The Pull Aside
A coaching technique that blends Coaching in the Flow with personal conversations
Pull Aside
There are moments when a quick command or brief question isn’t enough. Perhaps a player needs to be gently told a message or given detailed tactical instructions. When situations like these arise it’s helpful to call the player over and have a short conversation with them. This coaching tool is called a Pull Aside (or PA).
Regardless of age or ability, every player wants to play (reflected in Principle 4 of Good Coaching). They don’t want to be pulled out of the game and talked to by the coach. Therefore, when we use a Pull Aside, the goal is to keep it as brief as possible without diminishing its effectiveness. But if there’s a way we can communicate the same message without pulling the player away from the game, that will always be the preferred method.
Picking When
Feedback is more potent when it’s delivered within the first 10 seconds after the player’s action (which is crucial when Coaching in the Flow). However, there are exceptions. Plays that are noticeably big – like when a player’s error on the ball leads to a goal conceded – will sit in the brain for longer periods of time. This means coaches can wait to address those moments during half-time, full-time, or during breaks between exercises. In those moments, the same process for Pull Asides can be used.
Coach Position
As mentioned before, a successful Pull Aside will minimize the time players are removed from the game. One of the best ways to do this is by having a good Coaching Position. The coach should position themselves in a way that minimizes their impact on the exercise and allows them to focus on the key players within their topic.
An easy example comes from working with goalkeepers. Coaches should either stand behind, next to, or in the goal to give feedback to the keepers. This also allows coaches to better understand what the situation looked like from the player’s perspective (which will be touched on again in a moment).
Knowing which key players are related to your topic is a crucial piece of the Pull Aside puzzle because it affects your Coaching Position. If the teaching topic is centered around outside backs in the defensive third then the coach will want to be positioned on the side line near the defensive third when focusing on a particular outside back. If the coach needs to focus on both outside backs then they may be in the center channel of the defensive third to give feedback to both players and better understand their first-person perspectives.
When the coach is on the field, their positioning should be like that of a referee: able to accurately see the play and communicate with players while minimizing their impact on the activity and its flow.
What to Say
A player’s made a mistake, you call them over to you (or you go to them because your Coaching Position has placed you close to them), and now the coaching point is given. The first thing to do is try and understand what the player was thinking. Beginning with a question gets the players interested in the Pull Aside because they are the ones giving information to you; they get to talk about themselves (everyone’s favorite subject) instead of being told about themselves.
By getting an insight into their thought process, you can learn what they were focused on and help them redirect it to an area that will give them more success.
Here’s an example:
“Alex, come here!”
Alex jogs to me while I jog to them, conscience of how where we’re standing will affect the game.
I say “On that last play, when Sam was dribbling, you stayed wide. What made you do that?”
Alex says “My mark was out there so I was staying with them.”
I say “Oh okay. But Sam was dribbling to the 18-yard box unpressured. When that happens you need to pressure the ball because it’s a bigger threat than leaving a player open out wide.”
That’s the first stage of the Pull Aside. It’s worth noting that it follows the same process as almost all other feedback techniques. I got the player’s attention and specifically referenced the situation (when Sam was dribbling) to ensure we both knew what moment was being addressed. I asked a question to draw them in and understand what guided their decision-making, then I provided an alternative area for them to focus on with a brief explanation why. But the Pull Aside process is not over yet.
Check for Understanding at the End
It’s important to end each Pull Aside with a brief Check for Understanding question. If players don’t understand what is being told to them then the whole Pull Aside moment has been wasted. The goal is not to give information but to alter behavior.
Continuing this example, you may have noticed that I used the Start with Information technique (“Sam was getting to the 18 yard box… pressure the ball because it’s a bigger threat), instead of using a Knowledge Question. This means my Check for Understanding question should re-visit that idea to ensure the player understands it.
Here’s what would follow after the short conversation mentioned above:
I ask “When do you leave your mark to pressure the ball?”
“When the dribbler approaches the 18-yard box” Alex says.
“Anytime a dribbler approaches the 18-yard box?” I ask. (Remember: Be Specific)
“No, when they’re unpressured and approaching the 18-yard box.”
“Excellent, keep an eye out for that. Get back to playing.” I say.
That’s the whole process: Get their attention, ask them a question to draw them in and gain insight into their thought process, provide a correction with a brief explanation why, and then use a Check for Understanding to reinforce the information.
Using Visual Representations
It’s worth adding that when possible a visual representation should be used simultaneously. If your Coaching Position is on the field then it would help to hold a clipboard that can be drawn or has magnets. If your Coaching Position is on the sideline then quickly set-up cones to represent the situation while the player comes to you. It may also be worth modeling a key technique or using gesticulations depending on what your coaching point is focused on.
Wrapping Up
Pull Asides should be quick, engaging, and informative. It’s worth spending a few seconds planning out your language to avoid the Pull Aside becoming long-winded or bogged down with too many clarifying or Check for Understanding questions. Sometimes players will need more time to absorb information and there’s nothing you can do about that. If you find your player is looking wistfully back at the game it means your time is up and it’s best to just try again at a later point. Just try to remember this broad three-step process: Ask question, provide alternative, and use a Check for Understanding.