What to Put in a Soccer Recruiting Highlight Video

Key Takeaways

• Put your best clips first. Many coaches decide quickly whether to keep watching.
• Aim for roughly 2 to 4 minutes, and make sure it is easy to tell which player is you.
• Show decisions and technique for your position, not just goals.
• Share it as a link in your email, and test the link on your phone.
• Keep it current. Update it as you play, and before every round of outreach.

Your Video Is Often the Real First Impression

Your email gets a coach to click. Your video is what they actually evaluate. For most players, it's the first time a coach sees how you move, think, and handle pressure, so it's worth getting right.

The good news is that a strong video doesn't need professional editing. It needs the right clips, in the right order, with clear labels. Most of the work is choosing and organizing, and a parent with a free editing app can do it in an afternoon.

What to Put in the First 30 Seconds

Open with your strongest clips. Don't spend the first minute on a title screen with music or a long intro.

A simple title card at the start, a few seconds long, is helpful. It should show:

• {first_name} {last_name}
• {grad_year} | {position} | {club_team}
• {high_school}
• Height and GPA, if you want to include them
• {email} and {phone}

Then show a short note on how to find you in the clips, such as your jersey color and number, or a mark that follows you (a circle or arrow at the start of each clip). Coaches won't spend time guessing who you are.

Choose Clips That Fit Your Position

Show the things your position is asked to do. Goals and assists are fine, but they're only part of the picture.

• Goalkeepers. Saves of different types, distribution (kicks and throws), handling crosses, communication, and one-on-one situations.
• Defenders. Winning tackles and duels, positioning, heading, and passing out of the back.
• Midfielders. Receiving under pressure, switching play, passing that breaks lines, and winning the ball back.
• Forwards. Finishing from different angles, movement off the ball, hold-up play, and pressing.

Include a mix of situations, and show what happens before and after the key moment. Clips that begin right as you receive the ball, with no context, don't show your decision-making.

Show yourself doing the ordinary things well, too. Clean first touches and smart passes tell a coach a lot.

Length and Quality

• Length: Roughly 2 to 4 minutes is a sensible target. Shorter is better than padded. If you have more, put it after the main video.
• Camera angle: Footage from a wider, elevated angle usually shows more than a close-up. Make sure the whole field is visible when you're playing off the ball.
• Footage: Use recent games at your current level. Clips from several years ago may not show your game now.
• Editing: Keep it simple. Skip slow motion and effects, and keep music low or leave it out.

Also have a full-game video available. If a coach is interested after the highlights, they will often ask for one. Keep a link to a recent game ready to send.

How to Share It

• Upload to a video site your family already uses, such as YouTube or Vimeo, or use the platform your club provides.
• Consider an unlisted link rather than a public one, so the video is only seen by the people you send it to. This is especially worth thinking about for players under 18.
• Put the link in plain text in your email, as covered in our guide on how to email a college soccer coach.
• Test the link on your phone before you send it. Many coaches will watch it there first.
• Use a descriptive title, such as "{first_name} {last_name} – {grad_year} {position} – Highlights."

Keep your video link ready.
Add your highlight video link to your PitchList profile so it's included in your outreach email each time.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Opening with a long intro. Start with your best clips.
• Making it too long. Cut weaker clips. A shorter video of strong moments is better.
• Not marking which player is you. If a coach has to guess, they may stop watching.
• Showing only goals. Include the work that shows how you play your position.
• Using old footage. Update it each season, and before each round of outreach.
• Sending a link that doesn't open. Check permissions and test it on a phone.
• Heavy music or effects. They distract from the soccer.