Στο ημίχρονο ο προπονητής λέει στον παίκτη να κάνει πάσα πιο γρήγορα.

Στο is the contracted form of σε το.

• σε = in / at / to
• το = the for a neuter noun

So:

• στο ημίχρονο = at halftime

This kind of contraction is extremely common in Greek:

• σε + το → στο
• σε + τον → στον
• σε + την → στην

So in this sentence, στο ημίχρονο means at halftime.

Ημίχρονο means halftime or the interval between the two halves of a match.

It is a neuter noun, which is why it takes το:

• το ημίχρονο = the halftime
• στο ημίχρονο = at halftime

You can also see the parts inside the word:

• ημι- = half
• χρόνος = time

So the word literally has the idea of half-time.

Greek normally uses the definite article much more often than English does.

So where English might say:

• the coach

Greek says:

• ο προπονητής

Even when English might sometimes omit the article, Greek often keeps it. Here ο προπονητής is the subject of the sentence, so it is in the nominative case:

• ο προπονητής = the coach

The ending -τής is common in masculine nouns like this.

Στον is the contracted form of σε τον.

• σε here means something like to
• τον is the masculine accusative form of the

So:

• στον παίκτη = to the player

After λέω when it means tell, Greek often uses:

• λέω σε κάποιον = tell someone

So the structure is:

• ο προπονητής λέει στον παίκτη ...
• the coach tells the player ...

Even though English uses an indirect object without a preposition in tells the player, Greek commonly uses σε.

The verb λέω can mean both say and tell, depending on the structure.

Compare:

• λέει κάτι = he says something
• λέει σε κάποιον κάτι = he says something to someone
• λέει σε κάποιον να... = he tells someone to...

In this sentence, because we have:

• λέει στον παίκτη να...

the meaning is naturally:

• he tells the player to...

So the να clause is what makes it sound like an instruction or command.

Greek uses να + verb for many subordinate clauses, including after verbs of telling, wanting, ordering, asking, and so on.

Here:

• λέει στον παίκτη να κάνει πάσα
• he tells the player to make a pass

So να introduces the action that the player is supposed to do.

This is a very common Greek pattern:

• του λέω να έρθει = I tell him to come
• θέλω να φύγω = I want to leave
• πρέπει να διαβάσεις = you must study

So in this sentence, να κάνει is the equivalent of English to do / to make in to make a pass.

Κάνει is the 3rd person singular form of κάνω.

That is because the understood subject of να κάνει is the player:

• the coach tells the player [that the player should] make a pass more quickly

So even though παίκτη is not the grammatical subject of the main verb, it is the understood subject of the να clause.

In other words:

• ο προπονητής λέει = the coach says/tells
• ο παίκτης να κάνει = the player should make

Greek usually does not repeat the subject inside the να clause if it is already clear.

Κάνει πάσα is a natural Greek expression meaning make a pass or simply pass the ball.

• κάνω = do / make
• πάσα = pass

So literally it is make a pass.

English often prefers pass, but Greek commonly uses this noun phrase:

• κάνω πάσα

There is also a verb πασάρω, which means to pass, but κάνω πάσα is very common and natural in sports contexts.

Here πάσα is the direct object of κάνει.

Γρήγορα means quickly.

Πιο γρήγορα means more quickly / faster.

• γρήγορα = quickly
• πιο γρήγορα = more quickly / faster

So the coach is not just telling the player to pass quickly, but to do it more quickly than before or faster.

Greek very often forms the comparative with πιο + adjective/adverb:

• πιο καλός = better
• πιο γρήγορα = faster / more quickly

You may also see γρηγορότερα, which means the same thing here. Both are natural.

Yes. Greek word order is much more flexible than English word order.

This sentence begins with the time expression:

• Στο ημίχρονο = At halftime

Then comes the subject:

• ο προπονητής = the coach

Then the verb and the rest:

• λέει στον παίκτη να κάνει πάσα πιο γρήγορα

This order is very natural because it sets the scene first: At halftime...

But Greek could rearrange parts of the sentence for emphasis, for example:

• Ο προπονητής λέει στον παίκτη στο ημίχρονο να κάνει πάσα πιο γρήγορα
• Στον παίκτη λέει ο προπονητής να κάνει πάσα πιο γρήγορα

These versions shift emphasis, but the original is straightforward and natural.

Yes. Λέει is the present tense, 3rd person singular, of λέω.

So grammatically it means:

• he says
• he tells

Without more context, the sentence is simply in the present tense. Depending on context, English might translate it a bit differently, but the Greek form itself is present.

The full breakdown is:

• λέω = I say / I tell
• λες = you say
• λέει = he/she says

So ο προπονητής λέει literally means the coach says / tells.