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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: 1968 - 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: 672 - 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: 1968 - 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: 672 - 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: 2925 - 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: 1968 - 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: 672 - 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: 1968 - 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: 8648 - 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: 2497 - 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: 1968 - 25/06/2026 14:14:08
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See a lot of coaches happy with a player who can punt kick with one foot. Very little time spent on shooting with the flat inside of the foot which is the primary means of scoring and even less on developing the weaker foot to do so. Then again it's hard to perfect when most don't practice at home.
Do people here think putting up a few YouTube clips for parents to try practice at home would be of benefit or a waste of time
Jack_Sparrow (Westmeath) - Posts: 1084 - 01/07/2026 19:41:27
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Replying To Jack_Sparrow: "See a lot of coaches happy with a player who can punt kick with one foot. Very little time spent on shooting with the flat inside of the foot which is the primary means of scoring and even less on developing the weaker foot to do so. Then again it's hard to perfect when most don't practice at home.
Do people here think putting up a few YouTube clips for parents to try practice at home would be of benefit or a waste of time" The parents who really care, are already doing that.
For the kids who are on the margins of the team, or being streamed down to the B or C team - having a chat with their parents about the skills their child is lacking and sending them some coaching clips could actually get both parent and kid focused on improving a skill like that.
Most parents (and coaches) were never shown how to kick a ball themselves so they are unable to show a kid how to do it correctly.
To be able to kick a ball well in Gaelic football you have to be able to do 10 different kicks
Out of your hand
1. High punt - left & right (2)
2. Low punt - left & right (2)
3. Instep/curl - left and right (2)
4. Outstep/swerve - left and right (2)
5. hook kick - left and right (2)
A lot of people call the instep kick a hook kick - often using a mixture of the the two and calling it a hook kick.
Here is David Clifford telling you to "wrap your foot around the ball" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4UEb1vF9Kk
Good luck telling that to a 10 yr old. He uses his instep to curl the ball not moving his upper body.
Clifford is a special case though, he solos by throwing the ball across his body - right hand to left foot - something you tell a kid not to do. I doubt he had any real coaching of technique - just hours of practice, which is why he is so hard to stop as you cannot predict what he will do next.
In the official GAA one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjp2oeXWB3c. Stephen O Neill uses the inside of the laces, turning his shoulders to get the hook, rather than trying to curl the ball.
The Power Hook kick -
The Wind-Up: Bend the knee of the kicking leg to bring your heel towards your glutes. This acts like a rubber band, creating faster momentum.
Strike: Lock your ankle so it doesn't bend, and point your toes to the target to expose the hard bone on the inside of your shoelaces. Hit the ball directly in the center (or slightly below center if you want it to lift) for optimal kinetic energy transfer.
Follow Through: Swing your leg completely through the ball and follow through toward your target. Turning your shoulders so your facing the target at the end of the follow through.
Using the instep has a bigger surface area so is more accurate, but if your going for a 2 pointer or kicking into the wind the kick often dies on the way, or curls wide into the wind. Hence, having the power hook kick in the locker can be a game winner.
In reality, any player needs to find a mixture of the above to suit their own style. The most important bit being that they can adjust depending on where they are on the field, to the defender in front of them and to the distance from the target.
For the Goal keepers - there is a whole world of kicks (10) needed to be a top class intercounty keeper - even a club keeper needs 2/3 of them.
6. Power kick - left and right (2)
7. Curler - left and right (2)
8. Knuckleball - left and right (2)
9. Trivela - left and right (2)
10. Floater - left and right (2)
In comparison to other sports, mastery of kicking in Gaelic football is a lot harder than any other field sport. Even hurling, striking the sliotar has a lot less variables and a big flat area to strike the ball. Granted blocking, catching, picking up etc are much harder, but actually kicking a football well in all conditions takes years of practice.
Watching videos will help, but you cant beat practice to find your own style.
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1968 - 02/07/2026 11:02:11
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "The parents who really care, are already doing that.
For the kids who are on the margins of the team, or being streamed down to the B or C team - having a chat with their parents about the skills their child is lacking and sending them some coaching clips could actually get both parent and kid focused on improving a skill like that.
Most parents (and coaches) were never shown how to kick a ball themselves so they are unable to show a kid how to do it correctly.
To be able to kick a ball well in Gaelic football you have to be able to do 10 different kicks
Out of your hand
1. High punt - left & right (2)
2. Low punt - left & right (2)
3. Instep/curl - left and right (2)
4. Outstep/swerve - left and right (2)
5. hook kick - left and right (2)
A lot of people call the instep kick a hook kick - often using a mixture of the the two and calling it a hook kick.
Here is David Clifford telling you to "wrap your foot around the ball" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4UEb1vF9Kk
Good luck telling that to a 10 yr old. He uses his instep to curl the ball not moving his upper body.
Clifford is a special case though, he solos by throwing the ball across his body - right hand to left foot - something you tell a kid not to do. I doubt he had any real coaching of technique - just hours of practice, which is why he is so hard to stop as you cannot predict what he will do next.
In the official GAA one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjp2oeXWB3c. Stephen O Neill uses the inside of the laces, turning his shoulders to get the hook, rather than trying to curl the ball.
