How to Give Effective Feedback to Athletes

# How to Give Effective Feedback to Athletes

Feedback is the most frequent coaching act there is. Every session, every competition, every interaction with an athlete contains feedback of some kind, whether you intend it or not. A word of encouragement, a correction, a question, even a facial expression or a silence. It all communicates something.

And yet, for something coaches do hundreds of times a week, remarkably little attention is paid to doing it well. Most coaches default to whatever style of feedback they received as athletes, or they fall into habits they have never examined. The result is feedback that is well-intentioned but often ineffective.

In my experience, the gap between a coach who gives feedback competently and one who gives it excellently is not about knowledge of the sport. It is about understanding how feedback actually works: when to give it, what type to give, how to deliver it, and how to know whether it landed.

This post covers all of that. It is written for coaches at every level, in every sport, who want their feedback to genuinely change athlete behaviour rather than simply fill the air.

Key Takeaways

• Most coaching feedback does not change athlete behaviour. If athletes are not improving in the areas you give feedback on, the feedback is not working.
• Timing matters more than most coaches realise. Immediate feedback is not always best.
• There are multiple types of feedback (prescriptive, descriptive, questioning) and each has a different purpose. Using only one type limits your effectiveness.
• The "feedback sandwich" (positive-negative-positive) is outdated and athletes see through it.
• Creating a culture where athletes actively seek feedback is more powerful than any individual technique.
• Tracking your own feedback patterns through reflection reveals blind spots you cannot see in the moment.

Why Most Coaching Feedback Does Not Land

Before discussing what works, it is worth understanding why so much feedback fails.

Volume

Coaches talk too much. This is one of the most consistent findings in coaching research and one of the most common pieces of self-assessment from experienced coaches looking back on their earlier careers.

When athletes receive a constant stream of feedback, they stop processing it. It becomes background noise. The important points get lost in the volume of less important ones.

If you recorded your next session and counted the number of individual feedback statements you made, the number would almost certainly surprise you. For many coaches, it would be in the hundreds.

Timing

Feedback given at the wrong moment, even if the content is excellent, will not be processed.

An athlete in the middle of an activity, focused on execution, is not in a state to absorb verbal feedback. An athlete who made a mistake thirty seconds ago has already moved on mentally. An athlete who is emotionally charged, whether from frustration or excitement, is not receptive to analytical feedback.

Clarity

Vague feedback is comfortable to give but useless to receive. "Good work" tells the athlete nothing about what was good or why. "Move quicker" does not tell them how. "Be more aggressive" could mean a dozen different things.

If an athlete cannot tell from your feedback exactly what to do differently next time, the feedback has not served its purpose.

Focus

Coaches often give feedback on whatever they notice in the moment, rather than on what matters most for the session objective. This scattergun approach addresses everything and develops nothing.

An athlete receiving feedback on their positioning, their communication, their technique, their effort, and their decision-making within the same activity has no idea what to prioritise. Effective feedback requires discipline about what to address and, crucially, what to ignore.

The Types of Feedback

Not all feedback is the same, and understanding the different types allows you to choose the right tool for the situation.

Prescriptive Feedback

This is feedback that tells the athlete exactly what to do.

Examples:

• "Drop your shoulder before you receive the ball."
• "Keep your elbow higher on the follow-through."
• "Move two steps to your left when the ball goes wide."

When to use it: When the athlete does not know the correct action. When time is limited and you need immediate behaviour change. When safety is a concern. With beginners who need clear direction.

Limitations: It creates dependency. Athletes learn to wait for instructions rather than developing their own understanding. Overuse of prescriptive feedback produces athletes who can execute when told what to do but cannot problem-solve independently.

Descriptive Feedback

This is feedback that describes what happened, without prescribing a solution.

Examples:

• "You were flat-footed when the ball arrived."
• "Your first touch took you away from goal."
• "You had three options there and you chose the safest one."

When to use it: When the athlete has the knowledge to solve the problem themselves but is not currently applying it. When you want to build awareness rather than compliance. When the situation has multiple correct solutions.

Limitations: It requires the athlete to have enough understanding to interpret the description and adjust. With complete beginners, it can be confusing.

Questioning Feedback

This is feedback delivered as a question, prompting the athlete to think.

Examples:

• "What did you see when you received the ball?"
• "Where was the space?"
• "If you had that moment again, what would you do differently?"

When to use it: When you want to develop decision-making and independent thinking. When you want to understand the athlete's perspective before coaching. When the athlete made a poor choice but you want them to identify why, rather than being told.

Limitations: It takes longer than prescriptive feedback. In time-pressured situations, questions can feel frustrating. Some athletes, particularly younger ones, may not have the vocabulary or awareness to answer meaningfully yet.

