Dylan Hunter

This drill teaches players to dribble in high traffic/high pressure situations while staying in control. It’s a great warm-up to focus on dribbling with all parts of the foot.
Soccer Drill contributed by: Chris Johnson
Drill Info:
This is for ages U6, U8, U10, U12. It is best ran with at least 8 players but no more than 16 players. The drill should be ran approximately 20 minutes on a small field. The coach will also make sure they have the following equipment: cones, .

Setup:
Start by making a grid approximately 20X20 yards. Split the team into two groups. Each player should have a ball. Instruct each group of players to line up outside the grid facing inward on two adjacent sides of the grid (half of the group on one side, the other half on the side next to the other group).

Instructions:
On the coaches command, instruct the players to dribble to the other side of the group and back to the starting position (down and back). The first player back in each group gets a point. The first player to 5 wins that set. Play 3-4 sets.

Variations:
- restrict players to touches with a certain foot or part of the foot. (example: left foot only, or outside of the foot only)
- Have the player turn or cut when they reach the opposite side of the grid
- Place even groups on all four sides of the grid and play the same game. - Make the grid a bit larger and have the players dribble with speed

Coaching Points:
- focus on the players getting their heads up while dribbling for awareness and to avoid collisions
- make sure players keep the ball at a close/safe distance. If the ball is too far in front of them they will most often hit another player or lose their ball.

Focus:
Technical Dribbling, Technical Turning, Tactical Vision

This soccer drill focuses on aggressiveness in winning 50/50 balls and fitness. This drill will be more beneficial for younger players under 8 and older.
Soccer Drill contributed by: Chris Johnson
Drill Info:
This is for ages U6, U8, U10, U12, U14, U16. It is best ran with at least 4 players but no more than 20 players. The drill should be ran approximately 25 minutes on a small field. The coach will also make sure they have the following equipment: cones, .

Setup:
Create a grid that is 30×30 yards. Create 4 teams and have them stand at each of the four corner cones. The coach stands outside the grid near the middle of 2 side cones with a large supply of soccer balls.

Instructions:
The coach plays a ball into the center of the grid and shouts out a command (such as “GO”) to begin play. The first player in each of the 4 lines must sprint after the ball in attempt to reach the ball first. Once the ball is won cleanly, the player must hold possession from the other players for 5 seconds before passing the ball back to the coach. If any player steals the ball from the person in possession, that player will then attempt to hold possession for 5 seconds. A team scores a point by successfully holding possession for 5 seconds and making a return pass to the coach. The first team to reach 5 points wins.

Variations:
* The coach can play different types of balls such as flighted balls, bouncing balls, rolling balls, balls with large amounts of top or back spin.

Coaching Points:
* Players should be taught to go after the ball aggressively with speed, determination and vigor.

Focus:
Technical Dribbling, Technical Aggressiveness

For anyone less than U14+, definitely dropping pushups thing, but other than that, looks good for my U8’s.

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5v2 Rotating Defenders
This drill will focus on keeping possession by making good passes as well as good passing decisions, moving to open space, and good communication.
Soccer Drill contributed by: Chris Johnson
Drill Info:
This is for ages U6, U8, U10, U12, U14, U16. It is best ran with at least 9 players but no more than 18 players. The drill should be ran approximately 20 minutes on a small field. The coach will also make sure they have the following equipment: cones, alternate jersey, .

Setup:
Start by setting up a 12X12 grid. 5 attackers wear Alternate jersies, and the remaining players should pair up as defenders behind one cone with the supply of balls.

Instructions:
The first pair of defenders play a ball into the 5 attackers, and step into the grid and become defenders. The attackers should continue passing undil the defenders win the ball, or the ball is knocked out of play. Once the play is dead, the next pair of defenders play into the same 5 attackers, and play resumes.

