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

Drills by age group

Shoot on sight

in Attacking, Shooting

Shooting chances may only be there for a split second and young players miss the opportunity while moving the ball from one foot to the other or by passing when a shot would be the best option. MORE

Beat the block

in Attacking, Passing

Crowded penalty areas can allow attackers to disguise their shooting by shielding themselves from the keeper behind defenders. Can your attackers beat the blocking defenders and not hit their own players? MORE

How to coach second ball tactics- part 1

Second ball steal

in Practice plans, Shooting

Forwards must always be “alive” and ready to react should a defender fail to clear the ball, miss-control, play a poor pass or not react to a rebound off the goalkeeper. Use this session to keep your forwards alert and they will steal goals for your team. MORE

Dribble to score

in Shooting, Soccer dribbling drills

This game helps to get your players dribbling past defenders and shooting at goal. It will help your players win 1v1s and get them finishing off good moves. MORE

Keeper sweeper

in Goalkeeping, Practice plans

Goalkeepers have to be alert even if they don’t have a lot to do in some games. Any attack on their goal can be prevented by early action such as interrupting long balls to sweep away danger. MORE

Clever disguise

in Attacking, Ball Control and Footwork

Help your attackers to develop their dribbling skills and encourage them to fool defenders by disguising the direction they are going to take to shoot at goal. MORE

Stand and deliver

in Defending, Soccer tackling drills

This session replicates situations where midfielders can find themselves outnumbered and a timely tackle is needed to stop the move in its tracks. MORE

Let’s stick together

in Defending, Tactics

The defending team is coached how to get into formation in a match when they have lost the ball and how to quickly assemble a zonal defence. After using our first session, run this and allow players to make decisions on where to defend at the corner. MORE

Ever ready to make a save

in Goalkeeping, Practice plans

It may only be for a split second, but having a good “ready” position will give a goalkeeper a good platform from which to make a save. Such preparation can be the difference between winning and losing a match. MORE

How to coach a 4v2 attacking drill- part 1

Attacking 4v2 game

in Attacking, Practice plans

Good passing and movement will generate instances of 4 v 2 overload. Take these chances when they arise and you’ll win the game. This session shows your players how to maximize the opportunity. MORE

5 ways to shoot at goal

in Email newsletters, Shooting

These are five of my go to sessions when I want to coach shooting or to give my players a good workout using both feet to put the ball in the net... it's also the thing they love to do at training better than anything. MORE

Press or protect

in Defending, Rondos

Play this like a Rondo where if you split the defenders and hit the cone keeping possession of the ball. The pressing team must try to win the ball and prevent the possession team hitting the cone. MORE

Attacking wingbacks

in Attacking, Tactics

Use this session if you want to see exciting attacking wingbacks who can either cross a ball or cut inside and shoot. Players can make use of 2v1 situations to attack or fool the defenders with a skill. Crosses into the box are also an option in this game. MORE

How to coach a ball dribbling challenge - part 1

Ball dribble challenge

in Practice plans, Soccer dribbling drills

This session will test whether your players have the skills to take on and beat defenders, and then go on to score goals. If they haven’t, use this practice plan and they will soon have the technique. MORE

How to coach goal keeper reaction drills- part 1

Reactor!

in Goalkeeping, Practice plans

Improving your goalkeeper’s reaction speed to different attacking situations such as rebounds and the fast, unexpected shot could stop your team leaking goals. MORE

Individual skills: chipping the ball

in Ball Control and Footwork, Email newsletters

Chipping the ball is a difficult skill but one that reaps benefits if players can do it. I like to get my players to chip the ball at practice into the hands of their goalkeeper or teammates so they know how to chip over congested areas of the pitch or chip an advancing goalkeeper to score a goal. MORE

Positional game with attacking movement

in Attacking, Tactics

This session is all about build up play, keeping possession to pass into key attackers getting players to pass to the players safe side away from their markers. Youth players will also learn the why, when and how of attacking and defending play. MORE

How to coach a midfielder in tactics and techniques

in Attacking, Email newsletters

An attacking midfielder sets up so many goalscoring chances that it cannot be ignored in your coaching sessions. Once the midfielder wins the ball there are a number of important things to do that go through a players mind in a split second. Can I secure the ball? Can I pass into the striker? Can I play the ball wide and find space? ..... So how do you coach it? MORE

How to coach counter attacking drills- part 1

Counter strike

in Attacking, Practice plans

Teams are at their most vulnerable when they lose the ball in the attacking third. This session will help your team to capitalise on these opportunities by making a quick fire counter strike when they win possession and the opposition’s defence is vulnerable. MORE

What can Rondos do for your players?

in Rondos, Tips and advice

Rondos are ideal for training, for warm-ups, for pre-season and to get players in the mood for working hard. They are directly related to the principles of play and link into systems of play – so 2v1 3v2 – and that works into practising formations at all age groups. MORE

One-on-one defending

in Defending, Practice plans

Defending in a 1v1 is tough – use this drill to improve your players’ ability to come out on top in such situations. MORE

Line chase

in Passing, Warm Ups

Simple to set up and simple to do, but this does need accurate passing and good player movement. Good for match days when you want a quick warm up for movement and technique MORE

Score from close range

in Attacking, Shooting

Scoring from close range isn't always as simple as it sounds. Try running this session to get your attackers taking shooting opportunities in the penalty area. MORE

Develop players’ first touch

in Ball Control and Footwork, Email newsletters

That old joke about a player's second touch being a tackle to try to win the ball back is not always funny. Especially if it's your players losing the ball. Watching the Premier League over the last week it is clear that a player's first touch has never been more important with fast passing and receiving the key to the best teams I have watched. MORE

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