Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): U7 drills

1v1 to end zones

Set up:

1. Create two 15x30 grids next to each other.

2. Mark off an end zone 5x15yrds with disc cones at opposite ends of each grid as shown in the diagram.

3. Have a good supply of balls at each end of the grid.

Instructions:

1. Have a defender start in the middle of the grid.

2. Have a line of attackers start at the end of the grid.

3. The attacking player must go 1v1 with the defender and try to dribble into the end zone and stop the ball.

4. If the defender wins the ball or clears it then the attacker now becomes the defender and the defender goes to the back of the attacking line.

5. If the attacker is successful getting into the end zone, they can join the opposite grid attacking line.

Dribbling relay race

Set up:

1. Create a 20x20yd grid.

2. Make a smaller 5yd x 5yd square inside the big square with yellow cones.

3. Place 4 orange cones in a row 2feet apart if front of each line of players.

4. Give 1st player in each line a ball.

Instructions:

1. On the coach's command "go", the first player in each line dribbles through the orange cones and stops their ball in the yellow square.

2. After leaving the ball in the yellow square the player runs back to their line and tags the next player in line and then sits down at the back of the line.

3. The next player dribbles through the orange cones, leaves their ball in the yellow square, runs back and tags the next player in line then sits down at the back of the line.

4. Repeat until all 4 players are sitting down.

5. The first team to have all their players sitting down wins.

6. Progression: Reverse and have 10 balls start in the yellow square and teams have to see how many balls they can bring back to their line one by one until all the balls are gone. The players run through the orange cones, retrieve a ball and dribble back through the orange cones back to their line. The team with the most balls win.

Border Wars

Set up:

1. Create a 10yd x 30yd grid.

2. Mark off 2 end zones 10yd x 5yd.

Instructions:

1. For each team red and blue, give each player a number from 1-6.

2. Both teams start passing the ball within their own grids.

3. When the coach calls out a number, the players on each team who were given that number will sprint across to the other teams grid trying to kick the ball out of the grid.

4. The player who clears the ball from the grid first gets a point.

5. The players go back to their own grid and the play starts again with a new number called out by the coach.

Musical Soccer balls

Set up:

1. Use the center circle on the field of make a circle with disc cones.

2. Make a square in the middle of the circle.

3. Place balls in the square. There must be one less ball then the amount of players.

Instructions:

1. Start the players running around the circle.

2, On the coach's command "GO!", the players will run to the center square and try to retrieve a ball by putting a foot on a ball.

3. The player who does not get a ball is "out" and must practice juggling until a new game starts.

4. After each round remove 1 ball.

5. The game continues until the last ball is won.

Various movements can be done during moving around the outside of the circle (ex. high knees, side shuffle, butt kicks, run backwards etc.)

Tug of War

Set up:

1. Create a 30yd x 20yd grid.

2. Split the grid into equal thirds.

3. Every player starts with a ball.

4. Put a unique ball of a different colour in the center of the middle zone.

Instructions:

1. On the coach's command "GO!", all players attempt to pass/kick their ball at the target ball in the middle zone.

2. Players try to hit the target ball and make the target ball roll and enter the other teams end zone to score a point.

3. Keep passing/shooting until the target ball enters one of the end zones. Players gather missed balls and shoot the other direction towards the opposing end zone.

3. Keep track the score. First team to 5 points wins the game.