Flooding the penalty area
This session aims to improve the movement of your forwards when getting into the opponents box in order to score from a cross. MORE
Soccer drills and skills
This season, never hunt around for a fresh soccer drill again. Get proven and easy to use drills for all groups and abilities with Soccer Coach Weekly. As a coach, it is your job to give your team the skills and technique to be great players.
The soccer drills in this section will help you coach your players in the core skills of the game. We’ll tell you what to look out for, how to get the ideas over to your players, and we’ll give you games and exercises to really power-up their skills.
Drills by skill
- Dribbling drills
- Turning drills
- Crossing drills
- Heading drills
- Tackling drills
- Passing drills
- Shooting drills
- Ball control & footwork drills
Drills by age group
- U5 soccer drills
- U6 soccer drills
- U7 soccer drills
- U8 soccer drills
- U9 soccer drills
- U10 soccer drills
- U11 soccer drills
- U12 soccer drills
- U13 soccer drills
- U14 soccer drills
- U15 soccer drills
- U16 soccer drills
Attacking play
Recent sessions have given your players dribbling, passing and decision-making skills. This session encourages your players to put these skills into practice in a team environment with the aim of building movement in attack and creating more goal-scoring opportunities. MORE
Clever keeper
in Goalkeeping, Passing
This session is about keeper distribution and retaining possession by building play from the back. It mimics short passes to centrebacks and midfield players, low driven and chipped passes to full-backs and wide midfielders, and longer passes to centre-forwards and wide attackers MORE
The importance of the magic man
in Attacking, Email newsletters
When you play training games with your team if you have an odd number of players it is always a good idea to play a 'magic man'. This is a position of great responsibility because this player can catch the opposition out during transition or can be the player who creates goal scoring chances because he/she is less likely to be marked when the ball is transferred. MORE
Keeper gets cross
in Goalkeeping, Tips and advice
Having a trustworthy, proficient keeper positively influences the mindsets and playing abilities of all players in front of him. This is a session for goalkeepers that coaches them in the basics of anticipating crosses and dominating their area. MORE
The lone striker
A lot of teams now play with a lone striker supported by players from midfield. The modern striker must have a number of attributes. These include running deep to receive the ball, holding the ball up, dribbling at speed and shooting with either foot. This session aims to improve these skills in a number of 1v1 exercises. MORE
First to the ball attacks the goal
This 2v1 session has players practicing a range of attacking techniques, including passing and shooting. MORE
Winning back possession
in Defending, Email newsletters
It may sound like I am being negative suggesting ways to stop teams passing but study any of the successful teams around the world and you will see the hard work that goes into stopping teams passing through or around midfields and defences. MORE
See the pass
Long passes can be a key way to open up an opposition defence or to find space on the pitch by switching play. A great way to help young players to spot longer passing options and to see beyond the first players in their line of vision. MORE
4v4 with 4 goals
in Attacking, Small Sided Games
Obviously kids thoroughly enjoy scrimmaging and coaches can use games to teach players without them realizing they are learning. Not only does this game help players stay connected but also starts introducing finishing and expands players range of passing. MORE
Attacking front and back
This session is about developing players that are capable of scoring goals in a range of match situations. MORE
Don’t panic under pressure
It’s tough trying to keep calm and pass the ball when the opposition’s defenders are swarming around, but being able to do so will mean your team is less likely to give away possession and so retain control of the ball. MORE
On the rebound
Long shots often create chaos in the penalty areas of youth teams opening up chances from rebounds and blocks. Fire your team ahead by going long against tough opposition and score from the rebound MORE
Fun sessions to focus young minds
in Email newsletters, Fun soccer games
Getting back into the swing of training every week can be hard work. Certainly for me when faced with a dozen U9 players training last night was very stop/start as players got their legs working again and tried to pass and receive. MORE
Coconut shy
A basic introduction for helping with weight and accuracy of passing. Can also be a good game for a cool down or to be used during a training session following a game. MORE
Pass with purpose
It is important for young players to recognise when the ball is passed to them by looking up at all times giving them more chance to control the ball. MORE
Shake off and pass
in Ball Control and Footwork, Practice plans
This session is ideal for getting players to practise shaking off defenders in tight areas and creating room to execute the next technique – in this case a pass. MORE
Attacking centrally and wide
This session develops attacking play from both central and wide positions. Your team should firstly look to attack through the centre as that is the quickest way to the goal. However, opponents will often block these areas and therefore your team must know how to attack down the wide areas too. MORE
Support the striker
Possession, passing and support is vital to creating the chances that give your team the opportunity to score more goals. This is build up play to shooting at goal. MORE
Score goals in the New Year
in Email newsletters, Shooting
One thing we all wish for in the New Year is that our teams score more goals and do so using the style of play we work on with our teams at training. Pass and move, get into good positions and create goal scoring chances. MORE
Track your man
If your players can improve their individual defending when man marking and tracking their opponent’s runs, your team is far less likely to concede goals. MORE
Shake off the marker
in Ball Control and Footwork, Practice plans
Players often get frustrated when closely marked as they do not have the luxury of time and space to perform their skills. This session shows your players how to shake off a marker and create space to receive a pass. This will give them time to execute their next skill, whether it is a pass, shot or dribble. MORE
The midfield runner
Help improve your players’ movement off the ball so they can support play and create goalscoring opportunities. MORE
Passing with purpose
An attacking team’s first priority when passing is to play positively towards a target. If they’re prevented from reaching that target, their second aim is to retain possession until they can find an opportunity to pass. This session focuses on risk and reward. Do your players pass or do they keep the ball? MORE
