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Considering the trends in our game at present, what would the general consensus be as to which skills an underage should focus their time?
In Soccer it would be : First touch, pass, shoot
In Basketball it would be : pass, shoot, dribble
In hurling it would be : first touch, striking and catching
In Gaelic football I would be very much in the view that focus should be Catching, Kicking, tackling - especially in the current laws. However, I see a huge amount of time spend on handpassing and soloing. Yet the players who are dominating now at senior level are those who can catch a high ball, kick accurately (and from distance) and can tackle properly.
I am interested to know why a lot of coaches put such an emphasis on solo running and handpassing, both of which only slow down the play in general.
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1931 - 13/05/2026 09:45:05
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "Considering the trends in our game at present, what would the general consensus be as to which skills an underage should focus their time?
In Soccer it would be : First touch, pass, shoot
In Basketball it would be : pass, shoot, dribble
In hurling it would be : first touch, striking and catching
In Gaelic football I would be very much in the view that focus should be Catching, Kicking, tackling - especially in the current laws. However, I see a huge amount of time spend on handpassing and soloing. Yet the players who are dominating now at senior level are those who can catch a high ball, kick accurately (and from distance) and can tackle properly.
I am interested to know why a lot of coaches put such an emphasis on solo running and handpassing, both of which only slow down the play in general." Im not a football coach but i will give my opinion on it.
Catching- absolutely vital. It always was and always will be. It is your first touch in GF and the game becomes much easier when you master it.
Kicking- it has regained prominence in the game with the introduction of the new rules. Its probably on a par now with handpassing ( probably not quite par but much closer) but the game remains a possession and transition game. Shooting specifically has become more important and particularly long range shooting. Players were actively discouraged from shooting under the old rules and now the opposite is the case.
Tackling- as there is no clearly defined tackle in the game im not sure what specifically you are talking about here. I presume you are talking about competing for the ball etc. Defending is very important in every team sport.
I would add handpassing as its still the main method of moving the ball in the game. Its vital that every footballer is a quick accurate hand passer of the footballer and knows how to place and receive a hand pass in space( the progressive hand pass). You dont necessarily have to be a great kicker of the football to be a good footballer but you do have to be a great hand passer.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 611 - 13/05/2026 17:51:30
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "Im not a football coach but i will give my opinion on it.
Catching- absolutely vital. It always was and always will be. It is your first touch in GF and the game becomes much easier when you master it.
Kicking- it has regained prominence in the game with the introduction of the new rules. Its probably on a par now with handpassing ( probably not quite par but much closer) but the game remains a possession and transition game. Shooting specifically has become more important and particularly long range shooting. Players were actively discouraged from shooting under the old rules and now the opposite is the case.
Tackling- as there is no clearly defined tackle in the game im not sure what specifically you are talking about here. I presume you are talking about competing for the ball etc. Defending is very important in every team sport.
I would add handpassing as its still the main method of moving the ball in the game. Its vital that every footballer is a quick accurate hand passer of the footballer and knows how to place and receive a hand pass in space( the progressive hand pass). You dont necessarily have to be a great kicker of the football to be a good footballer but you do have to be a great hand passer." Interesting view point.
I would be in the total opposite camp.
There is a tackle in Gaelic, it allows you stop a player with your body and use quick hands to disposes them of the ball.
Quick hands and quick feet being the key elements.
I would say that a player who can kick the ball accurately, especially with 2 feet is a far better player than a two handed handpasser.
It is interesting, that despite all the hours of training put in now from U6 up to age 30 and with schools of excellence and development squads, training camps, 4 days a week training, you can count on 2 hands the number intercounty players who can kick accurately with both feet and a similar number of players who can handpass left and right with speed and accuracy.
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1931 - 14/05/2026 13:15:06
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "Interesting view point.
I would be in the total opposite camp.
There is a tackle in Gaelic, it allows you stop a player with your body and use quick hands to disposes them of the ball.
Quick hands and quick feet being the key elements.
I would say that a player who can kick the ball accurately, especially with 2 feet is a far better player than a two handed handpasser.
