You planned for 12 players. Eight turn up. One is late. Your goalkeeper is away. Another player leaves halfway through. Welcome to grassroots football. A session plan that only works with the exact number written on the page isn't a robust plan. You need to be able to protect the objective even when the numbers change. Keep the objective, change the organisation The first question shouldn't be, "What drill can I do with eight?" Ask, "How can I create the same football problem

Decision making sits at the heart of football. This blog explains why it matters so much and how coaches can build it into their training.