Research shows that soccer drills that mix skill development and repetition of skilled touches that also have fun elements are key to developing youth soccer players. As a soccer coach, you need to create a balance that maximizes the enjoyment of the players. Drills and specifically the development of the touch on the ball are absolutely critical for players to learn and repeat when they are young. It’s these basics that can allow players to master more advanced moves and techniques later on in their soccer development.
Soccer drills that help players learn these core skills and also are wildly fun for kids create a perfect mix. Kids learn better when they are intrinsically engaged, and it’s easy to get both into your next practice with a little planning.
With that in mind, here are some of the most fun youth soccer drills that will also develop their skills, teamwork, and give them loads of touches on the ball.
There are tons of different youth soccer drills, but the best ones marry skill development and natural sports enjoyment. These are some of the best ones for you to use when planning your practice.
Warm-up drills have a very specific purpose. They engage the children’s cardiovascular system and get the blood pumping through the muscles. Properly preparing the body is important for reducing the risk of injury, even in children. If you are a youth soccer coach, here are some of the best soccer warm up drills you can use in your next soccer practice.
Wolf Tail is a soccer drill that is great for warming up the body. Players chase each other and try to pull the “wolf tail” out from the other players which are tucked in behind their soccer shorts. The game works on athleticism and positional awareness because players have to react quickly and think about both attacking and defending at the same time. This kind of drill is easy to get started and fortunately, it doesn’t even require a lot of space.
How To Set Up The Drill
Wolf Tails requires a greater number than four players.
Use cones to mark out a square area appropriate to the number of players. You can make it larger if you have many players, although keeping the space small creates better results and more interactions.
All the players tuck a soccer pinney into the back of their shorts—which is their wolf tail.
The objective of the game is to grab as many “wolf tails” while preventing other players from grabbing your wolf tail.
Hospital tag is an alternative to the Wolf Tails drill listed above. It’s a fun and active warmup drill for a minimum of 4 soccer players.
The drill objective is to tag other players and to avoid being tagged, similar to Wolf Tails.
Dribbling is another core skill in soccer. Being able to dribble and control the ball with both feet is a skill that should be developed at a young age. Dribbling is important not only with being able to control the ball at low speeds, but also when going full-tilt. These drills work on being able to keep the ball close when dribbling and working on the player’s first touch. It’s important to work on your dribbling if you want to develop into a great soccer player.
Here are a couple of drills that are fun and help players develop better dribbling abilities.
Poison snakes is a simple soccer drill that will help to improve general foot dexterity and control. This drill is not only fun, but also helps players improve their coordination and body movements.
How this fun soccer drill works is that the snakes slither around their bellies inside the coned off area and try to tag all the other players participating in the drill.
To get started, the non-snake players put one of their hands on any of the snakes. When the coach calls out, “poison snakes,” each of the non-snake players should start dribbling the ball within the field of play while also being mindful of avoiding being tagged by dribbling in any way they can. Encourage players to use both feet and to use different types of touches like rolls, pull backs, hook turns and more. The snakes slither around on their bellies trying to reach out and tag the non-snake players. Every player who is touched becomes a snake (making the game harder and the space tighter) The drill is over once all the players have been tagged by the snakes.
This common youth soccer game is one that can be easily played with 6-year-olds or younger, however, it can also be played with older players as long as they are challenging themselves to perform good touches. This drill focuses on reaction time and provides an introduction to tight ball control and quick turning.
The players attempt to win by being the first to dribble to the opposite sideline.
Passing is one of the most important skills in soccer. Great players are great passers. In order to succeed at a high level in soccer, you need to be able to pass with the correct weight and placement—for example, not too far ahead or behind a player and to the correct foot in certain situations.
Passing is a skill that needs to be honed consistently. So for a soccer coach, working on passing drills is essential.
As a youth soccer coach, keep an eye out for lazy passes. If players are doing lazy passes, it won’t help them improve. They should be engaged with the passing drill. These youth soccer passing drills are some of the best for any age group.
This is a great drill that forces players to play combination passes when under pressure. You can focus on different elements of passes such as the weight, angle, pace, and even timing of the pass.
This is one of the best passing drills because it forces players to control the ball and pass it to the next player before sprinting to the next cone.
