Coaches who run effective training sessions do two things very well:
First, they have a rapport with their players which is vital to creating an engaging training environment.
Second, they use soccer drills that are fun and competitive!
This collection of soccer drills will stimulate, excite, and challenge players to take their game to the next level.
Warm-Up Drills
Warming up is an essential element of any practice to prepare players mentally, physically, and to prevent injuries. Here are a few of our favorite warm-up ideas to get kids moving right from the start:
Pinnie Grabbers
Capture The Cone
Tic Tac Toe Warm-Up
1v1 Tag Variations
Circle Rotation Warm-Up
Wall Passing Combinations
Passing To Finish
Numbered Passing
Square Passing
Dribble To Safety
Turning Around Cones
Rapid Tag
Dribble Tag With Exercises
Premier League Four Corners Warm-Up
Progressive Dribbling
Dribble Relay
Pinnie Tag
Zipper Dynamic Warm-Up
Simple Alternating Warm-Up
The Gauntlet
Youth Soccer Drills
At the younger age groups, these drills are really fun! Give them a try for your U5-U10 team:
Cone Hunt
Sharks & Minnows
Hunters & Rabbits
Dribble Freeze Tag
Dribbling Drills
Dribbling is an essential skill that every player needs to develop in order to control the ball and play the game effectively. The following drills are great to improve dribbling:
Four Corner Dribbling Race
Scoring Spree (Solo)
Slalom Dribble Relay
Dribbling Throughout A Grid
Passing Drills
In order to move the ball effectively as a team, players must develop fundamental passing skills. Here are some simple ideas for players to practice passing:
Across The Field
Down The Ladder
Running Back & Forth
Skill Practice In Lines
Finishing Drills
Finishing is hands down one of the most important skills in soccer. In order to score goals teams have to finish! The following are some of our favorite finishing drills:
Easy Two Goal Finishing
2v1 Pick A Side
2v1 Race To Finish
Ten Ball Shooting Test
Rondo To Finish
Finishing In A Square
Dortmund 2v1 Shooting Drill
Rapid One Touch Finishing
Bayern vs Barcelona Shooting Game
Three Tier Shooting
3v3 In Waves
3v2 To Goal
3v2 To Goal With Wing Crosses
Lionel Messi Shooting Drill
2v1 To Goal
Crosses From Third Man Runners
Third Man Overlaps
Arjen Robben Finishing Drill
Overlap Crossing Drill
Overlap Finishing Drill
1v1 Drills
The ability to take defenders on and break down defenses starts at the 1v1 level. Here are our favorite 1v1 variations:
Straight Up 1v1 To Goal
Flying Changes
1v1 With Back To Pressure
1v1 To Mini Goals
Scoring Spree (1v1)
1v1 To Goal With Defender Trailing
Battle For The Ball
Defender In The Square
1v1 Starting At The Posts
Attack In Either Direction
Defender In The Middle
Score For The Advantage
Wave After Wave
1v1v1
Call A Number
Protect The Cone
Possession Drills
Possession drills are an excellent way to help teams keep control of the ball and move into advantageous positions. They are also great to develop skills that are applicable to real game situations:
Three Grid Possession Drill
Two Teams Against One
Mini Goals With Neutrals
Targets In The Middle
4v2 to 6v4 Keep Away
Defense Drops Two
Four Team Possession
Unlock The Neutrals
Overload Without A Keeper
Possession To Wide Players
Find The Final Pass
Neutrals In The Corners
Spread The Field With Gates
Possession To Target Players
Half Field Attack
Rondo Pressure Drill
Possession To Finish
Possession To Finish (Two Goals)
Keeping Count With Neutrals Outside
Delivering The Through Pass
Points For Passes & Goals
Large Goal Overload
Keep Away With Defenders In Zones
Rondo Keep Away
Small Sided Games
Similar to possession drills, small sided games are another great way to help players improve in a fun and competitive environment. Small sided games can be used to work on a variety of things such as switching the play, utilizing wide players, counter attacking, and more.