It is interesting, that despite all the hours of training put in now from U6 up to age 30 and with schools of excellence and development squads, training camps, 4 days a week training, you can count on 2 hands the number intercounty players who can kick accurately with both feet and a similar number of players who can handpass left and right with speed and accuracy." I think you contradict your own point of view there in the last paragraph. Handpassing is clearly viewed as being the more important skill by those that actually coach the game. I would imagine that reason for it is simple. Possession is key and therefore movement of the football through the hands at speed is the safer more progressive way to move the ball successfully down the field at pace. They have all the data and they continue to predominantly play this way. I say its for a reason. Kick passing carries an unnecessary risk in most scenarios.
In relation to your definition of the tackle I dont see it defined that way in the rule book. Under the rule book you can only use your body shoulder to shoulder. Blocking , as you put it, is entirely at the discretion of the referee and is often penalised. It occasionally goes the tacklers way too but its probably 2 or 3 to 1 in favour of the ball carrier in both codes.
I wouldnt argue with you on the two footed player being a better player but this conversation is about the most important skills. That, to me, means the most used/useful skills.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 611 - 15/05/2026 12:41:31
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "I think you contradict your own point of view there in the last paragraph. Handpassing is clearly viewed as being the more important skill by those that actually coach the game. I would imagine that reason for it is simple. Possession is key and therefore movement of the football through the hands at speed is the safer more progressive way to move the ball successfully down the field at pace. They have all the data and they continue to predominantly play this way. I say its for a reason. Kick passing carries an unnecessary risk in most scenarios.
In relation to your definition of the tackle I dont see it defined that way in the rule book. Under the rule book you can only use your body shoulder to shoulder. Blocking , as you put it, is entirely at the discretion of the referee and is often penalised. It occasionally goes the tacklers way too but its probably 2 or 3 to 1 in favour of the ball carrier in both codes.
I wouldnt argue with you on the two footed player being a better player but this conversation is about the most important skills. That, to me, means the most used/useful skills." Handpassing is the most effective way to maintain possession no doubt, but it's a much easier skill to master than kicking accurately. Therefore coaching good kicking is more important, as it's much more a differentiator. You'll hit a ceiling with being very proficient at hand passing, as teams need to score at the end of the day. Especially in the current era of football, where big scores are being run up.
Don't confuse what's easier with what's more important.
WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2909 - 15/05/2026 13:23:57
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Replying To WanPintWin: "Handpassing is the most effective way to maintain possession no doubt, but it's a much easier skill to master than kicking accurately. Therefore coaching good kicking is more important, as it's much more a differentiator. You'll hit a ceiling with being very proficient at hand passing, as teams need to score at the end of the day. Especially in the current era of football, where big scores are being run up.
Don't confuse what's easier with what's more important." Fully agree.
Handpassing is a fairly easy skill to learn, especially if you have played a bit of basketball or rugby.
Kicking the football in all 12 ways {right [punt (instep, outstep, laces), hook (instep, outstep, laces)] and left} takes significantly more coaching and practice than the 4 types of hand pass.
I never heard any footballer every be admired as a great handpasser.
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1931 - 19/05/2026 11:12:30
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "Fully agree.
Handpassing is a fairly easy skill to learn, especially if you have played a bit of basketball or rugby.
Kicking the football in all 12 ways {right [punt (instep, outstep, laces), hook (instep, outstep, laces) and left} takes significantly more coaching and practice than the 4 types of hand pass.
I never heard any footballer every be admired as a great handpasser."]Players may not be known for it but teams generally are. Your own county was/is considered one.
I suppose the key to this debate is whether the goal of the coach is individual improvement or collective improvement. Kick passing is risky. Ball retention rates are far lower and therefore playee execute less regardless of their skill set. That doesnt mean it shouldn't be coached. However the reality is that you will practice the skills that you use more frequently more often. Thats why drills, small sided games etc are hand passed based.
We practice kicking points more than handpassing points for the same reason.