To start this soccer training drill, player 1 will hard pass the ball toward player 2. After passing the ball, the player immediately leaves the cone and runs towards player 2. Player 4 steps in to fill the space left by player 1. Player 2 receives the ball with one foot (it’s important to have a good first touch) and passes with the other foot towards player 3. Player 2 also leaves their initial starting position and starts sprinting towards player 3. The game continues in a clockwise motion.
The Pressure Passing is a great soccer drill for stressing the need for quick but accurate passing (and for older players, using the correct foot to play their teammate out of danger). The speed of the drill also encourages players to keep their heads up when taking touches and playing passes.
All young players love shooting and the thrill that comes with scoring. So training sessions that have shooting drills are always very popular with the kids. But there are techniques to master with shooting that do not come intuitively, like the tendency to lean back and hit the ball too high over the crossbar, for example.
These drills allow players to improve their shots and give them better results in the next game.
This fun game is set up in the penalty area right next to the goalposts. It’s fantastic for younger players and can be played from U6 up to U12.
The main purpose of this soccer drill is to see which team score the most goals within 5 minutes.
The drill commences when one of the GKs passes the ball to one of their teammate. Each team tries to score the most goals within the 3-minute time limit. The team that scores the most goals wins and stays on the field, while the losing team is replaced by the next team of 4. If no goals are scored in the first 3 minutes, the two teams are both replaced by new ones.
Expect some loud fun with this one!
This is a fun soccer drill for kids that also works great for older players and even adults.
The goal of this soccer drill is to help teach younger players how to select a spot inside the goal and work on actually hitting that specific spot. This makes players more adaptable to shooting on both sides of the net from different angles.
Defending is important for any soccer team. Being able to prevent your opponent from scoring or taking high-quality shots is a skill to work on with beginners and experts alike.
When defending, try to impress on the players that they want to get low and jockey rather than diving in recklessly. Making a great tackle can feel just as fantastic as making that perfect pass that leads to a goal. These drills work on defensive soccer skills.
This is a simple drill requiring little setup. Players can also perform it anywhere with just a few cones and a soccer ball.
Use eight cones to set up a small grid 2 yards by 8 yards. Two players start in the grid, and the attacker has the ball at his cleats.
The purpose of this drill is to get defenders to practice how to lead attackers into tight areas with the least amount of space, for instance, along the sidelines or towards another teammate. The drill also focuses on staying with the attacker by jockeying instead of losing body position to chase the attacker.
Start with the attacker and defender facing each other inside the grid. The attacker can use all their skills to protect the ball from the defender. Coaching moment: instruct the defender not to try and strip the ball from the attacker. The purpose is for the defender to stay close to the attacker and to force them into tight spaces. The goal is to choke the attacker out of space. As the attacker changes direction, the defender should stay with them by shuffling their feet to minimize available space. As a coach, watch for diving in as an action to instruct.
This one tests offensive ball control, defense, and also conditioning. When playing defense, this game emphasizes accurate ball clearances and recoveries, while offensive players get to practice dribbling at speed to evade defenders.
This drill will require a goal or cone post, and optionally a keeper. Have two players, an attacker with a ball, and a defender standing on the midfield line facing the goal post.
The objective is to have the defenders attempt legal slide tackling and clear the ball before the attacker can take a shot.
U8 is a key age in soccer development. Extra practice and good coaching in this age group can pay huge dividends later on. At the U8 level, players should be developing the basic movements and skill sets that will help them later on.
Many parents consider private coaching if they feel that their child does not have a coach who has the proper background experience.
Soccer drills for 4-5-year-olds may require some modification. Some great ones for younger players include Cone Chase and Pac Man.
Cone Chase is a basic warm up drill. Players line up behind cones in two rows, facing each other.
Mark out a suitable size grid based on the number of players.
Keeping younger kids engaged and also practicing their skills can be challenging for a soccer coach, but these kid-tested games are perfect for accomplishing just that.
TOCA Soccer Classes are designed for players aged 1-13 whether it’s their first time kicking a ball or they’ve been playing for a few years. Designed by professional athletes and educators, they’re a fun and engaging way for players to enhance their skills and technique no matter where they’re at in their development.
Book a Free Class at a TOCA Center near you today!
