A Short History Of Coerver Coaching

In the late 1970s, Dutch European championship winning coach Weil Coerver led a revolution in soccer coaching.

He was dissatisfied with the lack of individual skill in the game, and the emphasis on defence that was stifling the offence-oriented style of play necessary to score goals. Up to that point, football instruction had been predominantly team and tactics oriented.

Little attention was given to individual skill development because no one knew quite how to teach these skills, and because it was widely assumed that the great players of the game were innately gifted to make special moves of their own that were far beyond the capabilities of the average player.

Coerver studied film and videotape of the greats from Pelé to Franz Beckenbauer to understand exactly what they did that made their moves seem so magical. He first broke down the moves step-by-step, then dissected moves that the players themselves were unaware they were doing. He then set about developing his method for teaching players of all ages and abilities how to replicate these previously ‘impossible’ moves.

Coerver consolidated this innovative knowledge into the Coerver Coaching Method, which progressed players through the following four phases of development.

1. Slow, simple step-by-step repetition of the moves.
2. Repetition of the moves on the run, without opposition.
3. Practice drills at increasing speed, with passive opposition.
4. When confidence is established, full pressure small-sided drills and games usually involving four players against four players with 100% opposition.

Coerver Coaching exposes players to a wide variety of moves, fakes and changes of direction, and encourages them to find those that work for them best as individuals.

The result? Highly motivated players with dramatically improved ball control skills and increased confidence on the ball.