"Unlucky!" is the kindest thing a touchline says. It is meant well: the shot went wide, the pass was cut out, the player looks crestfallen, and a voice from the side says it was not their fault. The trouble is that it is also the least useful thing a coach can say, because it tells the player there is nothing to learn.
Sometimes it is true. A deflection, a bobble, a gust of wind: luck exists, and it is fair to say so. But much of what gets called bad luck is technique, a decision, or where a player stood, and all of those can be coached.
Three questions
When something goes wrong and you are about to say "unlucky", ask yourself first:
- Was it how they did it? The pass was over-hit, the first touch ran away, the shot was scuffed. That is technique.
- Was it what they chose, or when? They dribbled when a pass was on, passed when they could have shot, waited a second too long. That is a decision.
- Was it where they were? They were standing in the wrong place to receive it, too close to a team-mate, or caught between two positions. That is position, and awareness of the game.
If the answer to all three is no, and it really was a deflection or a bad bounce, then it was unlucky, and you can say so. Most of the time one of the three will fit.
What to say instead
With young players the most helpful thing is often a question, not a verdict. Try one of these, and then wait for the answer:
- "What did you see before it came to you?"
- "What else could you have done with it?"
- "Where would you like to have been standing?"
Praise what is in the player's control: the effort, the good decision even when it did not come off, the second attempt. "Good idea to look for the early pass" is better than "unlucky", because it is true and the player can do it again.
Turn what you saw into training
What you see on a Saturday only changes anything if it reaches Tuesday. A simple way to get it there:
| What you saw | What it might be | One thing to try in training |
|---|---|---|
| A pass over-hit down the line | Weight of pass (technique) | Passing in pairs to a target zone, aiming for it to stop in the zone |
| A first touch that ran away | Body shape and touch (technique) | Receiving on the half-turn, with a small area and a starting position that is side-on |
| A shot from the wrong place | A decision, and position | Small games where goals only count from inside a marked zone |
| Two players going for the same ball | Awareness and communication | Calling a name before receiving, in a small-sided game |
These are starting points, not the answer: look at your own players and change them.
Keep a count, not a feeling
One bad pass is nothing. Three in ten minutes is a pattern. If you note what you see with the minute, you can tell the difference between a moment and a habit, and you can put your finger on what to practise. The guide on taking match notes at the touchline shows a way.
Do not stop being kind
None of this means being harsh. The aim is the opposite: a player who hears "that was a good idea, let's work on the weight of the pass" has been given something to do, and is more likely to feel trusted than a player who is told it was not their fault. Say what was good, say the one thing to work on, and then practise it.
Nothing Unlucky began from exactly this idea: nothing is unlucky, everything is coachable. Read what it does.