Variations:

* Adjust grid (larger = easier; smaller = harder)
* Introduce splits (split defenders, defenders do 10 pushups every split)
* Adjust the number of attackers (4 attackers vs 2 defenders)

Coaching Points:

* Vision
* Changes in the direction and speed of play
* Appropriate use of 1st touch
* Appropriate use of short or long passing
* Good passes to feet
* Good first touch
* Good decision making (make play easy)
* Speed of play/decisions

Focus:
Technical Dribbling, Technical Passing, Technical Receiving, Technical Shielding, Tactical Defending, Tactical Possession, Tactical Communication, Tactical Combination Play

The first exercise was suggested by Chris Mohr, a colleague on the soccercoach-l mailing list. It is a simple exercise for younger players.

This simple but effective exercise emphasizes finishing on goal, and also efficiently incorporates complementary receiving skills. The exercise moves along so fast that although there is a “line” aspect to its structure, the wait per player is very short (in some cases almost not long enough, since it’s a pretty vigorous exercise and they need to get back to the starting position in time for their next turn).

Set Up and Execution

For every six to eight players, you will need:

• a pair of bicycle flags to serve as the goal
• a pile of extra balls
• a coach (or knowledgeable parent) to supervise / feed the extra balls when necessary.

Two flags are placed about a goal-width apart. Two lines of 3-4 players each are formed, the start of each line roughly centered about 20 yards out from the flag “goal” (F = flag, X = player in line 1, Y = player in line 2, C = coach, o = ball(s).

For some groups, a couple of cones to mark about where players should start from may be useful aids, but they’re not essential to the exercise.

The coach initially serves a rolling or bouncing ball toward the first player. The player has N# of touches to receive and get a shot off (ideally, N == 2 or even sometimes 1). Player “shot” will of course continue past the flags toward line 2.

The first player from the front of line 2 moves to receive the ball, two (or one) touches and returns a shot back through the goal, which is in turn received and shot by the next player in line.

If a shot or attempt at receiving it goes awkwardly astray, or is so poorly mis-hit so it doesn’t effectively roll through the flags, the coach immediately serves another ball to the next player up to go after instead.

Coaching Points

• Use your receiving first touch to direct the ball to the side a bit in front of you to set up your shot, ideally on the very next touch.
• Use good striking and receiving technique, BUT equally or more important is to receive and get a shot off QUICKLY!
• Emphasize that in a game, fussy extra touches to try to set up a ball perfectly = lost opportunity to get the shot off before the defense recovers, (and also allows the GK to better cut off the angle and get set).
• Set the plant foot a little past the ball so it in the correct position beside the ball when the ball is struck.
• We want the shot on the ground or low if possible (must at least come in under the flags to count). Without enforcing this condition, players will fail to ingrain the technique habits necessary to avoid skying the ball over the crossbar. (Let ‘em learn chip shots over the GK in another exercise, another day)
• It’s better to try for accuracy and smooth firmness than to deliberately try to swing at the ball hard.
• After awhile, you can direct (if the receiving angle is suitable) that the shot must be with the non-dominant foot (usually the left)…so try to set up the receiving touch that way if possible!

It is better to keep this exercise simple and uncluttered, by NOT attempting to have the players switch lines…but rather have move quickly out of the way after their shot passes the flags, and move back to the end of their line in time for their next turn (which is coming up very quickly! That’s in part because there’s inherently no rebound to “follow” by the nature of this exercise (the ball passes through the flags)…and you want the action to flow immediately, without interruption, to the next player in the opposite line. This is a technical exercise to ingrain the proper instincts for receiving and shooting rather than a competitive
small-sided game

Progression of Flag Shooting

Of course, it would also be a good (but very different and small sided take-on rather than technical shooting) exercise to have the player from line 1 continue through the flags to be a facing oncoming “defender” against the next player up from line 2 to try to receive and shoot against, and so on. Here’s a variation I would use first, to get players used to executing good receiving touch and shot with composure under stress and pressure. You can assign one player, or better yet (if you’re strong-winded) yourself to give chase closely behind each player in one of the lines, starting immediately upon their first touch. Use the pause while the opposite line has its momentary turn to get back in place to give a controlled amount of harassment to the next player in line.

