Are Maltese Football Coaches Wasting Time? What the Data Reveals

Every coach complains there isn’t enough training time. But what if the real problem isn’t time itself — it’s how that time is used? A new study by Melvin Farrugia, Sigrid Olthof, Simon Roberts, and Colum Cronin analysed Maltese youth football coaching sessions to find out exactly where the minutes go. The results may surprise you.

The study

Researchers examined 20 youth development sessions in Malta’s talent pathway (U12–U13 age groups), each lasting about 90 minutes. Using video analysis, they broke sessions down into:

• Drill-based activities (technical/fitness work without opposition)

• Game-based activities (small-sided, conditioned, or phase-of-play games)

• Transition activities (coach talks, water breaks, moving between drills)

The findings

On average, sessions looked like this:

• 36% Transition – 33 minutes spent not playing, mostly in coach talks and moving between drills

• 35% Game-based – 31 minutes in game-like situations

• 30% Drill-based – 27 minutes on isolated skills or fitness

The shocker? More time was spent in transitions than in actual football.

Breaking it down further

• Coach interventions alone took up nearly a quarter of the session (26%) — often stopping play for instructions or demos.

• Water breaks averaged 5 minutes per session — even in winter, after just light warm-ups.

• Moving between stations consumed another 5%.

• Meanwhile, the most valuable learning time — game-based practice — lagged far behind what is seen in European academies, where over 60% of session time is game-based (Roca & Ford, 2020).

Why it matters

Game-based activities are where decision-making, creativity, and tactical awareness are developed. Too much drill-based practice or lengthy coach talks may look structured but fail to replicate the demands of real football. Worse, “over-coaching” risks stifling problem-solving and independence in young players.

In a country with limited training hours and small talent pools, every wasted minute is a lost opportunity for player development.

Recommendations from the study

To make Maltese sessions more efficient and impactful, the authors suggest:

1. Reduce transitions: Assign bibs and split teams before training begins.

2. Re-think water breaks: Shorter, better-placed breaks (with bottles near the pitch) keep flow intact.

3. Cut the coach talk: Fewer but more impactful interventions; use video feedback outside the session.

4. Prioritise game-based practice: Increase from 35% to over 60% of session time, matching top academies.

5. Blend fitness and drills: Combine technical and physical work to maximise time on the ball.

The big takeaway

This is the first study of its kind in Malta — and its message is clear: our coaching culture needs to shift from “more talk” to “more play.” By reducing wasted time and giving players more opportunities to solve problems in realistic situations, Maltese football can make far better use of its precious training hours.

Reference: Farrugia, M., Olthof, S., Roberts, S. J., & Cronin, C. J. (2024). Making the Best Use of Time: Analysis of Practice Structure in Maltese Football Coaching. MCAST Journal of Applied Research & Practice, 8(3), 61–75.