Jon Willis explains how structured assessment can help players understand where they are, while giving scouts and clubs clearer evidence to support observation, recommendation and next-step conversations.
A real-world perspective from Jon Willis of UK Football Scouting.
Jon has used the Soccer Skills Challenge across football trials and talent identification events.
The scout perspective
Add Evidence to What Experienced Eyes Already See
“We use the Skills Assessments across our Football Trials and Talent ID Events. This gives not only us as scouts but the players an accurate understanding of where they are in these areas. It's also key information we can give to clubs when recommending players, it has taken our programme up a level.”
Jon Willis, UK Football Scouting
Jon's point is not that a result should make a decision. It is that structured evidence can make the conversation around a player more complete, more specific and easier for others to understand.
The player gains a clearer reference point. The scout gains information that can travel with the recommendation. The receiving club gains additional context for its own judgement.
Trusted voices
Trusted by Coaches, Scouts, and Academy Leaders
Player Development Intelligence and the Soccer Skills Challenge are supported by people who want clearer evidence of individual progress and better-informed development conversations.
Ian BishopWest Ham United
James MearaPittsburgh Riverhounds
Jon WillisUK Football Scouting
Russ HorsleyPhang Nga United FC
Glen LittleEx-Premier League Player
Brian LeeBlackpool FC
What Jon's perspective shows
One Assessment. Three Better-Informed Conversations.
Structured evidence can help the player understand their current level, help the scout explain what has been observed and help the club consider the recommendation with clearer context.
P
Understanding for Players
Players receive concrete reference points across specific areas, giving them something useful to discuss with coaches and revisit in later assessments.
S
Evidence for Scouts
Assessment information adds measurable context to observation and helps a scout communicate why a player may deserve further attention.
C
Context for Clubs
Receiving clubs gain an additional layer of information to consider alongside match footage, trial performance and their own technical judgement.
Judgement remains central
Player Development Intelligence creates objective reference points. Scouts, coaches and technical staff provide the interpretation. The evidence supports expertise; it does not replace it or reduce a player's potential to a score.
The PDI Framework
Benchmark. Track. Communicate.
The Soccer Skills Challenge turns practical football assessments into individual evidence that can be revisited and used in player-development, talent-identification and recommendation conversations.
01
Benchmark
Establish an objective individual baseline across six practical technical and athletic challenges.
02
Track
Repeat the assessment so the player can see change against their own previous performance.
03
Communicate
Use private dashboards and professional context to make progress, observations and next steps easier to understand.
Personal progress comes first
Wider comparisons can add context in appropriate coaching or scouting environments, but the primary development reference is the player's own previous performance. This keeps the evidence connected to improvement rather than ranking alone.
The football benchmarking programme
How the Soccer Skills Challenge Makes Progress Visible
Six repeatable challenges create a practical baseline. Personal dashboards then turn the results into evidence that players, coaches, scouts and families can use in clearer conversations.
01
Complete the six challenges
Running with the ball, sprinting, speed and agility, dribbling, turning and shooting create a broad technical and athletic baseline.
02
Review the individual dashboard
Private results make current strengths, development priorities and professional observations easier to consider together.
03
Reassess and recognise change
Later assessments show the player what has changed since their previous attempt and create a fresh development conversation.
Individual development dashboardClear evidence that supports player understanding and professional judgement.
Individual baselineA structured starting point across the six challenges.
Personal progress over timeNew results are understood first against the player's own previous performance.
Clearer Evidence Can Support the Next Conversation
A result does not create an opportunity on its own. Its value is in helping relevant qualities become easier to see, explain and explore further.
Harrison Burns
One example connected with this work is Harrison Burns. His performance in the challenge highlighted qualities in his footwork and distribution as a goalkeeper, contributing useful evidence to a trial-opportunity conversation.
The assessment did not replace scouting judgement or determine the outcome. It helped make relevant aspects of the player's performance more visible.
Structured tasks can provide another way to observe and record specific aspects of player performance.
B
Carry evidence into the conversation
Clear reference points help a recommendation move beyond a general impression without overstating what the data proves.
C
Let the receiving club decide
The club can consider the evidence alongside its own observation, context and assessment process.
Real-world perspectives
What Academy Leaders & Coaches Are Saying
Genuine feedback on the value of making individual development clearer, more measurable and easier to understand.
Ian Bishop - West Ham United
This changes more than scouting. When development is measurable and visible, families no longer rely on guesswork or reputation. Structured benchmarking gives players clarity, coaches confidence, and academies a stronger foundation built on evidence rather than emotion.
James Meara - Pittsburgh Riverhounds
This shifts the dynamic from hoping to be noticed to showing real, measurable progress. When players and families can clearly see development over time, decisions become calmer, more informed, and more aligned with long-term growth.
Jon Willis - UK Football Scouting
When development is structured and transparent, it changes the environment completely. Players can demonstrate their progress, parents understand the pathway, and academies build trust through evidence rather than perception.
Russ Horsley - Phang Nga United FC
I’ve seen this platform evolve into a structured development visibility system. It gives academies measurable insight into player progression, helping coaches demonstrate real improvement and giving families confidence in the pathway.
Glen Little - ex-Premier League Player
The Skills Assessment provides structured, measurable insight into a player’s technical and physical development. By making progress visible before match-day pressure, it gives coaches clarity and families confidence in the pathway.
Paul Cox - Ex-Pro Player, EFL Manager
Having worked in football for over 30 years, I’ve rarely seen a system that brings this level of structure and clarity to player development. By making progression measurable and visible, it strengthens trust between coaches, players, and families.
Brian Lee - Blackpool FC Scout
iSportScouting changes the dynamic inside academies by making development measurable and transparent. It gives coaches clarity, players direction, and families confidence in the pathway.
iSportScouting is the former name of Player Development Intelligence.
Make Player Evidence Easier to See and Easier to Use
Explore how the Soccer Skills Challenge and Player Development Intelligence could help your organisation create clearer evidence of individual progress and better-informed assessment conversations.
Ian Bishop
West Ham United
James Meara
Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Russ Horsley
Phang Nga United FC
Glen Little
Ex-Premier League Player
Brian Lee
Blackpool FC
