Coaches Pack
Everything you need to coach at Grays, in one place.
Welcome
Thank you for giving your time to coach at Grays. Whether this is your first season or your tenth, you are the reason our players love coming to football.
Our aim is simple. Every child should feel safe, welcome and part of the team, and should go home wanting to come back. Winning matters, but how we behave matters more.
This pack tells you what you must do, what we expect, and where to find help. If anything is unclear, ask. That is what we are here for.
Andy Coultrup, Community Academy Chairman
Courses you need
Every coach must have these in place before working with players. Keep them up to date.
FA DBS check (Criminal Records Check)
Speak to our Welfare Officer, Cheryl Middleton, to start your check. You must not coach until it is cleared.
Introduction to First Aid in Football (IFAiF)
Book on England Football LearningUEFA C Licence
What we require
Every coach
- FA DBS check
- Safeguarding Children
- EE Playmaker
We advise
- Introduction to Coaching Football
- First Aid in Football (needed first)
New club rule: by the start of the 2027/28 season, every team must have at least one coach who has completed Introduction to Coaching Football. Speak to your age group lead now about who will do it for your team.
Put a reminder in your phone for each renewal date. If a course runs out, you cannot coach until it is renewed.
Code of Conduct
We follow The FA Respect Code of Conduct. Every member and parent signs the codes when they join.
As a coach, I will
- Put the wellbeing, safety and enjoyment of every player above everything, including winning.
- Set a positive example for the players I am responsible for.
- Show respect to referees, opposition players, coaches, officials and spectators.
- Respect the referee's decision, and never enter the pitch without their permission.
- Never use or allow offensive, insulting or abusive language or behaviour.
- Never take part in or allow any form of bullying.
- Make sure every activity suits the players' age, ability and maturity.
- Be gracious in victory and defeat.
If the code is broken, a coach can be asked to meet the Welfare Officer, suspended from matches, fined or suspended by the County FA, asked to leave the club, and can lose their FA coaching licence.
We are a TELLING club
Bullying of any kind is not accepted at Grays. Anyone who knows bullying is happening must tell the Club Welfare Officer or a committee member.
Watch for a player who:
- no longer wants to come to training
- becomes withdrawn, anxious or loses confidence
- feels ill before sessions
- has kit or belongings damaged or going missing
- is frightened to say what is wrong
Match formats
The formats our teams play. Pitch, goal and ball sizes follow FA guidance. Your league handbook has the final say on match length and local rules.
- Age groups
- U7 to U9
- Max squad
- 10 players
- Pitch (max)
- 40 × 30 yards
- Goals
- 12 × 6 ft
- Ball
- Size 3
- Match length
- See league handbook
Key rules
- Retreat line: at goal kicks, the other team must drop back into their own half until the ball is in play.
- No offside.
- No deliberate heading. An indirect free kick is given against it.
- Pass in or dribble in, instead of a throw in.
- Roll on, roll off subs at any time, with the referee's permission.
- The goalkeeper cannot pick up a back pass.
- Age groups
- U10 and U11
- Max squad
- 14 players
- Pitch (max)
- 60 × 40 yards
- Goals
- 12 × 6 ft
- Ball
- Size 3 (U10), Size 4 (U11)
- Match length
- See league handbook
Key rules
- Retreat line: at goal kicks, the other team must drop back behind the retreat line until the ball is in play.
- No offside.
- No deliberate heading at U10 and U11. An indirect free kick is given against it.
- Check your league for pass ins or throw ins at your age group.
- Roll on, roll off subs at any time, with the referee's permission.
- The goalkeeper cannot pick up a back pass.
- Age groups
- U12 and U13
- Max squad
- 18 players
- Pitch (max)
- 80 × 50 yards
- Goals
- 16 × 7 ft
- Ball
- Size 4
- Match length
- See league handbook
Key rules
- Offside applies.
- Heading is allowed from U12. Keep heading practice to a minimum in training.
- Roll on, roll off subs at any time, with the referee's permission.
- Check your league handbook for retreat line and match length.
- Age groups
- U14 and up
- Max squad
- See league rules
- Pitch (max) U14
- 90 × 55 yards
- Pitch (max) U15 up
- 100 × 60 to 110 × 70
- Goals
- 21 × 7 ft (U14), 24 × 8 ft (U15 up)
- Ball
- Size 4 (U14), Size 5 (U15 up)
Key rules
- Full Laws of the Game apply, including offside.
- Check your league handbook for subs and match length.
Our pitches
Treetops, across the road from Orsett Heath Academy, Grays.
Getting there
Postcode for sat nav: RM16 4XS
As you approach the school on Stanford Road, turn into Treetops Approach Road at the lights:
- Turn left if coming from the A13 or Orsett Cock.
- Turn right if coming from the Blackshots or Daneholes roundabout.
Parking
Use the main Treetops car park, through the school gates and across the mini roundabout. Do not park in the spaces closest to the pitches. These are in constant use for the gym.
Cafe and toilets
A small cafe on site serves hot and cold drinks and has toilets. Cash and card accepted. Please remove muddy boots before going in.
First team and mascots
Come and support the Grays Athletic first team. Our youth teams walk out as mascots at home games.
Fixtures, tickets and events
The Grays Athletic FanBase app has the latest fixtures, news, events, tickets and membership.
Home games and mascots
The contact for each game will sort the details with your team. If your team has no date yet, or you would like one of the open games, speak to Andy Coultrup.
Matchday checklist
Run through this before every game.
- Every player is a paid £30 club member. How to sign up
- Arrive early and walk the pitch for anything unsafe.
