1
Pick them
Plan sessions in seconds with MatchPlay Cards. Pick challenge cards that relate to your session objectives.
2
Add them
Add your chosen cards as team and/or player challenges in your small sided games. Keep them secret or known!
3
Play them
Engage players to problem solve, communicate and think about their skill development because of the cards you've chosen.
Tips From Our Founder, Jack!
Start with a game your players already know and add just one card. Give them time to explore the challenge before stepping in with instructions or feedback.
Let players hold the cards, discuss what they mean and decide how they might respond. The more ownership they have, the more meaningful the challenge becomes.
What people ask us:
Is there a bank of games to play with MatchPlay Cards?
We sure do. You access 50+ small-sided-games across our different ebooks. See them here.
How many MatchPlay Cards should I use at once?
Adding too many cards can mean too much challenge and chaos. Try adding one team challenge for each team and/or a select few player challenge cards.
You may decide to use the same few MatchPlay Cards for a number of weeks.
How often should I use MatchPlay Cards?
We know players will be asking for them every week! You don't have to use team and player challenges at the same time, may decide to go one or the other.
When do I hand out MatchPlay Cards?
Before the game you can add team or player challenges. You could also add a new team challenge every X minutes for more challenge.
Our top tip is to always let players read the MatchPlay Card rather than handing it back to you. Let them feel the ownership and have them hold onto it.
Can The Coaching Lab visit our school or club to help?
Yes! We'd love to visit your environment and help you maximise MatchPlay Cards. Get in touch HERE
Can you create custom MatchPlay Cards for our organisation?
Yes. We work with clubs, schools and sporting organisations to create custom-printed and bespoke MatchPlay Card resources. Chat with us here.
What Do You Want Your Players to Get Better At?
Start with the outcome you want to create and select a MatchPlay Card that helps your players explore it through the game.
In-game decisions
Get players thinking about their thinking
Help players recognise what they notice, why they choose certain actions and how they adapt as the game changes.
- Ask players what they need to notice before attempting their card.
- Give players two cards and let them choose which best fits the game.
- Pause play and let players keep, swap or adapt their challenge.
- Replay the same card and encourage players to find a different solution.
- Finish by asking which card changed their thinking most and why.
Teamwork
Great problem solvers
Use shared challenges to help players recognise how their individual actions contribute to the whole team.
- Give the entire team one card that requires everyone to contribute.
- Divide players into small groups and ask each group to create a plan for completing the challenge.
- Allow teams to select a card for their opposition, encouraging them to think tactically.
- Ask players to identify who helped the team complete the challenge and how they contributed.
Creating games within games
Decision-Making
Use MatchPlay Cards to create game problems that players must recognise and solve without waiting for instructions.
- Give each team a different challenge and allow two minutes to create a plan before playing.
- Keep the cards secret and ask the opposition to identify the challenge through observation.
- Pause the game and let players choose whether to keep, swap or adapt their card.
- Replay the same game with a new card and discuss how it changed their decisions.
Having players thinking about thinking
Communication
Use the cards to give players a genuine reason to share information, listen and work together.
- Give the team one card and ask them to agree on how they will complete the challenge.
- Nominate a different player to explain the team’s card before each round.
- Introduce a card that can only be completed when players communicate effectively.
- Finish by asking the team which messages helped them most during the game.
Creativity
Creativity
Use MatchPlay Cards to encourage experimentation and show players that problems can have more than one solution.
- Let players choose any card and interpret the challenge in their own way.
- Give two teams the same card and compare the different solutions they create.
- Ask players to invent a new rule or variation inspired by the card.
- Reward the most unexpected effective solution rather than only the successful outcome.
Confidence
Confidence
Use the cards to give every player an achievable but meaningful challenge within the game.
- Let players select a card that feels appropriately challenging for them.
- Offer a choice of three cards with different levels of difficulty.
- Pair players together so they can support one another with their individual challenges.
- Keep the same card for several rounds so players have time to recognise their progress.
Player Ownership
Giving the game back to the players
Put the cards into players’ hands and give them greater responsibility for shaping the session.
- Spread several cards out and let players choose the challenge their team needs.
- Ask each team to select a card for the next round and explain their choice.
- Allow players to adapt the wording or conditions of a card to suit their game.
- Invite players to create their own MatchPlay Card at the end of the session.
Meet the full range
Whatever you coach, there’s a MatchPlay Cards deck to help you create more engaging sessions, develop better decision-makers and support the coaches around you.
Explore the full range and find the right cards for your next coaching challenge.
Show us how you play
MatchPlay Cards are now being used by coaches and teachers around the world. Share a photo or short video from your session, tag @The_CoachingLab and use #MatchPlayCards for the opportunity to win a development session for your club or school.
How others use MatchPlay Cards:
Year's worth of games with MatchPlay Cards©️ E-BOOK
The Ultimate Guide to Games-Based, Player-Centred Coaching
The MatchPlay Cards® Ebook is the essential companion for coaches and teachers who want to design better games, engage every player, and coach the game – not the drill.
Built from real-world experience across schools, grassroots sport, academies, and talent pathways, this practical ebook shows you exactly how to use MatchPlay Cards® to create high-engagement, games-based learning environments that develop smarter, more confident players.
Whether you coach football, hockey, netball, rugby, or deliver PE, this ebook gives you ready-to-use game ideas, session structures, and challenges that transfer directly to competition.
Why Coaches & Teachers Use This Ebook
- Reduce coach talk and increase player ownership
- Design sessions that look and feel like the game
- Differentiate learning without labels
- Keep players engaged across multiple pitches
- Support player-centred, inquiry-led coaching
- Build confidence in staff delivering games-based sessions
What’s Inside the MatchPlay Cards® Ebook?
- 20+ practical game formats using team challenges, player challenges, and reflection cards
- Small-sided games designed to improve decision-making, communication, and problem-solving
- Proven ways to coach large groups and mixed-ability players without stopping play
- Tournament formats that increase engagement, ownership, and intensity
- Clear examples of Play → Practice → Play session design
- Game-day transfer ideas to connect training to real competition
- Insights from elite academies, schools, and international coaches
This isn’t theory. It’s a plug-and-play coaching resource you can use immediately.
📥 Instant Digital Download - Use alongside your MatchPlay Cards® decks for maximum impact.
Want to chat more?
Whether you’re trying the cards for the first time, looking for ideas for your sport or exploring how they could support your whole coaching team, we’d love to help