You can also do this slightly differently by having each player have a ball, and when a player takes a shot, they must follow it to the goal to become GK for the opponent’s shot. Then retrieve a ball and go back to your group.

The Game

Players pass the ball to the player with the number one higher than their own. (eg. 5 passes to 6, 11 to 1). Ball travels through the entire team. First, allow unlimited touches, then two touches, not allowing the ball to stop, then one touch. Try playing with left foot only, outside of foot only, without talking.

Coaching Points
# Eye contact.
# Good passing technique.
# Angles of support.
# Proper weight of passes.
# Keep body open to the field of play

The Game:
Create a 5 - 10 yard neutral area that no player can enter. Use a minimum of one ball per two players (for best results, use a ball for each player). On command, each team tries to keep it’s side free of balls by kicking through the neutral zone to the opposite side. Play for a specific time limit.

Variations
# Must use two touches.
# Only use inside of foot.
# Only use instep (laces) when kicking.
# Must do an escape move, then kick.
# Increase size of neutral zone for more advanced players.
# Use fewer balls.

The Game

Groups of three, one ball per group. Player A rolls the ball (receiving ground balls) or tosses the ball (receiving air balls) to either player B or player C. In this example, player C must control the ball and get a completed pass to player B. While this is occurring, player A immediately challenges player C and tries to win the ball back. After successful pass, player C would then pick up the ball and repeat the activity as the defender. The defender is awarded a point for winning the ball back and gets to throw again.

Coaching Points
# Encourage defender to pressure quickly after the toss. Defender needs to work hard at closing down the space while the ball is in flight.
# Receiving player’s first touch should be away from the pressuring defender.
# Player receiving the pass should move to create a clear passing lane.
# Do not allow the receiving player to one touch the incoming toss. This is a receiving drill, as well as a drill that serves as a good warm-up for practices dealing with defenders.

War

They’ll want to play this one all day!

war

Setup: 20×40 grid with both ends of the grid open. Place a set of cones about 3 feet apart in the middle of both ends. These are your goals. After you have set up the field, divide your players into two equal teams.

The teams line up outside the grid opposite each other. Assign each player a number.

The coach starts the game by tossing the ball inside the grid and calling a number.

The players of that number from each team run into the field of play and try to score through the opposite goal.

If you want to emphasise close control, make it a condition that a goal can only be scored if they have control of the ball and be no more than two steps away from it when the ball crosses the line. If they do not have control or are more than two steps away from the ball, the goal does not count.

Alternatively, you can encourage quick shooting by allowing the children to shoot as soon as they get a sight of goal.

Defending techniques, (closing down, positioning between the attacker and the goal, not ‘diving in’), can also be emphasised and reinforced in this fun 1 v 1.

If the ball goes out of the grid, throw another ball in to keep the game flowing. Try throwing it in high so your kids can practice controlling a bouncing ball.

Once a player scores, award that team 1 point. First team to score, say, three points wins.

After players are back into position call out another number.

To make the game more interesting, call out a second number while the first pair are playing. Now you have a 2 v 2 team situation. Now you can focus on defensive techniques, communication, quick passing and running off the ball.

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You can add an element of conditioning if the children have to run right round the marked out area when their number is called, entering the field of play through the opposite goal.
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Ensure both teams stand in the goalmouths while they wait for you to call out a number!

Trick or Treat

This simple dribbling drill was suggested by Ivan Mann, a coaching colleague from the soccercoach-l mailing list. It also makes a good warm up exercise for younger children.

Set Up and Execution

Make a square with pretty small sides - players line up on each side. Put an adult in the middle of each side (that means four adults) holding a dozen or so flat cones (you could use anything else similar size and shape). 50 cones or 50 slips of construction paper will do.

On a go signal, players dribble across the square, stop the ball with a foot on it, say “Trick or Treat”, take a cone from an adult, turn the ball, dribble back across, take a cone, etc. When all the cones are gone, who has the most?

