Create like Di Maria
A great training session to encourage goalscoring chances created from balls played into the penalty area by clever wingers like Argentina’s Angel Di Maria. 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
Wake up at the back!
in Defending, Email newsletters
Defending can be waiting game for teams that play a good attacking game and dominate the opposition. How do you keep them alert, organised and ready to drop back, recover and defend a counter attack or long ball over the top? MORE
Two runners
This set is set up to improve general movement in players when they are in possession of the ball and attacking the opposition goal MORE
Support play
in Attacking, Small Sided Games
Players work on through balls, angled passes, chips and more. It trains players to time their runs, arc their runs, and be creative. The zones help players practise beating the offside trap. MORE
Moonrakers
English Premier League midfield stars such as Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard use raking diagonal passes at every opportunity to open their opponent’s defence. This creates 1v1 crossing situations or chances to run behind the defence and into goal-scoring positions. This session will improve your team’s ability to do the same. MORE
Keep ball
The success of Spain at international level proves a game based on possession can win the biggest trophies. Try this exercise with your players and they will start appreciating the value of keeping the ball. MORE
The drag push drill
in Attacking, Ball Control and Footwork
The ability to dominate opponents in 1v1s is a match-winning tool for players to bring to the team. It is something that can enhance every side, giving them their own Ronaldo or Messi. MORE
The drag push skill
in Attacking, Ball Control and Footwork
This is a great skill to use anywhere players are involved in an attacking 1v1. MORE
That ball’s mine!
in Defending, Small Sided Games
Arsenal's David Luiz likes to push out of defence and win the ball before it is played into dangerous areas and this session encourages players to do that. MORE
Battle for space
This replicates a midfield battle with the final pass vital to scoring points in the game. Players learn where and when to make the pass and how movement off the ball is vital to success. MORE
Find the forward
Quick passing upfield can catch the opposition cold. This week’s session is designed to improve passes from your team’s defenders to its forwards. MORE
The Gauntlet
in Ball Control and Footwork, Practice plans
These fun, competitive drills will help players develop their close control and dribbling, before “running The Gauntlet” at the end. MORE
Passing passion
This passing sequence is an excellent and fun way for your players to acquire the passing skills needed for effective linking play MORE
What to do with the goalie?
in Email newsletters, Goalkeeping
The start of the season always has coaches frantically trying to find a goalkeeper particularly in the younger age groups. And when you find one what do you do with them? MORE
Right place, right time
This is a great session for coaching cover individually and working as a unit and to get the player nearest the ball to hold up and force play away before it gets to a danger zone. Use this session to teach your players defensive covering. MORE
Swap attackers
in Attacking, Small Sided Games
This is a great session to help players understand movement in and around the attacking third of the pitch, creating space and goalscoring opportunities. MORE
Hot press
This activity will teach individual players to understand their roles in defensive pressing by applying the general pressing cues in a functional and geographically specific context MORE
Defend the corner
Teach your players how to organise themselves to defend a corner, which areas to defend and how to quickly execute counter attacks when clearing the ball. This session can be adapted for mini soccer, intermediate or 11v11 adult football. MORE
The passing rectangle
Whether it’s playing a through ball, switching the play or simply maintaining possession, being able to pass accurately and with the right weight is critical to your team’s chances of success. MORE
The ups and downs of coaching
in Blog, Soccer dribbling drills, Tips and advice
When I first started coaching I looked at the list of divisions in the league we had been put in and realised with mounting horror that it was possible we could get relegated every season and the team could sink without a trace. MORE
Why bother with skills?
in Ball Control and Footwork, Blog
One thing I find useful about working indoors is the development of a player’s 1v1 skills. I had interesting conversation about the use of 1v1s this week and it caused me to stop and think about how and why I was coaching this skill. MORE
Clever out wide
This session will show your wide players how to put good balls into the feet of attackers who are battling to try to lose a defender and score. MORE
Last man standing
It is vital to improve the decision making of the last defender when caught in 1v1 and 2v1 situations. When a defender is isolated they must first look to force the play away from goal and second, they need to delay the attack and enable team mates to track back and help. MORE
Three-pass frenzy
More than 80% of goals are scored in three or fewer passes after regaining possession of the ball. An alert move forward after winning the ball can catch defences out and give your team chances to score goals. MORE
