Welcome to CoachFives
Transform your coaching with meaningful player feedback that builds skill, confidence, and team connection.
How CoachFives Works
Get Ready
Register and set up your team in minutes
Get Set
Understand player development with our skill ladders
Go!
Focus, observe, and have meaningful conversations with your players
💡 Key Principle
CoachFives isn't about more control — it's about more connection. We help you communicate better, not more, creating space for players to thrive while feeling truly supported.
Setting Up Your Team
Get your CoachFives account ready in just a few simple steps.
1 Create Your Team
Team Details
To set up your team click on New Team. In the window, select New Team and fill in your team details. Click Save.
2 Add Your Players
Managing Players
Click Manage Players on your team card to open the player list. From here you can add new players, edit their details, or remove them from the team.
Adding a Player
When adding a player, choose between two options: select an Existing Player from one of your previous teams, or create a New Player by entering their first name, last name, and optionally their date of birth and jersey number.
⏱️ Time Estimate
Complete setup takes about 5-10 minutes for a typical team of 8-16 players. You'll assess individual player starting levels during your first few observation sessions (covered in the next sections).
3 Add Assistant Coaches (Optional)
Invite Assistant Coaches to Your Team
If you have assistant coaches who will help with observations and feedback, you can invite them to join your team. Assistant coaches can capture player observations and log feedback conversations — but cannot edit team properties or manage players.
- Open Manage Coaches: Click Manage Coaches on your team card to view the current coaches list.
- Generate an Invitation Link: Click Invite Coach, then Generate Invitation Link to create a unique shareable link.
- Share the Link: Copy the link and send it to your assistant coach via email, text, or any messaging platform. The link expires in one week.
- Assistant Coach Joins: When they click the link, they'll log in and automatically join your team as an assistant coach.
Note: Assistant coaches will appear in your team's coach list but won't be labeled as "Head Coach"—that designation stays with whoever created the team. All coaches can capture observations and feedback equally.
Understanding Player Development
Learn how to visualize player development in the core skills.
Skill Ladder Videos
Before starting your observations and feedback spend some time viewing all the Skill Ladders accessible from the main navigation. This will help you to understand and visualise what young player development looks like on the field — where a player is now, and what's next.
5 Core Skills Framework
CoachFives centers observations and conversations around 5 core skills that form the foundation of player development:
First Touch
Receiving the ball and maintaining control
1v1
Using moves to create space to run, pass, or shoot
Passing
Combining with teammates & maintaining possession
Attacking
Creating and finishing goal-chances
Defending
Anticipating, intercepting, winning the ball back
Skill Ladder Example: First Touch
Each skill has 5 levels. Players may begin the season at any level depending on their current abilities, giving coaches a clear development path to guide each player's individual journey.
First Touch Development
In this example: The player has achieved "Starting Out" and is currently working towards "Safe Feet".
Visual Learning
Throughout the app, click on the info or video icon to watch demonstrations and refresh your understanding of each skill level.
Capturing Focused Observations
Use your learning from the Skill Ladders to make focused in-game observations.
1 Select a Focus Skill
One Skill at a Time
Football (soccer) is a fast-moving and complex game. It is impossible to watch, assess and give easy-to-grasp feedback on every skill every week.
So select one of the 5 core skills every 2-3 weeks. Then move on to another. Click on the skill boxes at the top of your team page to select your focus skill for the team.
2 Observe Each Player in Action
During Match Day
Try to step back from the emotion of the game. Game day is their day, with no need for a coach's constant instruction. One of your key roles is to simply OBSERVE and make a note on how each player is doing in the focus skill.
During Training
If the emotion and stress of game day makes quiet observation too difficult, then you can use your free play part of a training session to make your player assessment.
3 Set Player Starting Levels
Where Does Each Player Begin?
Your first action is to set a starting level for each player in your focus skill.
When a starting level hasn't been set, player cards will show a No starting level set banner.
After observing a player for the first time in the focus skill, click Set Starting Level on their card.
The window opens to 5 skill levels with descriptions. Work your way up the ladder and select the level the player is working toward — their next challenge. Then Save.