The Power Hook kick -
The Wind-Up: Bend the knee of the kicking leg to bring your heel towards your glutes. This acts like a rubber band, creating faster momentum.
Strike: Lock your ankle so it doesn't bend, and point your toes to the target to expose the hard bone on the inside of your shoelaces. Hit the ball directly in the center (or slightly below center if you want it to lift) for optimal kinetic energy transfer.
Follow Through: Swing your leg completely through the ball and follow through toward your target. Turning your shoulders so your facing the target at the end of the follow through.
Using the instep has a bigger surface area so is more accurate, but if your going for a 2 pointer or kicking into the wind the kick often dies on the way, or curls wide into the wind. Hence, having the power hook kick in the locker can be a game winner.
In reality, any player needs to find a mixture of the above to suit their own style. The most important bit being that they can adjust depending on where they are on the field, to the defender in front of them and to the distance from the target.
For the Goal keepers - there is a whole world of kicks (10) needed to be a top class intercounty keeper - even a club keeper needs 2/3 of them.
6. Power kick - left and right (2)
7. Curler - left and right (2)
8. Knuckleball - left and right (2)
9. Trivela - left and right (2)
10. Floater - left and right (2)
In comparison to other sports, mastery of kicking in Gaelic football is a lot harder than any other field sport. Even hurling, striking the sliotar has a lot less variables and a big flat area to strike the ball. Granted blocking, catching, picking up etc are much harder, but actually kicking a football well in all conditions takes years of practice.
Watching videos will help, but you cant beat practice to find your own style." We wouldn't have the luxury of a B or C team. We need to get every girl we have up to scratch by the time they turn u12 which is an incentive in itself. Yes the video clips would be aimed more at the parents than the kids.
Our club punches above its weight but still think the quality of play could be improved with more buy in from family at home.
Jack_Sparrow (Westmeath) - Posts: 1084 - 02/07/2026 13:02:57
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Replying To Jack_Sparrow: " Replying To tirawleybaron: "The parents who really care, are already doing that.
For the kids who are on the margins of the team, or being streamed down to the B or C team - having a chat with their parents about the skills their child is lacking and sending them some coaching clips could actually get both parent and kid focused on improving a skill like that.
Most parents (and coaches) were never shown how to kick a ball themselves so they are unable to show a kid how to do it correctly.
To be able to kick a ball well in Gaelic football you have to be able to do 10 different kicks
Out of your hand
1. High punt - left & right (2)
2. Low punt - left & right (2)
3. Instep/curl - left and right (2)
4. Outstep/swerve - left and right (2)
5. hook kick - left and right (2)
A lot of people call the instep kick a hook kick - often using a mixture of the the two and calling it a hook kick.
Here is David Clifford telling you to "wrap your foot around the ball" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4UEb1vF9Kk
Good luck telling that to a 10 yr old. He uses his instep to curl the ball not moving his upper body.
Clifford is a special case though, he solos by throwing the ball across his body - right hand to left foot - something you tell a kid not to do. I doubt he had any real coaching of technique - just hours of practice, which is why he is so hard to stop as you cannot predict what he will do next.
In the official GAA one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjp2oeXWB3c. Stephen O Neill uses the inside of the laces, turning his shoulders to get the hook, rather than trying to curl the ball.
The Power Hook kick -
<u>The Wind-Up</u>: Bend the knee of the kicking leg to bring your heel towards your glutes. This acts like a rubber band, creating faster momentum.
<u>Strike:</u> Lock your ankle so it doesn't bend, and point your toes to the target to expose t<u>he hard bone on the inside of your shoelaces</u>. Hit the ball directly in the center (or slightly below center if you want it to lift) for optimal kinetic energy transfer.
<u>Follow Through</u>: Swing your leg completely through the ball and follow through toward your target. Turning your shoulders so your facing the target at the end of the follow through.
Using the instep has a bigger surface area so is more accurate, but if your going for a 2 pointer or kicking into the wind the kick often dies on the way, or curls wide into the wind. Hence, having the power hook kick in the locker can be a game winner.
In reality, any player needs to find a mixture of the above to suit their own style. The most important bit being that they can adjust depending on where they are on the field, to the defender in front of them and to the distance from the target.
For the Goal keepers - there is a whole world of kicks (10) needed to be a top class intercounty keeper - even a club keeper needs 2/3 of them.
6. Power kick - left and right (2)
7. Curler - left and right (2)
8. Knuckleball - left and right (2)
9. Trivela - left and right (2)
10. Floater - left and right (2)
In comparison to other sports, mastery of kicking in Gaelic football is a lot harder than any other field sport. Even hurling, striking the sliotar has a lot less variables and a big flat area to strike the ball. Granted blocking, catching, picking up etc are much harder, but actually kicking a football well in all conditions takes years of practice.
Watching videos will help, but you cant beat practice to find your own style."</div>We wouldn't have the luxury of a B or C team. We need to get every girl we have up to scratch by the time they turn u12 which is an incentive in itself. Yes the video clips would be aimed more at the parents than the kids.
Our club punches above its weight but still think the quality of play could be improved with more buy in from family at home." I find teaching the hook kick to girls to be particularly difficult - they love a good punt kick I coach an U11 team - only 1 of them kicks with her instep and none can do a hook kick.
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1968 - 02/07/2026 16:26:27
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