- Check the goals are safe and secure before anyone plays.
- First aid kit with you and stocked.
- Parent contact details and medical notes for every player.
- Correct ball size and enough bibs.
- Welcome the referee and the away team.
- Any problem with the site? Call John Bowers, General Site Manager.
- Parents stay behind the touchline and in the spectator area.
- Every player gets fair game time.
- Send in your result after the game, as your league asks.
- Leave the site tidy and take all kit home.
Safeguarding
Keeping children safe is everyone's job. If you are worried, tell someone. Do not wait.
Who to tell
Good practice
- Never be alone with a child out of sight of other adults.
- Message parents, not players. Use team group chats with at least two adults in them.
- Never share photos of players without parental consent.
- If a child tells you something worrying, listen, stay calm, do not promise to keep it secret, write down what was said and tell Cheryl the same day.
Key contacts
Tap to call, or press and hold a number to copy it.
Some phone apps may not dial from this page. If tapping Call does nothing, dial the number shown.
Sessions and drills
Example plans to get you started. Use them as they are, or change them to suit your players.
The shape of a good session
- 10 minArrival game. Players join in as soon as they arrive. Ball at their feet straight away.
- 15 minPractice one. Small groups working on the theme of the day.
- 15 minPractice two. The same theme, but with opponents and more decisions.
- 20 minThe game. Small sided match. Let them play and look for the theme.
- 2 minReview. Ask: what did we learn today? Praise one thing each player did well.
Use STEP to make any practice easier or harder: change the Space, the Task, the Equipment or the People.
Example sessions
U6 to U8 · 5v5Dribbling and keeping the ball
Arrival: Traffic Lights
20 × 20 yard area, one ball each. Players dribble around. Coach calls a colour: green dribble fast, amber slow with small touches, red stop the ball with the sole of the foot.
Practice one: Treasure Island
Players dribble in the area. On "Go", they dribble into the middle box, steal a ball (treasure) and dribble it back to their corner. Most treasure wins.
Practice two: Sharks and Minnows
All players (minnows) have a ball. Two sharks without a ball try to kick balls out. If you lose your ball, you become a shark.
Game: 4v4 with no keepers
Small goals or cones. A goal counts double if the scorer dribbled past a player first.
Look for
- Head up to see space
- Lots of small touches
- Using both feet and all parts of the foot
U9 to U10 · 7v7Passing and receiving
Arrival: Gates
Spread 8 to 10 cone gates in a 30 × 30 yard area. In pairs with one ball, pass through as many gates as possible in one minute.
Practice one: Pass and Move
Groups of four in a 15 × 15 yard square with one ball. Pass, then move to a new space. Add a second ball when they get it.
Practice two: 4v2 Keep Ball
Four keep the ball from two in a 15 × 15 yard square. Five passes in a row scores a point. Swap the two in the middle every minute.
Game: 5v5 to end zones
Score by passing to a teammate who stops the ball in the end zone.
Look for
- Open body shape to see the pitch
- First touch away from pressure
- Moving into space after the pass
U11 to U12 · 9v9Beating a player 1v1
Arrival: Copy the Coach
One ball each. Show a skill (step over, drag back, inside cut), players copy it, then try it at speed in the space.
Practice one: 1v1 to Gates
20 × 15 yard channel with two gates at each end. Attacker scores by dribbling through either gate. Defender wins the ball and counter attacks.
Practice two: 2v1 into 3v2
Attackers go 2v1 to a goal. A second defender and a third attacker join after 5 seconds. Players choose: dribble, pass or shoot.
Game: 6v6 with keepers
Bonus goal if it comes after a player beats an opponent 1v1.
Look for
- Attack the defender at speed
- Change of direction and pace
- Knowing when to dribble and when to pass
U13 to U18 · 11v11Pressing as a team
Arrival: Rondo
5v2 in a 12 × 12 yard square. The defender who wins the ball swaps with the player who lost it.
Practice one: Press, Cover, Balance
4v4 plus two neutral players in a 30 × 25 yard area. Defending team works in a unit: one presses, one covers, others balance. Win it back within 6 seconds for a point.
Practice two: Win it and Score
6v6 across half a pitch. If the defending team wins the ball, they have 8 seconds to score in a counter goal.
Game: 8v8 on a reduced pitch
Goals scored within 10 seconds of winning the ball count double.
Look for
- Nearest player presses first
- Good angles that force play one way
- Talking: "press", "cover", "time"
More free sessions
England Football Learning: Sessions
Browse sessionsGolden rules for every session
- A ball for every player, from the start.
- No lines, laps or lectures.
- Most of the session should look like football.
- Everyone plays in the game at the end.
- Fun first. Players who enjoy it come back and get better.
Player sign up
Every player must be registered before they play.
How new players join
- 1Ask Andy for the sign up link. Call Andy Coultrup on 07478 666373.
- 2Send it to the parent. They sign up and pay the £30 membership through TeamFeePay.
- 3Check it is done before the player takes part in a match.
Our leagues
Your league handbook is the final word on match rules.
Coaching tips
Simple habits that make a big difference.
- Plan every session. Know what you want players to learn before you arrive.
- No lines, laps or lectures. Keep players moving and touching the ball.
- Praise effort, not just goals. Name the good thing you saw.
- Keep instructions short. Say it in under 30 seconds, then let them play.
- Every child plays. Rotate positions so players learn the whole game.
- Talk to parents early. Set expectations at the start of the season.
- Stay calm on the touchline. Players copy what they see from you.
- Ask for help. No question is too small. Call your age group lead, Andy or any committee member.