See the Learning Behind Every Drill—in Under 60 Seconds

A fast, shared way to map what your drills actually demand—and why it matters

Jun 11, 2025

In my last post, I introduced the PATE Matrix, and grounded it in modern learning science.

What Is the PATE Matrix?

The PATE Matrix is a one-minute grading tool that helps invasion sports coaches quickly evaluate how “game-like” any drill is.

It aligns your coaching staff, sharpens planning, and ensures your athletes build resilient, transferable skills—without needing hours of film review or academic theory.

3 Key Takeaways:

The PATE Matrix is a diagnostic tool, not a grading system—use it to understand what your drills are actually doing.
Every drill belongs somewhere on the matrix, including isolated, low-pressure ones. This isn’t about “right or wrong”—it’s about clarity.
Clarity enables better planning, communication, and alignment across your coaching staff—without adding prep time.

2 Thought-Provoking Questions:

What are your “go-to” drills actually asking your athletes to process—decisions, pressure, coordination, or none of the above?
Are you intentionally balancing isolated reps with adaptive, game-like challenges—or is that balance happening by accident?

When Should I Use the PATE Matrix?

Use this tool anytime you want to answer:

“What kind of learning does this drill actually create?”

You can use it:

During a practice session (1 minute per drill)
When planning a new session
To align staff on what “high quality” means in your program

Whether you’re designing, refining, or evaluating, the PATE Matrix helps you coach with clarity—and explain your choices with precision.

Quick Refresher: What Does PATE Stand For?

- Perception–Action Coupling
- Athlete-centered development
- Tactical Load (rows)
- Engagement Format (columns)

The PATE Matrix isn’t here to tell you what to run—it’s here to help you see more clearly what kind of work you’re doing.

It’s a fast, shared language for identifying how a drill functions—not just how it looks. Whether a drill is isolated or chaotic, light or high-pressure, the matrix helps you place it in context.

You might find you’re running more isolated drills than expected; or that your most intense drills don’t actually demand much decision-making. That’s the point: not to judge, but to help you make sharper choices—about what you emphasize, when, and why.

Now that you understand what PATE is and when to use it, let’s walk through how to apply it in real time.

We’ll start with a snapshot of a completed session matrix, then show how to fill it out in under 60 seconds:

(Example cells show where four of your practice activities might fit into your matrix)

5-Step Grading Sequence (Takes Under 60 Seconds)

Gate Check (P): Are there live cues and real consequences to the player’s decisions?
Score the 5 Tactical Sub-scales (PICOD)
Use the rubric below to rate the drill across:
- Pressure & Emotion
- Information Richness
- Coordination
- Opponent Behavior
- Decision Load
Determine Tactical Load (T-row)
Find your highest single PICOD score1. That becomes your Tactical Load:
- Score of 1 = Isolated
- Score of 2 = Reactive
- Score of 3 = Coordinated
- Score of 4 = Adaptive
  (Example: 3-2-4-3-2 → Load = 4)
Select Engagement Format (E-column)
Use the physical contact and proximity guide to find the right E-level (see below).
Place it in the PATE Matrix Grid
Done!

Within just one minute, you've turned intuition into actionable insights.

Coach Walkthrough: 1v1 Flag Football Drill

Let’s say in flag football you’re running a basic 1v1 drill: the receiver chooses a short route from a preset menu (unseen by the defender), and the defender tries to prevent the catch or pull the flag. It typically is used with man coverage on the defender's side.

Here’s how you'd grade it:

Gate Check – The receiver reads the defender in real time, makes a decision, and is able to get an advantage or not. PASS
PICOD Scores:
- P = 2 (Coach watching, peer comparison)
- I = 2 (Defender gives one visible cue)
- C = 1 (No teamwork)
- O = 2 (Defender moves, but more er less predictably)
- D = 2 (Binary: break inside or outside)
Highest = 2 → Tactical Load = Reactive (T2)
Engagement Format = E3 (Leverage-based) → horizontal and vertical distances matter

Final Placement: T2 × E3 = 'to teach using leverage against a man defender with a reactive drill'

Done in under a minute. You’ve now clarified what the drill’ gives the player, and can communicate its value to assistants or players. Or start tweaking it.