This gives CoachFives a clear starting point for each player's development journey this season.
4 Capture Your Observations
In the App: Quick Capture
From your team page, click the eye icon on the player's card. The Capture Observation panel will open automatically.
For effort and trying - they're working on it but haven't quite achieved the skill level yet
For clear progress - they've consistently demonstrated the skill and are ready to go to the next level
e.g. "Great first touch under pressure made space for a shot and a goal!"
Observe with Appreciation
Don't just see what players can't do. Look for what they're trying to do, moving towards, and succeeding in. Focus on progress, not perfection.
Providing Supportive Feedback
Transform your observations into positive, growth-focused feedback conversations.
The CoachFives Conversation Framework
What's Up?
• What did you think about the game?
• What was your best moment?
• Your worst?
Well Done!
What's Next?
This is the basic 1-2-3 feedback formula.
Of course feel free to add or change to whatever feels right for you and your players.
Age-Appropriate Delivery
Younger players (6-9): Keep it short, visual, and skill-focused
Older players (10-14): Include how their skills contribute to team success
When & Where
Don't give feedback immediately after a game. Just celebrate or commiserate — keep everything positive and in perspective.
The best place for feedback is at a practice session. Reserve the last 20 minutes of free play. During that time, call a player out for 2–3 minutes. That's enough. Then back to play, and repeat with another player.
Preparing for Your Conversation
You can use the app to quickly prep before speaking with a player. Click on View Interactions to see your latest (and previous) observations and any notes you made.
If around mid-season you want to have a broader, multi-skill summary conversation, you can prep by clicking on View Player Details.
Conversation Example
A 2-3 Minute CoachFives Conversation
What's Up?
Coach: "Hi Alex, how's everything going? What did you think of Saturday's game?"
[Listen to their response, connect personally]
Well Done!
Coach: "We've been focusing on First Touch, and you're getting much safer with the ball — I noticed how you kept possession even when two players were pressuring you. That's a solid five! 🖐️ It really helps the team when you can do that."
What's Next?
Coach: "The football gurus say the next level is 'Clever Under Pressure' — do you know what that means? …. that means when the ball goes to you with an opponent in close pursuit, you use your first touch to avoid the pressure and find space. Keeping possession for the team and maintaining attacking momentum. Let's practice that. Here I'll pass then pressure."
Coach: "Great! See if you can practice this at home? Maybe get your mum or dad to be the pressuring opponent! Show them you can be Clever Under Pressure!"
Log a Conversation
After speaking with a player, log the conversation in the app. Over time this builds a record of each player's feedback journey — helping you recall what was discussed, spot patterns in their development, and make every conversation feel connected to the last.
In the App: Log a Conversation
Find the player on your team page and click the Log a Conversation button on their card.
Select the skill(s) you covered in the conversation. You can select more than one.
Log when the conversation took place.
Capture the key moments — what went well, what's next, and anything personal to the player that will help you next time.
Remember
This isn't about "telling players what they can do better" — it's a two-way conversation that encourages reflection, reinforces strengths, and guides next steps.
Additional Tips
Core principles for effective coaching through observation and feedback.
Timing & Frequency
Recommended Schedule
A Note About Goalkeepers
Version 1 of CoachFives does not include a specific observation and feedback for goalkeepers. Younger teams would probably not have specialist goalkeeper. Even a budding goalkeeper would benefit from junior years that include being a field player. We are considering goalkeeper support for a future version of CoachFives. If you do have a dedicated goalkeeper, then for now you can give your feedback outside of the app.
Addressing Over-Coaching Concerns
💡 Our Response to "Don't Over-Coach"
We agree — kids don't need constant instruction. CoachFives isn't about more control, it's about more connection. We help you talk better, not more. Better feedback means you can step back more during games because you've already built the connection and clarity kids need.
Connect With Us
CoachFives is YOUR feedback app. If you have ideas for features or improvements that would support your coaching needs, we'd love to hear from you. Email us at info@coachfives.com or visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/coach5s/.