If you watch youth football regularly, you’ll see it all the time.
A player gets the ball…
And within a second, it’s gone.
Cleared.
Rushed.
Forced into something that wasn’t really on.
From the outside, it can look like a lack of ability.
But I’ll be honest…
Most of the time, it isn’t.
It’s panic.
What Panic Actually Looks Like
Panic doesn’t always look like a big mistake.
A lot of the time, it actually looks like the player is doing something “safe”.
They might:
• Hit it long when they had space to step into
• Pass it too quickly without really looking
• Shoot when it’s not really on
• Move the ball on straight away instead of being more productive with it
And this is the bit people miss…
It’s not always that they made the wrong decision.
It’s that they didn’t really see the situation in the first place.
The Real Problem: They’re Not Playing in the Future
One thing I say to my players all the time is:
“See the game to play the game.”
If they haven’t already looked…
If they haven’t already scanned…
Then when the ball arrives, everything becomes rushed.
They receive…
Then try to figure it out…
And by then, it’s too late.
That’s where panic comes from.
What I’m Actually Trying to Get Them to See
A lot of the time I’ll say:
“Calm the game down.”
Because not everything has to be rushed.
If we can’t go forward…
“Start again.”
Go around.
Move it.
Find a better option.
And we break it down simply.
If we can’t go beyond…
What are the other options?
• Is there space behind?
• Is there space beside?
• Is there space in between?
That’s what we call the four B’s.
Because football isn’t just about forcing things forward.
It’s about recognising what’s actually in front of you.
Why Players Panic (From What I See)
From my experience, there are a few big reasons.
1. They Haven’t Seen the Picture Enough
If players haven’t experienced certain situations in training…
They won’t recognise them in games.
So instead of solving the problem…
They escape it.
That’s when you see the rushed pass or the clearance.
2. Pressure From the Sideline
This is a big one.
You hear:
“Get rid!”
“Don’t lose it!”
And even though it’s meant well…
It speeds everything up in the player’s head.
Now they’re not thinking:
“What’s the best option?”
They’re thinking:
“I just need to get this away.”
3. They’re Being Judged Like Adults
This is probably the biggest frustration for me.
These are young players.
They’re learning the game.
They’re not the finished article.
But sometimes they’re judged like they are.
Compared to adult football.
Expected to make perfect decisions.
And that’s just not the reality.
They need time.
They need repetition.
They need patience.
What We Do To Help Players Improve This
You can’t just tell a player:
“Stay calm.”
That doesn’t work.
We Create the Problem
In sessions, we design situations where players are:
• under pressure
• in tight spaces
• forced to make decisions
Because if they don’t experience it in training…
They won’t handle it in games.
We Guide, Not Just Correct
When things don’t come off, it’s not:
“That’s wrong.”
It’s:
“What did you see?”
“What else was on?”
Because we’re trying to build understanding.
We Allow Lessons
I always say:
“They’re not mistakes… they’re lessons.”
Because if players are scared to get it wrong…
They’ll never improve.
A Real Moment From a Game
I remember this clearly in a U14 game.
A defender got the ball near his own goal.
Straight away from the sideline:
“Get rid!”
“Clear it!”
But instead of panicking…
He stayed calm.
He lifted his head.
Saw the space.
And played a pass between two players.
That pass broke the line and started an attack.
We nearly scored from it.
Now here’s the interesting part.
When it came off… everyone clapped.
But if it didn’t…
The reaction might have been very different.
What I Look For Instead
For me, it’s not just about what happened.
It’s about what the player saw and tried to do.
I look for things like:
• Do they recognise space and step into it?
• Do they get their eyes up?
• Can they see and play that forward pass?
• Do they understand when to go around instead of forcing it?
• Can they switch play when the space is on the other side?
That’s is how we really develop the players.
Final Thought
Panic isn’t something players are stuck with.
It’s not a personality thing.
It comes from:
• not recognising situations
• not having the experience
• not being in the right environments
And when those things change…
Everything changes.
Because real development doesn’t come from avoiding mistakes.
It comes from learning how to solve the game.