shoot? A question like “What did you see?” gives them a chance to think about the decision and try an idea of their own next time.

We can hand over some decisions away from the ball too. Could the children plan a warm-up, agree a rule for the next game or decide as a team how to approach a challenge? Those are chances to speak up, listen to each other and see what happens when they put their own ideas into practice.

Try watching for the four corners at the next session

Next time you watch a child play football, or any sport, ask yourself as you watch, “Which of the four corners can I see in play right now?” Look at what happens away from the ball too. You might see a child help a new teammate find their place in the game, or watch someone ask for the ball again just after losing it.

At the end, think back over the whole session. Did all four corners get a fairly even share, or did one get more attention? Perhaps the children needed more time to practise receiving the ball under pressure. Perhaps there were several new players and the coach wanted to help them feel part of the group.

What was the balance, and did it make sense for those children on that day?

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