U8 Week 1

Free Dribble

  • ✅SMALL TOUCHES

    Keep the ball close to maintain control

    ✅HEAD UP!

    Keep your head up so you can see where you’re going and you don’t bump into teammates

    ✅BE BRAVE!

    Try new skills, challenge yourself to go faster and you will get better!

  • ✅20 x 25 yd area - you can keep the same size area for the whole session

    ✅ 1 x ⚽ per player

    ✅2 mins per rep

  • Players dribble round the area as a group. The goal is to gain familiarity and confidence on the ball and have fun experimenting with control and dribbling in a dynamic setting.

    Add commands after 2-3 minutes:

    ✅'FREEZE' - come to a complete stop by controlling with their foot on the ball.

    ✅ 'TOE TAPS' - lightly alternate feet on the top of the ball. They should touch their foot lightly on the ball so the ball doesn't move and be on their toes. This will help footwork and agility

    ✅ ‘CHANGE' - change direction with the ball - If this isn't their first soccer experience or they're a little older, you can teach them the inside chop, outside chop, and pull-back. But otherwise, you can let them figure out the most efficient way to turn themselves.

    ✅‘SPEED UP!’ and ‘SLOW DOWN’

    ✅LEFT or RIGHT foot only

    You can add your own commands too! Keep it fun and light!

    💡TIP - vary your instruction for individual players - if they’re finding dribbling easier, challenge them to do a skill or speed up. If they’re finding it a challenge, spend a little more time giving guidance.

    💡TIP - Players should be encouraged to use all parts of the foot (top, sides, heel & sole) to manipulate the ball

  • ✅Make area smaller/larger

    ✅Challenge the group or particular individuals to speed up, change direction, challenge themselves with a skill, or use their non-dominant foot.

    ✅Add cones or obstacles

  • Dribbling and control are perhaps the most important ball skills in the game, and it is imperative to get young players as much time on the ball as possible.

    Changing speed and direction in a dynamic way in traffic (other players) as opposed to dribbling in lines is a more game-like and developmental way of exploring the skill

Red Light, Green Light

  • ✅SMALL TOUCHES

    Keep the ball close to maintain control

    ✅HEAD UP!

    Keep your head up so you can see where you’re going and you don’t bump into teammates

    ✅BE BRAVE!

    Try new skills, challenge yourself to go faster and you will get better!

  • ✅Use the same area as Free Dribble - 20 x 25 yd area for 10-15 players - make larger for more

    ✅ 1 x ⚽ per player

    ✅ Cone gates - 1:1 player/gate ratio - 2 cones per gate with varied width between cones

    ✅Each rep lasts 2mins - ask guided questions in a quick break - e.g. ‘why do we use small touches?’

  • ✅Coach calls commands and use visual cues (red/green cones/pinnies) as players dribble around the area. The cone gates are added as roads the race cars (players) dribble through

    ✅The players are dribbling throughout the area as race cars - they can beep their horns and pull back (reverse) when another car is in the way.

    🏆 LEVEL 1 - The coach commands 'RED LIGHT' to stop, and 'GREEN LIGHT' to go. More commands can be used, like 'YELLOW LIGHT' to slow down.

    🏆 LEVEL 2 - Add more commands and use the colors as visual cues

    🏆 LEVEL 3 - Challenge the players to go through as many gates as they can in 1 minute and see if they can beat that score in the next round.

    🏆LEVEL 4 - Add a defender to walk around and tap the race cars on the shoulder. The race car should use awareness to get away from defenders. If they lose control of the ball or they are caught, they should do 10 toe-taps to rejoin.

  • ✅Introduce a defender to walk around and try and tap the player on the shoulder or kick the ball out of the area. The player with the ball has to do 10 toe-taps to rejoin.

    ✅Different color lights with different commands. i.e. ORANGE LIGHT (turn), REV YOUR ENGINE (toe taps)

    ✅Use visual and not vocal cues to check to see if players have their awareness/head up

  • Dribbling to gates, gives the practice of dribbling with a purpose as they do to goal in a game.

    Adding a visual command will develop their awareness and keeping their head up - in a game situation this could be to look for an open teammate

    Adding an opponent, such as a defender, or coach will give them semi-opposed pressure to help them understand and learn 1v1 situations

Sharks and Minnows

  • ✅DRIBBLE SPEED

    A change of speed can confuse defenders - go faster in open space

    ✅AWARENESS

    Defenders go for the nearest attacker! Attackers try and dribble away from minnows - head up and don’t bump into other players

    ✅TEAMWORK

    Sharks can come up with a plan when the group gets larger.

  • ✅ 20 x 25 yd area for 10-15 players - make larger for more

    ✅1 x ⚽per minnow - sharks 0 x ⚽

    ✅Choose one or two Sharks to start in the middle of the area. You can have a center line sharks should start behind to give the minnows more time to dribble

    ✅The minnows line up with a ball on one of the end lines

  • ✅On the coach’s command, minnows dribble across the playing area without getting caught by the shark. They are ‘safe’ at the other side and the shark can’t leave the area.

    ✅If the shark kicks a ball out of the playing area, the minnow become a shark on the next turn.

    ✅When all remaining minnows are ready to go, the coach commands to go.

    Tip - The coach starts as the shark and allows them to cross a couple of times, to build confidence - coach as the shark can also pressure the more advanced players more.

  • ✅Minnows can only use their left foot to dribble.

    ✅Start the game with more sharks

    ✅When minnows lose the ball they can become sharks straight away to introduce the transition from attacking to defending concepts

    ✅Move or take away the center line to allow defenders to start where they want. This makes the game potentially harder for the minnows

  • Dribbling with speed and purpose is key to getting nearer to the goal. Also, understanding when to change speed and manipulate the ball under pressure.

    Defenders can learn to communicate or understand spatial awareness in relation to their teammates.

GAME TIME!

What you need:

✅ 1 x⚽

✅ 2 teams (different colors pinnies or jerseys)

✅ 2 goals

✅ All the rules of the game - throwins, goal-kicks, corners, kickoffs and fouls. So they can practice for the weekend!

TIME TO PLAY! ⚽ Allow the players to have fun, be competitive, and express themselves. At this age, don’t impose too much structure. Don’t force passing or stop the play. Encourage and give positive comments on the goal of the session (dribbling) and coach sporadically as the game goes on.