50 22 Correct less, coach better

Listen as Dan Cottrell chats to Stu James about fault correction.

What

Coaches need a picture of what good looks like, but that picture must fit the players in front of them. A young player’s pass, tackle or decision will not look like an international player’s. If the template is wrong, the correction will be wrong too.

“Make sure the template is suitable for the players in front of you.”

Fault correction starts with judgement. Some errors require immediate attention, especially those related to safety. Others may resolve as players self-organise, practise, and feel their way towards a better solution.

So what

If coaches correct everything, players lose flow. Sessions become stop-start, confidence drops, and the game disappears. But if coaches never correct, players may simply keep guessing.

“If we are trying to find perfect all the time, we would be stopping every single game.”

The skill is knowing when to step in, and how. Sometimes players need telling. Sometimes they need showing. Sometimes they need to watch another player, answer a question, or feel the movement for themselves.

Now what

Pick your moment. Use hot feedback when the player knows exactly what has just happened. Use warm feedback when video, reflection or a quieter conversation will help more. Where criticism may be needed, ask permission first. That small step can change how the player receives the message.

“Fault correction should feed forward into something better.”

Correction should always come from a good place. The aim is not to expose the fault. It is to help the player own the next action.