Which football app do you need as an amateur football coach

As an amateur coach of a youth team, you probably already use several football apps. One football app shows when you have to play, another helps you prepare a training session, and yet another supports players who want to practice extra outside of team training.

That's why the question isn't which football app is the best. Much more important is: which app helps a football coach and the team, and with what?

In this comparison, you'll see straight away what you can use Rinus, ShowYourSkills, X-Skills, Voetbal.nl and Fieldio for. Not to pick a single winner, but to quickly determine which app helps you or your players at which moment.

This comparison is based on the publicly available product information from the various providers and viewed from the daily practice of an amateur youth coach. Features may change after publication.

The various football apps at a glance

In short: Rinus helps with training, Fieldio with attendance and line-up/substitution plans on match day, ShowYourSkills and X-Skills with player development, and Voetbal.nl with the central KNVB match planning.

Rinus: for preparing your training

Rinus is the KNVB's digital assistant coach. The app helps you find exercises and complete training sessions that suit your team's age and level.

That's especially handy when you know what you want to work on but are still looking for a good drill. Think of building up from the back, passing and moving into space, transitioning, or one-on-one defending.

Use Rinus when you ask yourself: What are we going to train and which exercises fit that?

Fieldio: for your line-up and substitution schedule

Fieldio supports youth coaches in the preparation and management of a match. You can use it to create a visual line-up, assign players to positions and set up a substitution schedule.

That's especially handy when you have more players than field positions and want everyone to play fairly. Goalkeeper substitutions, different phases of the match and preferred positions can also be part of the plan.

Does a player call in sick on Saturday morning or someone arrive late? Then the line-up and substitution schedule can be adjusted again, without having to recalculate everything with pen and paper just before kick-off.

Use Fieldio when you ask yourself: Who starts in which position, when do I substitute, and how do I divide playing time fairly?

See how Fieldio helps youth coaches on match day

ShowYourSkills: for players who want to practise extra

ShowYourSkills is aimed at players who also want to work on their technique outside of the shared team training. Players can carry out football assignments, film themselves and share their skills or progress.

As a coach, you can use the app to have players do extra practice with, for example, their weaker foot, dribbling or ball control. This way, individual development isn't limited to just one or two team training sessions per week.

Use ShowYourSkills when you ask yourself: How do I encourage players to practise extra at home or on a small pitch?

X-Skills: for interactive and measurable technique training

X-Skills combines football training with technology, challenges and scores. With interactive training materials, players can work on passing, ball control, speed of action and scanning, among other things.

The immediate result makes exercises more playful and competitive. Players can try to improve their own score or take part in a challenge with teammates.

Because certain exercises require additional materials, X-Skills is mainly of interest to clubs, coaches, football schools and clinics that want to structurally make technique training more interactive.

Use X-Skills when you ask yourself: How do I make a technique training session more challenging and easier to measure?

Voetbal.nl: for schedules, results and team information

For many amateur teams, Voetbal.nl is the central app for official match information. Among other things, you can see when and where you play, who you play against, what the results are and how the team is doing.

In addition, the app can be used for attendance and practical team tasks, such as transport, running the line (flagging) or washing the kit.

So Voetbal.nl mainly tells you when you play and who is available. The app does not automatically create your line-up or substitution plan.

Use Voetbal.nl when you ask yourself: When do we play, where do we need to be, and who is present?

How the football apps can complement each other

These apps don't all compete directly with each other. As a youth coach, you can actually use them at different moments:

• Before training: find suitable exercises in Rinus.

• Outside training: let players practise extra with ShowYourSkills.

• During technique training: use X-Skills for interactive challenges.

• For team organisation: check Voetbal.nl.

• For match day: create your line-up and substitution plan in Fieldio.

So you don't have to choose which football app is best in general terms. Choose the app that solves the problem you or your players are running into at that moment.

Which football app suits you?

Do you mainly want help coming up with training sessions? Then Rinus is the obvious choice. Do you want to encourage players to practise individually? Then take a look at ShowYourSkills. For interactive and measurable technique training, X-Skills may be of interest.

Voetbal.nl remains important for official match and team information. Fieldio complements this at the moment when you actually have to create a line-up and a fair substitution schedule from the available players.

Ultimately, the best combination is the one that lets you spend less time searching, calculating and organising. That way, as a coach, you have more attention left for what really matters: helping players learn to play football better, with enjoyment.

Frequently asked questions

Which football app helps with creating a training session?

Rinus offers exercises, training sessions and training plans for youth coaches.

Which football app helps players practise individually?

ShowYourSkills focuses on independent practice and sharing football skills. X-Skills adds interactive exercises, scores and challenges to that.

Which app shows amateur matches and results?

Voetbal.nl shows official schedules, results, standings, locations and cancellations.

Which app helps with a football line-up and substitution schedule?

Fieldio helps youth coaches with visual line-ups, substitution plans, goalkeeper substitutions and the fair division of playing time.

This article was written from the daily practice of an amateur youth coach. The features and capabilities of apps may change over time. Therefore, always check the provider's current product information.