Which Type Should You Use?

The best coaches use all three, selecting the type based on the athlete, the situation, and the objective.

A useful rule of thumb:

• Beginners need more prescriptive feedback to build a foundation of correct technique and understanding.
• Developing athletes benefit from descriptive and questioning feedback that builds awareness and problem-solving.
• Advanced athletes need predominantly questioning feedback that sharpens their decision-making and self-regulation.

The mistake is defaulting to one type regardless of context. Most coaches over-rely on prescriptive feedback because it is fastest and most familiar.

Timing: When to Give Feedback

The timing of feedback is at least as important as its content.

During the Activity

Advantages: Immediate, contextually relevant, can change behaviour in real time.

Disadvantages: Athletes may not be in a cognitive state to process it. It can interrupt flow and decision-making. It creates dependency if overdone.

Best for: Brief, specific cues. One or two words maximum. "Width!", "Check shoulder!", "Earlier!"

This type of concurrent feedback works when it is short, specific, and does not require the athlete to stop and think. It is not the place for detailed explanations.

At Natural Breaks

Advantages: Athletes are not mid-action, so they can process the information. The context is still fresh.

Best for: Slightly more detailed feedback. Demonstrations. Short conversations. "When you received the ball just then, what did you notice about the defender's position?"

Between Activities

Advantages: Allows for more detailed discussion without disrupting the activity. Good for addressing patterns rather than individual moments.

Best for: Group coaching points. Connecting what just happened to the session objective. Preparing athletes for what comes next.

After the Session

Advantages: Allows time for both coach and athlete to process. Good for reflective conversations. Removes the emotional heat of the moment.

Best for: Individual development conversations. Bigger-picture feedback that does not relate to a single moment. Feedback that might be emotional or sensitive.

Disadvantages: The further from the event, the less vivid the memory. After-session feedback works best when it references something specific and observable.

The Delay Can Be Useful

There is an assumption in coaching that immediate feedback is always best. Research does not fully support this.

Delayed feedback can actually be more effective for learning in some situations, because it forces the athlete to develop their own error-detection skills rather than relying on the coach to identify every mistake in real time.

This does not mean you should never give immediate feedback. It means you should not assume that faster is always better.

The Feedback Sandwich Is Dead

For years, coaches were taught the "feedback sandwich": say something positive, deliver the criticism, finish with something positive. Positive-negative-positive.

The intention was good. The execution is problematic.

Why It Does Not Work

• Athletes see through it instantly. After the first positive comment, they are just waiting for the "but." The positive bookends lose all sincerity.
• It dilutes the message. The important feedback, the thing you actually want to change, gets buried between two pieces of filler.
• It trains athletes to distrust praise. If praise always precedes criticism, athletes learn to associate the two. Genuine praise becomes suspicious.
• It is formulaic. Humans detect formulas. When every piece of feedback follows the same structure, it feels mechanical rather than genuine.

What to Do Instead

Be direct and honest. Athletes, even young ones, respond to honesty delivered with respect.

Instead of: "Great effort out there. You need to communicate more with your teammates though. But your work rate was brilliant."

Try: "I noticed you were very quiet out there today. When you communicate with your teammates, the whole group performs better. I'd like you to focus on calling for the ball and directing others in the next activity."

The second version is clear, specific, and respectful. It does not pretend the feedback is anything other than what it is. And it gives the athlete a concrete action for improvement.

Separating Praise From Correction

The best approach is to decouple positive feedback from corrective feedback entirely. Praise when something genuinely deserves praise. Correct when something needs correcting. Do not bundle them together artificially.

When athletes receive sincere, standalone praise, they trust it. When they receive clear, standalone correction, they take it seriously. Both are more effective when they stand on their own.

Age-Appropriate Feedback

The way you deliver feedback should change significantly depending on the age and developmental stage of your athletes.

Young Children (Under 10)

• Keep it simple. One coaching point at a time. Short sentences.
• Demonstrate more than you explain. "Watch this" is more effective than a verbal description.
• Focus on effort and enjoyment. At this age, the priority is keeping athletes engaged and developing a love of the sport. Detailed technical feedback can wait.
• Be patient with repetition. Young children will need to hear the same thing many times before it sticks. This is normal, not a failure of your communication.

Adolescents (10-16)

• Begin to use more questioning. This age group is developing abstract thinking. Questions that prompt reflection are increasingly effective.
• Be aware of social dynamics. Public feedback, especially corrective feedback, is far more sensitive during adolescence. Individual conversations are often more effective.
• Balance challenge with encouragement. Adolescents are forming their identities and are particularly vulnerable to feedback that feels like personal criticism rather than coaching.
• Explain the "why." Adolescents are more receptive to feedback when they understand the reason behind it, not just the instruction.

