Designing Small-Sided Games for Soccer

Designed for football coaches seeking to improve session design, this Soccer Hub course explores how small-sided games can be used to develop players physically, technically, and tactically. It examines the effects of manipulating task constraints — including player numbers, pitch dimensions, game rules, and spatial references — on performance and decision-making, drawing on both scientific research and practical evidence. The course also addresses how small-sided games can be structured within a training microcycle.

Delivered entirely online across 30 lessons, the course was created by Diogo Coutinho, who holds a PhD in Sports Sciences from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro and has experience as an assistant coach at professional clubs including Moreirense FC and GD Chaves. He also lectures on UEFA B and C coaching courses for the Portuguese Football Federation. The course includes assessments and offers unlimited access.