What should a youth soccer club track to measure player development?

To measure player development, a club needs ratings on a fixed list of soccer skills, a scale every coach uses the same way, benchmarks for each age group, and enough check-ins through the season to show a trend. On top of that, record the one or two skills each player is focused on and a short note from the coach. Most of the other numbers clubs collect, like wins and goals, describe results rather than development.

A fixed list of skills

Every coach in the club should rate the same skills. If one coach tracks “first touch” and another tracks “ball control,” you can’t compare their players, and you can’t follow a player who moves teams.

The list should cover more than technique. LaceUp’s field-player rubric has 29 skills. Most are technical and tactical, things like first touch, passing, positioning and decision-making, and the rest cover physical, psychological and character skills such as composure and coachability. Goalkeepers get their own list of 19. You don’t need our list, but you need one list that doesn’t change from team to team. The full version is on the framework page if you want a starting point.

A rating scale with written levels

A number with no description means different things to different coaches. Write down what each level looks like. LaceUp uses five levels (Emerging, Developing, Competent, Proficient, Advanced), and each skill has a short description of what a player at that level can do. A 1 to 5 scale works too, as long as every coach reads the same description for each number.

Benchmarks by age group

A U9 and a U16 with the same rating are in very different places. A benchmark tells you what a typical player at that age can do, so a coach can say whether a player is ahead, on track or behind. LaceUp’s benchmarks run from U8 to U19, and each one names its source (US Soccer, United Soccer Coaches or AYSO).

Repeated check-ins, not one big evaluation

One evaluation is a snapshot. Development is the change between snapshots, so you need several. This doesn’t mean a full evaluation every month. A full pass at the start of the season sets the baseline. After that, a coach can rate just the focus skill for each player every few weeks, which takes about 20 seconds a player.

One evaluation is a snapshot. Development is the change between two of them.

A focus skill and a coach note

Ratings tell you where a player is. A focus skill tells the player what to do next. Pick one or two per player, write them down, and rate them at the next check-in. A one-line note from the coach adds context a number can’t, like “scanning before receiving now, still rushing the pass.”

What not to treat as development

Wins mostly measure the team and the schedule. Goals and assists favor attackers. Playing time measures a coach’s choices. Team placement after tryouts reflects who else showed up that year. All of these are worth knowing, and none of them tell you whether a player got better at soccer.

Physical testing needs care. Sprint times and jump heights in younger age groups mostly follow birth month and growth spurts. If you record them, compare a player to their own earlier numbers rather than to teammates.

Putting it in one place

You can record all of this in a spreadsheet if you hold the scale steady. LaceUp keeps the rubric, levels, benchmarks, focus skills and notes together for every team, and turns them into a plan families can see. It’s free for clubs up to 30 players. Set up your club.

Frequently asked questions