Return to play: Skills test
Great way to warm up before a match or training session. Similar to a Rondo but with more physical movement for days when it is cold or you have a practice based on fitness. 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
Return to play: Circle passing
in Arrival activities, Return to play
There are a number of places where the social distancing rules are not the same as here in England, and I've been asked for sessions that are non contact but not just 5 players so this ssession can be used with any number of players. MORE
Get better at crossing the ball
in Crossing, Email newsletters
Watching the matches taking place behind closed doors I get the impression that the players are more motivated to use their skills – one of the most common ones is when teams counter attack and players cross the ball when they are moving at speed. to judge when running at speed. MORE
Crossing on the run
Having the ability to cross the ball on the run makes life difficult for the opposition defenders. This is one of the harder skills that wingers need and it helps them to catch out defenders on the counterattack without stopping or slowing the attack down. MORE
Diagonal run and shot
Even the best defences will be breached if your forwards make diagonal runs from wide and receive a well-timed through pass. This shooting drill will help your players perfect their timing when making diagonal runs and getting a shot at goal. MORE
Return to play: Short or long
If you are social distancing please observe your local rules. This is very easy to set up and can be used for different distances, long and short passing coupled with a one-two skill. It is a simple unopposed activity but it needs good coordination. MORE
Olé football
Spain and Barcelona mesmerise their opponents when in possession of the ball. Improve your players’ composure when they have the ball to emulate the Spanish. This session will help your players retain possession and if the opposition do not have the ball, they cannot score any goals. MORE
How are you starting your coaching sessions?
in Email newsletters, Warm Ups
I cannot second guess when we will all be out of this strange way of coaching with no opposed sessions but hopefully it will be fairly soon. To that end I continually remind myself that I will be going back to getting my players warmed up in a different way to how I am doing it at the moment. MORE
Return to play: Changing direction
in Ball Control and Footwork, Return to play
If you are social distancing please observe your local rules. This session develops a high level of skill and movement. It is good for technique and uses both feet, working on dribbling, turning, changing direction plus advanced movements of the ball. MORE
Return to play: Get players crossing
When your players get the ball into an attacking position they need to finish it off. This exercise helps them do that – it needs good communication, accurate passing and a good finish. MORE
Shoot on sight
A snap shot at goal can be the difference between two teams on match day. When the chance to shoot arises, your players need to take advantage of the opportunity. MORE
Coaching your goalkeeper
in Email newsletters, Goalkeeping
At the younger age groups I have always found it a difficult job filling the position of goalkeeper. I've done various things, put my own son in goal, had two goalkeepers so one half they play outfield the other in goal but were never subbed – it helped but didn't totally solve the problem. So what do you do? MORE
The goal poacher
This week’s session is designed to improve your players’ ability to score goals inside the penalty area. The term “goal poacher” describes a player who is desperate to score goals and is constantly looking to get a toe, foot or head on the ball to do so. MORE
Return to play: 1v1 striker test
This simple and fun activity is perfect for using as a warm up, allowing you to warm up your players with ball control, speed and good touch. MORE
Return to play: Lone striker
Use this session to teach your strikers to attack with strength and presence – to be a strong forward who strikes fear into the heart of defenders. This simple session puts the focus on passing and moving to get into a good position to hit the target. MORE
Quick turning to shoot
This session is designed to improve your players’ turning in and around the penalty area. The aim for the forward is to get a quick shot at goal and catch the goalkeeper by surprise. MORE
Return to play: fast combinations
Great for social distancing rules and numbers at trainingThis is a game that encourages fast combination play and quick reactions that players need when they have won the ball. MORE
Crossing and finishing
This simple drill will help younger players to start thinking about coordinating the timing of a cross with a team mate’s run towards goal. MORE
The best defensive tactic
in Defending, Email newsletters
One of the most important topics in defensive play is compactness. A key principle of compactness is that the playing area of the opposition is minimised so there is less space for them to attack in. Give your players a lesson in compactness MORE
Technique in Tight Spaces
in Ball Control and Footwork, Return to play, Soccer drills and skills
Watch the touch and ability to use all parts of the feet in tight spaces on the pitch from creative players like Eden Hazard and get your players to develop their creative side MORE
Return to play: wingers
Great session for return to play with 5 players. Getting players used to passing and moving in different parts of the pitch is vital to their match day success MORE
High and low striker
This practice shows the advantage of forwards playing off each other and develops combinations with the wide midfielders. MORE
From defence to attack
Prime your team to go for goal as soon as possession is regained because that’s when opposition defenders are least prepared and so most vulnerable to attack. MORE
Return to play: Turning skills
Please check out the latest sport and social distancing guidelines in your area, and follow the recommendations when planning training sessions. This is a simple passing, turning game which will give your players the ability to receive the ball and turn with it to pass in another direction MORE
