What are Football Scouts Looking for at trials: Technique

Football scouts have identified 99% of elite football players, according to reports, and the ability to find players for professional clubs is the main objective for each talent evaluator.

There are certain things all football scouts look for in a player during a football trial, and players that are skilled in these areas will be shortlisted to move on in the evaluation process. Those coming up short in these attribute areas will be marked off without a chance of going to the next stage.

So, what are some of the key attributes football scouts look for in new talent?

Technique

Technique is one of the key area that football scouts look at when evaluating new players. First touch, control, passing, decision making and dribbling are all areas of technique that scouts look at. Players who fail to show they can do these items well won’t last long at a football trial. If they do, chances are they can make up for a lack of technique in an area some place else.

Too often in modern football development, too many young players focus on the flashy moves and free-kicks they see the elite professionals performing. When this happens, young players miss out on developing the core skills that will actually win them a professional or semi-professional contract.

You may be able to score a free-kick from 25-yards out or make a cross field pass from a stationary position, but if you can’t control passes or lack close control skills to keep possession, you aren’t very useful to a team.

 

Often overlooked by many players, close control and dribbling are important for players to master. In addition, many scouts look at how a player on trial integrates with the other players around them. Players that show they can work well with a team and aren’t selfish during a football trial typically impress football scouts.

It is important to remember that scouts look for players who use discipline and work hard in their role during a trial; that is how players get signed to clubs.