Research shows that soccer drills that mix skill development and repetition of skilled touches that also have fun elements are key to developing youth soccer players. As a soccer coach, you need to create a balance that maximizes the enjoyment of the players. Drills and specifically the development of the touch on the ball are absolutely critical for players to learn and repeat when they are young. It’s these basics that can allow players to master more advanced moves and techniques later on in their soccer development.
Soccer drills that help players learn these core skills and also are wildly fun for kids create a perfect mix. Kids learn better when they are intrinsically engaged, and it’s easy to get both into your next practice with a little planning.
With that in mind, here are some of the most fun youth soccer drills that will also develop their skills, teamwork, and give them loads of touches on the ball.
There are tons of different youth soccer drills, but the best ones marry skill development and natural sports enjoyment. These are some of the best ones for you to use when planning your practice.
Warm-up drills have a very specific purpose. They engage the children’s cardiovascular system and get the blood pumping through the muscles. Properly preparing the body is important for reducing the risk of injury, even in children. If you are a youth soccer coach, here are some of the best soccer warm up drills you can use in your next soccer practice.
Wolf Tail is a soccer drill that is great for warming up the body. Players chase each other and try to pull the “wolf tail” out from the other players which are tucked in behind their soccer shorts. The game works on athleticism and positional awareness because players have to react quickly and think about both attacking and defending at the same time. This kind of drill is easy to get started and fortunately, it doesn’t even require a lot of space.
How To Set Up The Drill
Wolf Tails requires a greater number than four players.
Use cones to mark out a square area appropriate to the number of players. You can make it larger if you have many players, although keeping the space small creates better results and more interactions.
All the players tuck a soccer pinney into the back of their shorts—which is their wolf tail.
The objective of the game is to grab as many “wolf tails” while preventing other players from grabbing your wolf tail.
Hospital tag is an alternative to the Wolf Tails drill listed above. It’s a fun and active warmup drill for a minimum of 4 soccer players.
The drill objective is to tag other players and to avoid being tagged, similar to Wolf Tails.
Dribbling is another core skill in soccer. Being able to dribble and control the ball with both feet is a skill that should be developed at a young age. Dribbling is important not only with being able to control the ball at low speeds, but also when going full-tilt. These drills work on being able to keep the ball close when dribbling and working on the player’s first touch. It’s important to work on your dribbling if you want to develop into a great soccer player.
Here are a couple of drills that are fun and help players develop better dribbling abilities.
Poison snakes is a simple soccer drill that will help to improve general foot dexterity and control. This drill is not only fun, but also helps players improve their coordination and body movements.
How this fun soccer drill works is that the snakes slither around their bellies inside the coned off area and try to tag all the other players participating in the drill.
To get started, the non-snake players put one of their hands on any of the snakes. When the coach calls out, “poison snakes,” each of the non-snake players should start dribbling the ball within the field of play while also being mindful of avoiding being tagged by dribbling in any way they can. Encourage players to use both feet and to use different types of touches like rolls, pull backs, hook turns and more. The snakes slither around on their bellies trying to reach out and tag the non-snake players. Every player who is touched becomes a snake (making the game harder and the space tighter) The drill is over once all the players have been tagged by the snakes.
This common youth soccer game is one that can be easily played with 6-year-olds or younger, however, it can also be played with older players as long as they are challenging themselves to perform good touches. This drill focuses on reaction time and provides an introduction to tight ball control and quick turning.
The players attempt to win by being the first to dribble to the opposite sideline.
Passing is one of the most important skills in soccer. Great players are great passers. In order to succeed at a high level in soccer, you need to be able to pass with the correct weight and placement—for example, not too far ahead or behind a player and to the correct foot in certain situations.
Passing is a skill that needs to be honed consistently. So for a soccer coach, working on passing drills is essential.
As a youth soccer coach, keep an eye out for lazy passes. If players are doing lazy passes, it won’t help them improve. They should be engaged with the passing drill. These youth soccer passing drills are some of the best for any age group.
This is a great drill that forces players to play combination passes when under pressure. You can focus on different elements of passes such as the weight, angle, pace, and even timing of the pass.
This is one of the best passing drills because it forces players to control the ball and pass it to the next player before sprinting to the next cone.