This requires dribbling at speed, avoiding the clump in the middle, controlling the ball around an opponent, but minimal coordination holding the cones.

After a few rounds dribble across the square, dribble around the coach, and then stop the ball, say “Trick or treat,” etc. Or place the adults randomly in the square, moving at a walking pace. This makes them keep their heads up and look for the target (i.e. the adult)

Hot potato

Objectives: communication, goalkeeping, movement, decision-making, passing, receiving, fun.

Age range: 6+

Number of children: 10+

Equipment: enough cones to mark out the grid, 8 or 10 footballs, coloured bibs.

Set up: Mark out a 40×30 grid with two target areas as shown in the diagram. Place 8 or 10 footballs in one target area. Put one player in each target area.

Target area

Target area

The basic game

Set your players a problem to solve – how can you get the footballs from one target area to the other as quickly as possible?

I suggest that you have just two rules: every player must touch every ball as it is transferred to the other target area and there can only be one ball in play at a time.

Now watch how they achieve their task. How do they communicate? Who are the leaders?

Ask them: “how can you do this more quickly?” “Is it quicker to take up static positions and throw the ball rather than pass it to each with your feet?” “Why?”

Conditions

If you prefer, you can direct your players by setting conditions such as:

* Use hands only (a good starting point for younger players)
* You cannot run with the ball
* You can only run N paces

Don’t forget to rotate the target players with the outfield players.

Progression 1: Introduce an element of competition.

Keep one player in each target area and split the remainder into two teams wearing coloured bibs. Start by sharing the grid as shown below.

Target area

team 1

team 2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

Target area

The two teams now compete with each other to get a specified number of footballs from one target area to the other as quickly as they can. Keep the same basic rules, i.e., only one ball in play for each time at a time and every player must touch the ball. Introduce other conditions as required.

Progression 2: The two teams now play a netball (i.e., not allowed to run with the ball) or basketball (can run with the ball) game. They score a point by successfully passing the ball to a target player.

Progression 3: The next step is for the two teams to play soccer in the grid. They score a point by making a completed pass to one or either of the target players.
Summary

These soccer coaching activities, when combined with a suitable warm up and cool down, are a good way to improve your players decision making, passing, receiving and communication skills. The simplicity of the games makes them particularly suitable for younger players.

youth soccer coaching

Explode!

easy and fun soccer coaching drill designed to improve dribbling skills

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This game requires every player to have a football.
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You should have as many cones as players

Set up: The cones are placed an equal distance away from the circle, say 10-20 yards, depending on age of players

To start with I have the players dribble inside a circle (usually just using the inside circle of the field). The circle is primarily used so the players will keep their head up while dribbling in a confined space.

My instructions inside the circle will include “pull backs”, “outside of foot dribble” and so forth. Anything to keep their head up while dribbling.

After about a minute of dribbling I will yell the word “explode”. At this time, the players will then explode from the circle to find a cone to dribble to, turn around, and then come back to the circle. The key here is that no two players can go around the same cone, so they have to find another cone if somebody is already ahead of them. I (the coach) stand in centre of the circle and first one back to slap my hand wins.

Other rules I have in place are when players come back to circle they must have control of the ball and stop it in front of me and then slap my hand (I learned this after doing this drill and having the balls fly all over the place because they did not have control of the ball coming back into the circle). It is competitive and can be treated as a fitness drill.

You can also do the drill by how many times each player has come back to the circle to slap hands for a two minute time period.

Looks like a nice one for U6:

Egg Hunt

Have more balls than players. Have the players line-up across one end of the field. Take their balls and spread them out around the field, these are the eggs. At the other end of the field is a goal called the “basket”. Blow the whistle and turn them loose. The object of the game is to get all the “eggs” in the basket as quickly as possible. They are all on the same team, and aren’t allowed to take a ball away from another player. Time them to see how fast they can accomplish the task.

The kids really like this game. The more balls (eggs) the better. You should see them score, and turn right around and go back for more balls.