Coordination in football: Why it is needed and how to train it

Controlling your own body and the ball is an essential part of football training and matches. A lack of coordination means weaker skills, poorer passing techniques, slower changes of direction, and worse performance in body-to-body confrontations. Just like fitness, the coordination of the body and nervous system needs to be trained to ensure that players' performance on the field continuously improves. In this article, we will discuss why coordination is important in football and also mention examples of exercises that help develop it.

What is coordination?

Coordination is the ability to adjust motor activity so that body movement closely matches the ideal structure of the movement. This ability is closely related to the central nervous system, which controls areas important for specific movements.

• Spatial orientation ability helps determine and change the position and movement of the body in space and time in relation to the action field or a moving object. It is the ability to accurately determine and appropriately change the position and movement of the body in space.
• Reaction ability is related to reaction speed. It involves initiating purposeful movement in response to a stimulus in the shortest possible time, with reaction time being the indicator.
• Balance ability means maintaining the body in certain positions. When moving the body, it is important to either maintain or restore this state. We distinguish between static balance (stationary), dynamic balance (in motion), and balancing with an object.
• Differentiation ability means controlling movement in space and time with regard to the force requirements based on developed kinesthetic information coming from muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joint capsules.
• Rhythmic ability is the ability to perceive and motorically express rhythm from the outside or contained within the movement itself.
• The ability to combine involves the mutual linking of body movements (limbs, head, torso) into a spatially, temporally, and dynamically coordinated overall movement aimed at achieving the goal of the movement action.
• The ability to adapt involves modifying and restructuring movement activity according to changing conditions that a person perceives or anticipates during movement. It is about restructuring movement activity based on changing tasks.

Why is coordination needed in football?

Coordination is one of the motor skills of a person. It is an innate ability that needs to be developed in every training session. It works best when combined with speed abilities. Coordinative abilities are primarily conditioned by the processes of controlling and regulating movement activity.

When developing coordination in football, players aim to achieve timing synchronization of movements in different segments of the body. This involves precision of movement with and without the ball, which is not distorted by fatigue and the spatial-temporal pressure of the opponent.

The opposite of coordination is so-called clumsiness, which we encounter especially at lower performance levels, for example, during running or executing game skills.

However, coordinative abilities are not the only skill influencing game performance in football. They contribute to a player's performance along with conditioning and Hybrid speed abilities.

Advantages of Coordination for Football Players

• Dominant ball control
• Accurate passing with both feet
• Faster decision-making
• Stronger balance in body-to-body confrontations
• Deceptive dribbling when bypassing opponents

Development of Coordination in Football

The ability to coordinate needs to be developed between the ages of 6 and 12, when the best skill development occurs. In the first phase, it involves selecting exercises for the development of so-called general coordination. From puberty, around the ages of 11 to 12, the focus shifts to improving specific football coordination.

When developing coordination in football, the following aspects should be achieved:

• quick and accurate reactions to stimuli in game situations,
• the ability to learn new movements, especially those related to football skills,
• high levels of intramuscular coordination – the transfer of information from the brain regarding strength, speed, and the amount of motor unit engagement in the muscle activated for movement. This involves the economy of movement, such as the correct timing of passes or runs,
• the ability to adapt and change movement activity based on the demands of the game situation.

Exercises for Coordination and Balance

Football is a dynamic sport that requires agility, speed, and natural skill. To improve performance, one must constantly work, learn, and refine the basics. To enhance coordination, it is beneficial to regularly incorporate functional exercises that engage the whole body and games that focus on ball control into training.

In one functional exercise, you train strength, endurance, and performance, control balance, work with different muscle groups, and focus on smooth movements.

Here are a few training examples.

1. Dribbling

Dribbling exercises build a solid foundation of balance and coordination:

Exercises with slalom cones

• Set up a straight line of cones at regular intervals and then dribble between them without touching the cones.
• Set up two rows of cones about 3 meters apart. Dribble the ball from one end to the other as quickly as possible while staying between the rows of cones.
• Circular dribbling around cones is a more challenging version of the slalom. This exercise tests the player's ball control in tight spaces.
• Randomly arrange cones into different groups and dribble between them. This exercise forces you to improvise.

2. Dynamic stretching

Another important way to develop players' balance is stretching. While traditional static stretching involves sitting still, dynamic stretching requires movement of the whole body during stretching. Additionally, it warms up the muscles for quick movements with a fast pull and tests their coordination.

Let's look at a few coordination examples:

• high knees,
• bringing heels to the buttocks,
• side squats,
• lateral shifts,
• squat walks.

These exercises mimic common movements performed during a football match, such as running, kicking, and sliding. Most of them also require standing on one leg while the rest of the body is in motion.

3. Supplementary sports

To develop your versatility in football, you should occasionally engage in other activities. Doing one sport all year round limits players' athletic potential.

There are many supplementary sports available. So let's introduce a few basics:

• Tennis requires similar movements with quick pulls and changes of direction, just like in football.
• Golf develops vision and depth perception. It also improves patience and discipline.
• Lacrosse has a similar field structure and rules, but it is physically more demanding. It teaches players how to use their bodies to gain possession of the ball.
• Basketball is similar to football in its movement, positioning, and team play.
• Volleyball helps with timing jumps and tracking the ball for headers.

4. Agility ladders

Agility ladders are versatile tools used by youth leagues as well as professional football players. They offer a variety of footwork drills, which is the most important skill a footballer can work on.

Foot training includes speed, agility, and balance, and agility ladders are one of the few tools that develop all three factors.

5. Exercises with square cones

Probably the best general method for developing speed, balance, and coordination is the exercise with square cones, which leads to the development of speed, balance, and coordination.

Players utilize their vertical and lateral speed during this exercise. They sprint, shuffle sideways, and backpedal while trying to stay on a straight line, but they also have to manage sharp ninety-degree turns.

For this exercise and to improve endurance, short intervals are the best.