How do we control communication between players within a team? How do we handle verbal conflicts that arise in the form of complaints and negative feedback? Are there situations where it might be justified? These are questions I have been asking myself as I have had issues with the atmosphere within the team recently.

I coach a team of 16 boys aged 14. The team plays in the highest league offered by the federation for this age group and consists of players who are dedicated to the sport, meaning they want to participate in a development-based environment but are also extremely competitive. Off the field, we have a good atmosphere and cohesion within the team. There is a positive vibe; there is a lot of talking and joking, and the players get along well with each other. On the field, however, it looks different, and the communication towards each other can be very negative.

In competitive moments, the atmosphere within the team can quickly become critical and negative. For example, during matches, when we are frequently losing possession due to poor touches or careless mistakes like misplaced passes, the players often start communicating to try to raise the quality. However, instead of the communication being positive and encouraging, such as trying to talk to teammates and giving tips on what we can do to avoid making so many mistakes, it often turns into feedback in the form of negative criticism, like “What are you doing?” in a complaining and negative tone, or in worse cases, even some swearing. Not all negative communication is verbal, though; players' body language can also function as a form of negative communication. For example, in our last match, there was a situation where one of my players missed a clear chance while we were one goal down. Several other players reacted by hanging their heads, while others waved their arms in a way that signaled, “How could you miss that?”

This type of communication usually has the opposite effect. Instead of contributing to raising the quality of play, it lowers it. Players in my team who receive a lot of criticism and negativity tend to start using more negative communication themselves, either by snapping back or using body language that sends bad signals. They might, for instance, start pointing out the mistakes of other players on the field, leading to the spread of negative communication within the team and often resulting in a poor atmosphere during the match. Players who receive criticism are affected not only in their mood but also in their performance. There have been several instances during matches where they stop taking actions that have a higher risk of leading to mistakes and instead choose to perform "safer" actions to avoid making a mistake and being subjected to negative communication. Some players have even been so affected that they, in a way, avoid the game by trying to stay away from the ball, showing no intention of making themselves available for passes or of communicating with teammates during the game.

I suppose this is because constant criticism and negative feedback are mentally exhausting for players, especially at such a young age. If a player constantly receives criticism on the field, it will lead to a loss of confidence, and because of this, they will no longer dare to take actions for fear of receiving even more criticism, which in turn lowers the overall quality within the team.

I have tried to handle the situation by talking to the team as a whole about the behavior we have on the field and what consequences it can have for the team. I have also, in certain situations, taken players out of training during a drill to let them calm down. However, I have, which was probably a mistake, not taken the time to speak with the players individually when these situations occurred during training, as I felt a greater need to focus on the collective rather than the individual since I am the sole leader of my group. I also haven't had time to have discussions with players after training sessions as I have had to move on to other duties within the club I work for.

However, a situation recently occurred where I felt an immediate need to speak with a player individually and scheduled time for a conversation. One of my players had, over an extended period, had a tendency to quickly become negative and critical on the field when facing setbacks. The player easily lost their temper, and all communication from the player was negative and in a complaining tone. Even though the player provided valuable and essential feedback from a football perspective, the way he delivered it made the feedback negative, which had the opposite effect on the team compared to the player's intentions. After a long period without improvement, I felt I needed to talk to the player about this. I explained to the player that he expressed himself negatively on the field. The player felt he was only trying to help the team and did not see himself as negative or critical. I clearly explained to the player why his behavior was critical—due to his choice of words, tone, and body language—and also what consequences it could have for the team.

After the conversation, the player’s behavior changed, and he was significantly more positive and supportive. When mistakes happened, the player spoke positively instead of negatively, and several situations arose where the player approached teammates who had made a mistake to support and encourage them. However, this new behavior lasted only for a short period. After a few weeks, the player reverted to his bad habits and once again tended to express himself negatively and critically when the team faced setbacks or individual players made mistakes.

This is a problem I have struggled with, as it has occurred more frequently and from multiple sources during certain periods, and it is also an issue that has persisted over a longer period. I have tried to solve the problem in several ways, such as:

Raising the topic in the whole group
Talking individually with players who tend to be more negative
Reducing playing time for those who have been negative during the training week and/or previous match/matches in the next match
Not calling up players who have been negative during the training week and/or previous match/matches to the next match

These approaches have solved the problem in the short term, but after a while, the players revert to their bad behaviors and continue with their tendency to be negative. I have considered suspending players from team activities for a longer period, such as one week, for continuous negative communication, but with the squad I have, I see that it would likely do more harm than good, as we need the majority of the squad present at matches to avoid overburdening the players with the schedule we have. How do you handle negativity within your teams?

Negative Team Culture - Communication Within the Team.

The Football Coaching Agency

Negative Team Culture - Communication Within the Team.

Match Preparation - Not “Switched On” at Kickoff.

Defensive Play - Not the Same as Defensive Transition.

The Football Coaching Agency