Adults and Senior Athletes

• Treat them as partners in their development. Adults respond well to collaborative feedback conversations rather than top-down instruction.
• Be more analytical. Adults can process more complex feedback and appreciate detail.
• Respect their experience. An adult athlete who has played for twenty years has knowledge and instincts that deserve acknowledgement, even when their technique needs adjusting.
• Ask what they think first. Adults often know what went wrong before you tell them. Starting with their self-assessment makes your feedback a dialogue rather than a lecture.

Adapting to Different Personality Types

Not every athlete responds to feedback in the same way. Part of effective coaching is learning to read your athletes and adapt your delivery accordingly.

The Confident Athlete

These athletes can handle direct, challenging feedback. They often welcome it. The risk is that they dismiss feedback that does not match their self-image.

Approach: Be direct. Use evidence. "I noticed you lost possession three times in five minutes from the same position. What's happening there?"

The Sensitive Athlete

These athletes take feedback deeply to heart. Corrective feedback can affect their confidence and performance if delivered without care.

Approach: Private conversations rather than public corrections. Frame feedback around growth rather than mistakes. "You're getting better at this. The next step is..."

The Quiet Athlete

These athletes rarely ask questions or seek feedback. That does not mean they do not want it or need it.

Approach: Check in proactively. Create low-pressure opportunities for them to share their thoughts. Do not mistake silence for understanding or agreement.

The Resistant Athlete

These athletes push back on feedback, either verbally or through body language. This is often a defence mechanism rather than genuine disagreement.

Approach: Ask before telling. "How do you think that went?" gives them ownership before you add your perspective. Avoid power struggles. If an athlete is not receptive in the moment, return to it later.

Creating a Feedback Culture

The most powerful thing you can do as a coach is not improve your individual feedback skills. It is create an environment where athletes actively seek feedback rather than passively receive it.

What a Feedback Culture Looks Like

• Athletes ask questions during and after sessions: "How was that?", "What should I focus on?"
• Athletes give feedback to each other, constructively and respectfully.
• Feedback flows in all directions: coach to athlete, athlete to coach, athlete to athlete.
• Mistakes are treated as learning opportunities, not failures.
• Athletes take ownership of their development rather than waiting to be developed.

How to Build It

1. Model it yourself. Ask athletes for feedback on your coaching. "Was that explanation clear?", "Is there anything I could do differently?" When athletes see you seeking feedback, they learn it is a positive behaviour.
2. Normalise it early. From the first session, establish that feedback is how improvement happens. "In this group, we give each other feedback because we want everyone to get better."
3. Teach athletes how to give feedback. They will not naturally know how. Give them simple frameworks: "Tell them what you noticed. Tell them what you'd suggest."
4. Respond well when athletes give you feedback. If an athlete tells you something you do not want to hear and you react defensively, they will never do it again. Thank them. Reflect on it. Act on it if appropriate.
5. Celebrate feedback-seeking. When an athlete asks for feedback, acknowledge it publicly: "Great question. That shows you're serious about improving." This signals to the whole group that seeking feedback is valued.

Tracking Your Feedback Patterns

One of the most revealing exercises a coach can do is to honestly assess their own feedback habits.

Questions to Ask Yourself After Each Session

• How much did I talk today? If you are talking for more than 20% of the session, you are probably talking too much.
• What type of feedback did I predominantly use? Was it prescriptive, descriptive, or questioning? Was that appropriate for this group?
• Did I give feedback related to my session objective, or was I scattergun? Disciplined feedback stays focused on what matters most today.
• Who received the most feedback? Coaches tend to give more feedback to the most and least able athletes, neglecting the middle. Is that happening to you?
• How did athletes respond? Did behaviour change after my feedback? If not, the feedback is not working, regardless of how well I delivered it.

Why Tracking Matters

In the moment, you cannot accurately assess your own feedback habits. You are too busy coaching. But afterwards, if you take five minutes to reflect honestly, patterns emerge over weeks and months.

You might discover that you always default to prescriptive feedback, even with experienced athletes. You might notice that you give most of your feedback to the same three athletes. You might realise that your feedback during competitions is entirely different in tone from your feedback in training.

These patterns are invisible without reflection. Once visible, they are remarkably easy to change.

Making Feedback Count

The ultimate test of your feedback is not whether it sounded good or felt appropriate. It is whether it changed behaviour. If athletes are not improving in the areas you give feedback on, something in the process is not working, whether that is the content, the timing, the type, or the delivery.

Great coaches are not the ones who give the most feedback. They are the ones who give the right feedback, at the right time, in the right way, to the right athlete. And they constantly refine their approach by paying attention to whether it is working.

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