The "Guide and Discovery" style, is a method of coaching that allows you to "guide" the players and let them "discover" the answer to a specific learning target for themselves. Coaches should be prepared to ask questions of the players and develop the session on a gradual, progressive step by step basis. This style of coaching encourages the players to become more involved and take ownership and responsibility in understanding the reasons why they do certain things on the football pitch.

The use of questions and asking players to demonstrate and show you is very important in this style. To use this style of coaching you have to be confident that the players have the knowledge to be able to "discover" the answer to the question themselves. For example, you are taking a shooting session and a player gets forced wide of the goal and strikes the ball wide and high past the near post. You might pose the question to the player i.e "guide" "Good strike John, but can you tell me where you could have shot that would have given you a better chance of scoring". If John has the knowledge, he would probably say "I could have shot low across the goalkeeper, aiming for the far post". You would then recreate the situation and let John now show you what he would do "discover" i.e shoot low across the goalkeeper. By recreating the situation and letting John demonstrate his knowledge of what is required and his ability to actually complete the skill, you as a coach are reinforcing his knowledge and ability as a player. Effectively, you have "guided" him to "discover" the answer himself and then reinforce this new found knowledge by ensuring the player then successfully performs the skill themselves i.e shoot low and across the goalkeeper.

The more the players become involved in their own learning, the more effectively they will progress as players. It is important that words that prompt positive responses from the players are used, for example "where can you shoot that would give you a better chance of scoring", "what would happen if you shot across the goalkeeper" "when would you look to shoot across the goalkeeper" and "how can you give yourself a better chance of scoring" will prompt positive responses from the players. If you only ask "Why" questions, such as "why did you shoot for the near post" will only provide negative feedback, such as "I always shoot for the near post".

This imaginary shooting session could then be expanded by introducing a second player. His job is to follow up for any rebounds from the goalkeeper. Now John is trying to strike the ball across the goalkeeper, you might "guide" the second player - Jimmy by asking, " If John is looking to strike across the goalkeeper, where would be the most effective position for you to take for rebounds off the goalkeeper" Jimmy would probably say, "The far post". You as a coach then recreate the situation and let Jimmy show you how he would cover the far post, looking for rebounds. Jimmy has "discovered" the answer for himself, "guided" by you as the coach. Dependant upon the age and ability of the players, you might then "Guide" Jimmy to "Discover" how he might time his run more effectively and the kind of technique he might use to score from rebounds.