Research summary · Sport psychology
Coach encouragement during football training
A systematic review evaluates how coaches' verbal encouragement changes training load and selected physical and technical outcomes in football.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Systematic review
- Journal
- Journal of Sports Sciences
- Population / context
- Football players · Youth to professional
What the publication reports
Eighteen studies included 518 players. Encouragement increased internal load in 11 of 13 studies, physical or time-motion outcomes in six of eight, and technical outcomes in eight of nine; findings in elite youth and professional players were mixed.
Limits and interpretation
Protocols, comparison conditions and outcome measures varied, and evidence was mostly short term. Counts of favourable studies do not quantify a universal effect or show improved long-term learning, wellbeing or match performance.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Coaches’ verbal encouragement in soccer: A systematic review of its effects on internal training load, physical and time-motion performance, and technical skills
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42768963DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2026.2735708Reader discussion
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