What does ‘clinical’ actually mean?

“We need to be more clinical.”

I have said it. I have heard plenty of other coaches say it. I am just not sure the players always know what we mean.

Clinical can mean loads of different things. Do we want the ball carrier to fix the defender before passing? Do we want the support player to hold their width? Are we asking for earlier communication, better depth or a pass in front of the runner?

If that is what we want, we should probably just say it.

Words like clinical, ruthless, accurate and physical can become shortcuts for coaches. Everyone around the table nods because the words sound right. The problem comes when each person has a different picture in their head.

I saw this while working around the Singapore Under-20 programme. We wanted the attack to be more clinical, but that needed to become something the players could actually see and do. In a 3v2, who are we trying to manipulate? What does the first attacker need to do to influence D1? When should the pass happen? Where should the receiver start?

Once the language becomes specific, the practice becomes easier to design and the feedback becomes more useful.

Instead of saying “be ruthless”, we might ask the players to attack the defender's inside shoulder and square them up. Instead of “better skills”, we might coach the passer to keep both hands on the ball, move towards the defender and put the pass in front of the receiver.

The same applies when things go well. “Good” does not tell the player which part was good or what we want them to repeat.

Specific language does not mean giving a three-minute technical explanation every time. It usually means using fewer words and making them clearer.

The next time you tell a group to be more clinical, ask them what that actually looks like. Their answers might tell you whether the word is helping.