I'm putting together a glossary of terms for my JV players that they need to know to be able to effectively communicate on the field. I've posted before, but the long story short is that I coach a lot of kids who don't watch soccer, and rarely have kicked a soccer ball before in their life. What's a nice, simple list of terms they should know? Things like..... Drop, Line, Center, Man on, Time, etc. Thanks for your help all.
I think that your coaching plan should drive how you teach communications. Not to limit the vocabulary, but rather to teach communication in the context of the moments of play. Most communication is non-verbal cues, but here are some phrases that I think are common or should become common. Switch and [switch] Again. (Switching fields.) Drop, Push Up, and Away. Something to signal an opponent making a blind side run, usually a lateral run, and a call for "help" when an defensive area is flooded. [insert your name]'s ball. Cover and Push Right or Push Left. Turn, Man On or Pressure Right [shoulder], Pressure left [shoulder]. One-Two, Two, and Three. (Calling for a return pass, a first pass, or a combination pass) Support, Square, Wide, Central or call for ball by position. Over the years I have found a calmly said "Look Up" to be far more effective than screaming "Shoot" at a team mate. I also teach what not to say--like anyone other than the keeper calling "keeper's ball" for him or her or taunting opponents.