To start this soccer training drill, player 1 will hard pass the ball toward player 2. After passing the ball, the player immediately leaves the cone and runs towards player 2. Player 4 steps in to fill the space left by player 1. Player 2 receives the ball with one foot (it’s important to have a good first touch) and passes with the other foot towards player 3. Player 2 also leaves their initial starting position and starts sprinting towards player 3. The game continues in a clockwise motion.
The Pressure Passing is a great soccer drill for stressing the need for quick but accurate passing (and for older players, using the correct foot to play their teammate out of danger). The speed of the drill also encourages players to keep their heads up when taking touches and playing passes.
All young players love shooting and the thrill that comes with scoring. So training sessions that have shooting drills are always very popular with the kids. But there are techniques to master with shooting that do not come intuitively, like the tendency to lean back and hit the ball too high over the crossbar, for example.
These drills allow players to improve their shots and give them better results in the next game.
This fun game is set up in the penalty area right next to the goalposts. It’s fantastic for younger players and can be played from U6 up to U12.
The main purpose of this soccer drill is to see which team score the most goals within 5 minutes.
The drill commences when one of the GKs passes the ball to one of their teammate. Each team tries to score the most goals within the 3-minute time limit. The team that scores the most goals wins and stays on the field, while the losing team is replaced by the next team of 4. If no goals are scored in the first 3 minutes, the two teams are both replaced by new ones.
Expect some loud fun with this one!
This is a fun soccer drill for kids that also works great for older players and even adults.
The goal of this soccer drill is to help teach younger players how to select a spot inside the goal and work on actually hitting that specific spot. This makes players more adaptable to shooting on both sides of the net from different angles.
Defending is important for any soccer team. Being able to prevent your opponent from scoring or taking high-quality shots is a skill to work on with beginners and experts alike.
When defending, try to impress on the players that they want to get low and jockey rather than diving in recklessly. Making a great tackle can feel just as fantastic as making that perfect pass that leads to a goal. These drills work on defensive soccer skills.
This is a simple drill requiring little setup. Players can also perform it anywhere with just a few cones and a soccer ball.
Use eight cones to set up a small grid 2 yards by 8 yards. Two players start in the grid, and the attacker has the ball at his cleats.
The purpose of this drill is to get defenders to practice how to lead attackers into tight areas with the least amount of space, for instance, along the sidelines or towards another teammate. The drill also focuses on staying with the attacker by jockeying instead of losing body position to chase the attacker.
Start with the attacker and defender facing each other inside the grid. The attacker can use all their skills to protect the ball from the defender. Coaching moment: instruct the defender not to try and strip the ball from the attacker. The purpose is for the defender to stay close to the attacker and to force them into tight spaces. The goal is to choke the attacker out of space. As the attacker changes direction, the defender should stay with them by shuffling their feet to minimize available space. As a coach, watch for diving in as an action to instruct.
This one tests offensive ball control, defense, and also conditioning. When playing defense, this game emphasizes accurate ball clearances and recoveries, while offensive players get to practice dribbling at speed to evade defenders.
This drill will require a goal or cone post, and optionally a keeper. Have two players, an attacker with a ball, and a defender standing on the midfield line facing the goal post.
The objective is to have the defenders attempt legal slide tackling and clear the ball before the attacker can take a shot.
U8 is a key age in soccer development. Extra practice and good coaching in this age group can pay huge dividends later on. At the U8 level, players should be developing the basic movements and skill sets that will help them later on.
Many parents consider private coaching if they feel that their child does not have a coach who has the proper background experience.
Soccer drills for 4-5-year-olds may require some modification. Some great ones for younger players include Cone Chase and Pac Man.
Cone Chase is a basic warm up drill. Players line up behind cones in two rows, facing each other.
Mark out a suitable size grid based on the number of players.
Keeping younger kids engaged and also practicing their skills can be challenging for a soccer coach, but these kid-tested games are perfect for accomplishing just that.
TOCA Soccer Classes are designed for players aged 1-13 whether it’s their first time kicking a ball or they’ve been playing for a few years. Designed by professional athletes and educators, they’re a fun and engaging way for players to enhance their skills and technique no matter where they’re at in their development.
Book a Free Class at a TOCA Center near you today!
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