On the hand pass itself, im not sure its easy to get good at anything. It requires excellent technique and vision to be a great handpasser of the football and sliotar. Most players aren't great at it. They are adequate. How many times do we see them too high or too low, behind the man or too slow. A good progressive handpass into space with quick hands/thought is a joy to see because it is rare.
Again , that's not to say kicking isnt great, its just not as useful to the team unless its shooting.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 611 - 19/05/2026 11:34:16
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Replying To Tadhg2020: " Replying To tirawleybaron: "Fully agree.
Handpassing is a fairly easy skill to learn, especially if you have played a bit of basketball or rugby.
Kicking the football in all 12 ways {right [punt (instep, outstep, laces), hook (instep, outstep, laces)</div> and left} takes significantly more coaching and practice than the 4 types of hand pass.
I never heard any footballer every be admired as a great handpasser." Players may not be known for it but teams generally are. Your own county was/is considered one. I suppose the key to this debate is whether the goal of the coach is individual improvement or collective improvement. Kick passing is risky. Ball retention rates are far lower and therefore playee execute less regardless of their skill set. That doesnt mean it shouldn't be coached. However the reality is that you will practice the skills that you use more frequently more often. Thats why drills, small sided games etc are hand passed based. We practice kicking points more than handpassing points for the same reason. On the hand pass itself, im not sure its easy to get good at anything. It requires excellent technique and vision to be a great handpasser of the football and sliotar. Most players aren't great at it. They are adequate. How many times do we see them too high or too low, behind the man or too slow. A good progressive handpass into space with quick hands/thought is a joy to see because it is rare. Again , that's not to say kicking isnt great, its just not as useful to the team unless its shooting."]The key part of handpassing as you pointed out is the vision element - knowing when to time it, by judging the speed and running line of the receiver. That part of it is easily picked up playing rugby or basketball in the winter, rather than running miles or doing gym work. All a GAA coach then has to do is coach them to Strike the ball with your fingers rather than the palm of your hand and its job done. The easiest skill in GAA.
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1931 - 19/05/2026 15:21:59
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Replying To WanPintWin: "Handpassing is the most effective way to maintain possession no doubt, but it's a much easier skill to master than kicking accurately. Therefore coaching good kicking is more important, as it's much more a differentiator. You'll hit a ceiling with being very proficient at hand passing, as teams need to score at the end of the day. Especially in the current era of football, where big scores are being run up.
Don't confuse what's easier with what's more important." All the more reason to try and improve a teams kicking by good coaching, if it's easier to master the handpassing and needs less work. Depends on the team though. Whichever is more effective on the scoreboard. Kerry can do it with by good kicking but Armagh and Donegal with more handpassing which requires more fitness. Defending is another skill which I think might be getting overcomplicated with the new rules and the arc. Too many defenders pushing out leaving lots of space for runners, but too many tracking players without the ball rather than reacting quickly and standup the runner.
GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8629 - 19/05/2026 16:08:41
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Key skills
(1) Speed without it you have nothing.
(2) Kick with both feet with accuracy including points
(3) Ability to hand pass off using both hands fast and accurate
(4) Fielding well down my list because depending on where you play you might contest very few balls in the whole season
That's enough
eoinog (Sligo) - Posts: 2491 - 19/05/2026 22:19:58
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Kerry place a limit on the number of plays on all players playing U14 - across the board.
That creates an obvious instinct to look up and pass the ball as soon as you receive it - maybe even before it.
National policy is to only apply that limitation to GO Games and I would wager that the majority of counties just about stick to that.
Certainly in Mayo, there is no appetite to follow Kerry - underage county teams in Mayo tend to favour the solo runner. Hence a Mayo player will solo run into space and look to pass when under pressure - you rarely see a Mayo intercounty player look up and kick the ball as their first option.
I would personally love to see Mayo ban the solo run up to U14, even U16.
But a Mayo man invented the solo run and its so imbedded in the football culture that Mayo will have to lose another 10 All Irelands to change that. The curse in Mayo wasn't on the 1951 team - the curse is the overuse of the solo run.
Sure copying the most successful football counties ideas couldn't possibly be a good idea!
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1931 - 25/06/2026 14:14:08
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