The this approach standard is clear: transitions between activities should take under 20 seconds. Most coaches who hear this for the first time think it is unrealistically ambitious. Most coaches who implement it realise it is a design problem, not an execution problem.

Why 20 Seconds

In a 60-minute session targeting 80% game involvement, you have 48 minutes of game-based practice and 12 minutes for everything else. If you have four transitions, each lasting 2 minutes, you have used 8 of those 12 minutes on transitions alone. That leaves 4 minutes for drinks, introductions, and coaching moments.

Not achievable. Something will overrun, and what overruns is always game time.

The Design Solution

Transitions take more than 20 seconds when they require:

Players to relocate significant distances
Equipment to be added or removed from the pitch
Instructions for a new activity that have not been pre-communicated
Players to choose roles or positions

The solution to each:

Relocate: design your session so consecutive activities use the same space or adjacent overlapping spaces. The opening game and Focused Practice should ideally occupy the same pitch with minor adjustments.

Equipment: any equipment change should happen during play (an assistant adjusts cones while the game continues) or at a drinks break.

Instructions: introduce the next activity's concept during the drinks break or at the end of the previous one, before movement begins. By the time players arrive at the new setup, they know what they are doing.

Roles/positions: in this approach, roles are assigned before play begins and communicated in advance. Players do not arrive at a new activity and then spend 90 seconds deciding who is which colour.

The Practical Test

Time your next three transitions. If any take more than 20 seconds, identify which of the four causes above is the culprit and redesign accordingly. You will find the same cause appearing repeatedly — fix it once and your transition times will drop across every session.