Player Qualities

Once you’re on the programme, the work begins. At our Regional and National Academy training weekends, we’ll teach you everything you need to know to thrive as an elite player, perform on the world stage, and cope with the lifestyle and pressures that come with the territory. Of course we’ll teach you how to launch a powerful attack and an iron-clad defence. But we’ll also show you how to look after yourself, both physically and mentally, so you can feel and play at your absolute best.

Performance factors

The curriculum is rooted in four interlinking performance factors:

Technical and tactical skill - Combining technical and tactical training in four main areas: attack, transition (clear), defence, transition (ride).

Psychological preparation - Developing a culture of self-reliance and resilience and promoting a safe environment to flourish using personal learning and thinking skills (PLTS).

Game awareness - Helping you perform under pressure in game situations and improve consistency of impact on game.

Physical preparation - Preparing you for elite playing with education around injury reduction, nutrition, and hydration.

Below, we’ve broken down what each factor means. These outcomes are the qualities and skills of a future England player — and they’re what you’re striving towards at every training session.

  • Attack

    • Penetrate defence through 1v1 and 2v1 to exploit player advantage
      Exploit width and depth to make or take depth within defence

    • Maintain team possession or initiate team attack from basic information

    • Mobility to get free and open in 2v2 and 4v4 situations

    • Support by getting free or moving to space to maintain possession

    Transition: clear

    • Penetrate by playing forward, run or a pass

    • Run the ball as much as possible to maintain possession

    • Support the ball, get free & open, stretch the field to create space

    • Play backwards to find support and maintain possession

    • Game knowledge to recognise slow/fast break, settled

    Transition: ride

    • Deny space and delay break to prevent 2v1 disadvantage

    • Recover: narrow defence/crash to prevent quick penetration

    • Support and mobility to recover and even the numerical advantage

    • Regain possession in appropriate areas or 2v1 advantage

    Defence

    • 1v1 close down, challenge and pressure the ball carrier

    • Deny space to protect the goal and prevent penetration

    • Delay speed of attack to establish even play and challenge for the ball

    • Pressure on ball, force errors with support (2v1, slide, marking)

    • Mobility to prevent off-ball penetration

    • Self-reliant athletes who work through a process to learn to perform

    • Independent Enquirer: evaluate information, plan what to do and how to solve tasks

    • Creative Thinkers: explore ideas to try to solve problems; ask questions to extend thinking

    • Reflective: evaluate strengths and limitations, accept feedback from others to set realistic goals

    • Teamwork: work confidently and effectively with others, adaptive and responsible for own actions

    • Self-managed: organised, responsible for actions, shows initiative and commitment to improve

    • Effective Participant: engaged, contributes to discussions and suggests improvements

    • Be resilient and try to explore ideas to decide effective play

    • Ask coaches for advice and identify actions to improve

    • Reflect and implement effective improvements and changes in games

    • Perform effectively and consistently when playing under pressure

    • Follow training plans and workouts offered through the Talent Pathway

    • Demonstrate advice through prepared nutritious meals and maintain hydration throughout training

    • Manage injuries and do not breakdown during training sessions