MASA advocates a three-phase training philosophy for all ages groups and levels. The three phases are technical development, tactical development, and application (play). Each training session should have a clear, level-appropriate objective for the technical and tactical phases. These technical and tactical objectives should become more difficult as the season progresses and the players demonstrate more advanced individual and group skills. 

Technical skills
A technical skill refers to a player's individual ability. Basic technical skills for field players are trapping, dribbling, passing, shooting, and moving without the ball. Basic technical skills for goalkeepers are positioning, diving, catching/parrying, and distributing.

Tactical skills
A tactical skill refers to a team's collective ability. Basic tactical skills are maintaining shape, attacking, and defending. Tactical skills require that individual players understand attacking and defending strategies and move and communicate in accordance with those strategies.

Application
Application refers to practicing the technical and tactical skills that are featured in a training session. Basic applications of skills are small-sided games or game simulations. The objective of the application phase is to allow players to understand how the individual and team skills developed during the first two phases translate to real game situations.