The approaches to short coherence length superconductors based on the conce
pts of local electron pairing are discussed. The properties of systems with
intersite pairing, the nature of the BCS-Bose superconductivity crossover
as well as a two-component model of local pairs and fermions are analyzed.
The question of a pseudogap and a possible scenario of crossovers in high t
emperature superconductors are briefly examined.