PICOD Rubric: How to Score Tactical Complexity

To rate a drill, score it from 1–4 across five dimensions:

1. Pressure & Emotion – What are the stakes and intensity?
2. Information Richness – Are the cues predictable or dynamic?
3. Coordination – Does the player act alone or sync with others?
4. Opponent Behavior – How realistic and adaptive are defenders?
5. Decision Load – How many “if/then” choices must the player make?

Each dimension is explained in the table below—this summary helps orient you before diving in.

Why a rubric? A shared rubric makes drill evaluation consistent, transparent, and fast. It gives your coaching staff a common language to align on what a drill is actually doing—without debating preferences or guessing intent.

To build alignment, try co-rating 6 drills with your staff. Aim for agreement within ±1 point per sub-scale. The more you compare and discuss your ratings, the faster your definitions of “high quality” will converge.

Research with expert coaches shows that informal peer reflection and coach-to-coach dialogue are key drivers of learning and development—not just formal education (Nash & Sproule, 2009). That’s why aligning your PATE scoring within a coaching team builds more than consistency—it builds shared understanding.

🔄 Note: The rubric focuses on what the drill demands from the athlete—not how it’s delivered. Instructions, cues, and feedback style are flexible and can evolve without changing the drill’s rating.

Engagement Format: Your Guide to Physical Intensity and Competitive Proximity

Clearly defined engagement levels streamline communication among coaches, allowing rapid decision-making about drill suitability and athlete readiness.

Plug in your own sport-specific examples; the axes stay identical.

6 Quick Examples: Matrix Placements

Snap Recap: The PATE Matrix in 60 Seconds

Gate Check – Does the drill mimic live decision-making?
Score PICOD – Use the rubric to assign scores (1–4).
Find Tactical Load – Use the highest PICOD score (T1–T4).
Choose Engagement Format – Based on contact and proximity (E1–E4).
Place the Drill – Drop it into the PATE Matrix grid.

Download the printable version here:

Pate Drill Evaluation Form

60.3KB ∙ PDF file

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Download directly from Substack

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Ready for immediate use, this print-ready sheet acts as your practical tool for every training session. Keep it handy on your clipboard, coaching bag, or team meeting room.

3 Common Mistakes I Made (So You Don’t Have To)

I tested the PATE Matrix over the last couple of sessions and reviewed good parts of my drill library. Here’s what stood out:

Grading everything too high
If every drill scores “very high,” slow down. Focus on what the drill actually demands, not what it might do on a good day, or what it does at the end of the period after you live-adjusted the main parameters.
Overweighting effort instead of design
Just because a drill feels intense doesn’t mean it’s game-real. Grade the design, not the sweat.
Skipping the Gate Check
Always start by asking: “Is the player making decisions while reacting to live cues, with outcomes that aren’t guaranteed?”
Without this, it’s not Perception–Action Coupling—and it doesn’t belong on the matrix. Simply file it under Warm-up/Technique.

The more I used it, the more I came to value the Gate Check. It helps you focus your grading energy where it matters most.

Go From Guessing to Seeing Clearly

In just one minute—or often much less—the PATE Matrix helps you:

See what kind of learning each drill actually creates
Communicate that clearly across your staff
Align your design choices with how athletes actually develop

That’s clarity without added complexity—and a faster path to more intentional coaching.

Stay tuned for next week’s deep dive: how to layer in Constraint-Led and Differential Learning approaches to to intentionally shape a drill’s adaptiveness and transfer.

Let’s stop guessing. Let’s start seeing.

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Rolf is a seasoned performance coach and coach developer, with a unique perspective that challenges conventional thinking. He works across both the business and sports worlds, supporting teams and individuals through change. Currently, he coaches multiple teams and provides personalized guidance to leaders in both fields.

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