U8 Week 2

Free Dribble w/ Turns

  • ✅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 for 10-15 players - make larger for more - you can keep the same size area throughout the session

    ✅ 1 x ⚽ per player

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

  • As with FREE DRIBBLE in week 1, players use the whole area to practice dribbling. This exercise introduces new skills and turns to help players become more efficient turning and changing direction

    LEVEL 1 - 🕜 90 secs - FREE DRIBBLE

    Players dribble around the area, allow them to express themselves. You can call out a couple of commands, like toe-taps ‘freeze’.

    IN BETWEEN SKILLS, TAKE A MINUTE TO TEACH THE SKILL

    LEVEL 2 - 🕜 2 mins - PULL-BACK

    While dribbling, plant one foot on the turf while placing the other on top of the ball with the sole. Then drag the ball backward … while pivoting and keeping an eye on the ball the whole time. Dribble with speed into space

    LEVEL 3 - 🕜 2 mins - INSIDE/OUTSIDE CHOP

    While dribbling, plant one foot on the turf while in a quick chopping motion on the side of the ball, moving the ball to the side to change direction

    The inside-chop uses the inside of the foot on the ball, chopping the ball across the body.

    The outside chop uses the outside of the foot on the ball to move the ball away from the body.

    Both moves should be done with a quick motion and body feint to ‘fake-out’ the defender.

    LEVEL 4 - 🕜 2 mins - SCISSORS

    The aim of the scissor move is to feint one way and go the other, fooling the defender by using one leg as a decoy and a quick body feint.

    While dribbling the player brings one leg over and around the ball. As they bring this leg around the ball from the inside to the outside of the ball, they should feint that way. As that foot is planted, the other foot should be used to knock the ball in the opposite direction with the outside of the foot.

    💡TIP - at varying age and skill levels it’s important to let them have a go themselves. If you’re confident, jump in and help if a player is really struggling. With the scissors, you can take another minute or two to practice or teach.

  • ✅Make the area smaller for more challenge/larger to make it easier

    ✅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 to make more of a fun challenge

  • Soccer is full of 1v1 matchups against the opposition, so ball manipulation is very important to keep possession. There are 100s of skills and tricks to help players more adept in 1v1s, but these 3 are perhaps the simplest and give a foundation for other skills and ball mastery.

    It’s important to focus on individual technique at a young age and adding skills to help the players become more efficient and quicker can help them become more adept in 1v1 situations against an opposition player.

    With a lot of the skill moves, the emphasis is placed on quick changes of body movement, feints and quick footwork to help the moves become more effective.

Hungry HippoS

  • ✅AWARENESS

    Keep your head up looking for where you can get the next ball

    ✅BE BRAVE

    Can you use those pull-backs, chops & scissors?

    ✅TEAMWORK

    Work together to get the most balls - communicate and encourage

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

    ✅3 teams - max 5 per team (add more teams if more players)

    ✅ Triangle or square zone per team marked by cones

    ✅ 1 x ⚽ per player (or as many as you want) scattered around or in the middle of the zones

    ✅Each rep lasts 90secs - ask guided questions in a quick break - e.g. ‘how did the BLUE team find success?’

  • ✅All players/teams run to the center and dribble the ball back to their own zone

    ✅Players then find another ball in the middle or another team’s zone to 'steal' and dribble it back to their own zone.

    ✅Players can ONLY dribble the ball they have, they can't kick balls out of other zones

    ✅Players cannot guard a zone or the balls

    ✅No tackling - unless the players are adept. Only then, they can poke the ball away from opponents

    ✅Each rep lasts 90 seconds

    💡TIP - You can have a competition (first to 3 wins) and mix up the teams. Make it more interesting by getting the teams to come up with names instead of colors

  • ✅Scatter balls around the area

    ✅Introduce tackling if the players are adept

    ✅Make the ball zones smaller/larger so players get a challenge

    ✅Make the playing area smaller/larger

    ✅Less balls will mean less chaos, but also more awareness and competition

  • Dribbling, awareness, control, and competition are all part of soccer and this game too.

    In a game, where there’s traffic (other players or defenders) players must manipulate the ball using close control and drive with more pace and larger touches in space.

    At a younger age, competitiveness is still being honed and sportsmanship and encouraging teammates start to develop

Pirates

  • ✅ATTACKING

    Head up, ball close, and BE BRAVE!

    ✅DEFENDING

    Close down the space quickly between the attacker and the grass in front of the player

    ✅BOTH

    Encourage teammates and play to win!

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

    ✅6 players per zone - Attackers at one end, defenders at the other (no more than 3 waiting in line)

    ✅1 x ⚽ per player set across the center line

    ✅2 mins per repetition

  • Balls are lined up

    ✅Attackers (with the ball) attempt to dribble to the opponent’s end-line.

    ✅Defenders attempt to stop them by tackling, gaining possession, and, if they can, dribble to the attacker's end-line.

    ✅If the ball goes out of play or a player reaches the end-line, the players rejoin the line and the next pair go.

    ✅After each player has been an attacker & defender, switch the teams (attackers from a different group switch zones) so they have different matchups)

    POINTS

    🏆Attacker reaches end-line = 1 point

    🏆Defenders tackles = 1 point, an extra Defender dribbles to the attacker’s end-line = 1 extra point

    🏆Don’t take the scores too seriously!

    After 2 mins, change attackers and defenders

    After each player has been an attacker & defender, switch the teams (attackers from a different group switch zones) so they have different matchups)

    💡TIP - pick players that are similarly matched to go 1v1 against each other

  • ✅Make the grid smaller

    ✅Create a cone gate at the end-line so the players have a smaller area to dribble to

    ✅Introduce a points system - as per the rules

    ✅Give the defender a head start! Bring their start a yard closer

  • All 4 moments of the game are practiced in 1v1s - attacking, defending, and changing from attacking > defending and defending > attacking (transitions).

    You can start by playing to end lines. The outcome is the development of dribbling and 1v1s - if you have a goal it could mean players may just shoot when they see a goal.

GAME TIME!

What you need:

✅ 1 x⚽

✅ 2 teams (different colors)

✅ 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.