It is the back end of July, the new season is a few weeks off, and your team has not kicked a ball in anger since spring. Pre-season friendlies are how you close that gap. Done well, they get the players sharp, let you look at your squad properly, and take the pressure off that first league game when it finally comes around.
I coach Springhead U12 Spartans over in Hessle, and every August I run three or four friendlies before the real fixtures start. Here is how I go about organising them so they are actually useful, not a kickabout that ends up 9-1 either way.
Start with why you are playing them
A friendly is not about the result. If you go in trying to win, you will play your strongest eleven, leave the newer lads on the side, and learn very little. Decide before you organise anything what you want out of the block of games. For me it is usually three things: get everyone fit again, try a couple of players in new positions, and see how the group copes with a shape we worked on in training.
Write those aims down. They change how you set up every game after that.
How many, and when
Three or four friendlies across August is plenty for a grassroots side. One a week is a good rhythm. Any more and you risk burning the kids out or running into injuries before the season has even started. Any fewer and they will feel rusty on day one.
Space them so they build. An easier opponent first to blow the cobwebs off, then a couple of tougher games as you get closer to the league opener. If your season starts in early September, working back from that gives you clear dates to aim for.
Finding teams to play
This is the bit that trips people up, but it is easier than it looks. A few ways I get games sorted:
Ask around your own league. Other coaches are in exactly the same boat in August and are often glad of a game.
Look one age group up or down. A strong U11 side against your U12s can be a good test for both.
Post in the local grassroots groups. Most areas have a Facebook or WhatsApp group where coaches swap fixtures.
Ask your club. Bigger clubs often have several teams per age group and can sort internal games at short notice.
When you agree a game, confirm the basics in writing so there is no confusion on the day: date, kick-off time, venue, format (7v7, 9v9, 11v11), and how long the halves are. A quick message that both coaches can screenshot saves a lot of grief.
Sorting a pitch and a referee
You need somewhere to play. If your club has a home pitch, book it early because August is busy. If not, ask the away team if they can host, or find a local rec or 3G that takes bookings. For a friendly you do not need a qualified referee. One of the coaches or a sensible parent can run the line and keep it fair. Just agree beforehand who is doing it.
Check the pitch is marked and the goals are safe. It sounds obvious, but a pre-season Saturday on an unmarked field with wonky goals is a headache you can avoid with one phone call.
Set the games up so everyone plays
This is where your aims earn their keep. In a friendly you can do things you cannot do in a league game. Roll the subs on and off freely. Give every player a proper run, not five minutes at the end. Try your midfielder at the back, or your quiet lad up front, and see what happens.
Tell the parents beforehand that this is the plan, so nobody is surprised when their child is not on for the whole game. Friendlies are for finding things out, and you only find things out by giving players a real go in different roles.
Watch the right things
Ignore the scoreline. What you are actually looking for is how the team plays, not whether they won. Are they keeping their shape? Can they play out from the back without panicking? Who steps up when it gets scrappy? Who goes missing?
I jot notes down at half time and straight after. Nothing fancy, just a few lines per player and a couple of things about the team as a whole. By the end of the block I have a clear picture of my squad that no amount of training-ground work would have given me. If you want to turn those notes into something you can share with parents, our guide to AI match reports shows how a few lines can become a proper write-up in seconds.
Keep parents in the loop
Pre-season dates land in the middle of the summer holidays, so availability is all over the place. Get the fixtures out early and ask parents to confirm who is around. You will always have a couple away, and knowing that in advance means you can invite a trialist or borrow a player rather than turning up with seven fit bodies for a 9v9.
If you use a team app to send the dates and track replies, you save yourself a week of chasing WhatsApp messages. Loading a run of friendlies in one go is quick if you bulk upload your fixtures rather than adding them one at a time.
After each game, tweak
The whole point of a friendly is to learn and adjust. After each one, pick one or two things to work on in the next training session. Maybe the defence sat too deep, or the subs did not know their jobs. Small fixes across three or four games add up, and by the first league match your team is in a far better place than a side that turned up cold.
Get your friendlies organised now, keep the aims front of mind, and let the results look after themselves. If you want a hand keeping fixtures, availability and squads in one place through pre-season, take a look at what Trac does for grassroots coaches.