Reader,
This week at the club where I lead a youth programme for U13-U23 players, we kicked off a five-week trial block for 2026 teams.
Trials can be a challenging process with significant player numbers, often very little context on who some players are, what their attributes are, and the environment can be one that puts pressure on players.
Beyond selection, the event provided a huge challenge for coaching staff as they juggle the logistics of dozens more players than normal, whilst also trying to ensure a slick session that allowed the coaches to observe the players perform.
In order to ensure we executed well, we had a clear plan of how to design and deliver the sessions.
We also shared a presentation with parents and players prior to the event kicking off, to ensure expectations were clear, and to articulate what we aimed to deliver.
The biggest focus from a leadership perspective was to ensure the staff had all the tools to deliver a quality experience, ensure we looked as professional as possible in our approach, and brought to life the programme that we promised.
So what did we focus on to maximise every minute on the pitch for the players?
Three Things to Consider
1 – Implement a pre-trial staff meeting.
This ensures that coaches are briefed on the selection process, and plans on pitch. Create a ‘Trial Guide’ to raise awareness on talent identification, understanding that we need to gather as much information as possible on players in order to ensure we support them with the most appropriate challenge point.
2 – Set clear standards and expectations.
Set standards for the staff regarding how they could set up the session, what the timings would be, pitch maps for setup, as well as providing session plan resources to ensure the coaches have a plan they could utilise or adapt.
3 – Be guided by principles.
Create task design principles that mean the players get to play, not listen to coaches talk. By taking a principled approach to how we coach, the staff were clear that we want the practices to look like the game, to include direction, goals and consequences, so the ball rolls and the players make decisions.
One thing to try this week
If you’re watching players in a trial or training context, be very clear on what you’re looking for.
Rather than creating a rigid player or positional profile, give some thought to the attributes and behaviours you might like to see when players play.
This doesn’t have to be tied to technical excellence or tactical quality; it could be characteristics socially or psychologically that demonstrate the player would be a good fit in your environment.
Most importantly, when selecting players, give yourself a window of time to observe; a snapshot won’t cut it.
One Critical Resource on the Topic
Check out this PDP Q&A discussion which dives into the topic of trials, presenting all angles on what you need to consider when observing and selecting players.
