Football Drills

Set up as shown. Player 1 starts with the ball in the middle of the field and plays a 1-2 pass with player 2 before passing out wide to player 3. At this point, players 1 and 2 run towards the penalty area, ready to receive a cross, while one of the defenders goes out wide to put pressure on the crosser. Player 3 will cross the ball into the box where players 1 and 2 will try to beat the defender to it and score.

Players start on cones on the opposite side of the grid. Player 1 starts with the ball and passes it to player 2. As soon as player 2 touches the ball, player 1 can try to win the ball. Player 2 must try and dribble to any of the 3 spare cones in the grid. Player 2 scores one point for beating their opponent to either of the cones on the side and two points if he dribbles the ball around player 1 to the cone at the top of the area. Repeat the practice with player 1 in possession.

The Object of this drill is to retain the ball whilst moving it from end to end. The Setup requires 6 grids and 3 groups of 4 player arranged as the diagram shows. In each central grid there is an attacker marked by a defender. The end grids contain neutral players as a passing option. The attackers start with the ball and work together to create passing channels  to manover the ball towards the opposite end. When the defenders win the ball they immediatly become the attackers. The neutral players are always a passing option to the current attackers

There are 4 groups, 2 attacking and 2 defending The diagnal groups work against each other The attacker can only score whilst they're in the penalty area

There are two triangles in this drill, both using the same top point player (player 5). Players in the top triangle pass in an anti-clockwise direction and players in the lower triangle pass in a clock-wise direction. Both pairs of players must use the middle player as their third passing option.

Set up two lines of players as show in the image, about 30m from the goals. The first player dribbles with the ball at pace and then puts their foot on top of the ball, to leave it dead in front of the other player. The first player continues their run around the cone in front of them and then runs back inside the area. The receiver uses a positive first touch to move into space and then try to finish through one of the wide goals. The first player should have continued their run and now tries to put pressure on the receiver's shot.

Set up as shown with 2 cones (the disatance of which between can be modified depending on ability or challenge you want to set your players). 1 player on each cone and 1 player in the middle, 1 ball between the 3. Players always take 2 touches, the ball is moved from one end, into the middle man and then to the other end before the sequence is repeated from the other side.

Player 1 starts with the ball. The ball is played in with pace to the feet of player 2. As the ball is played in player 2 moves to the ball, and with their first touch aim to bring the ball inside and round the defender. The same can be done on the outside towards the touch line.

Set up 3 gates on each side as shown. The blue team run through the blue gates and the red team run through the red gates. Players run with the ball through all the gates, round the last cone and then bring the ball back. The first player to get back wins a point for their team.

Station one player in each grid in the crab postion (belly up, on hands and feet). Six players start on one end line. Station discs at the opposite end line. The standing players must dribble across the area without being tackled by the crab players who are trying to kick the balls out of the area. If a ball is kicked out, the player stays in the game and tries to help his teammates get the other balls across. The object of the game is to see how many times the players can dribble across the area until no soccer balls are left. Count how many successful trips players make. Repeat and rotate.

Five players start on one end line, each with a ball. One defender is stationed in the middle without a ball. All players must try to dribble past the defender to the safety of the other side on the coach's call. If the defending player manages to kick the other players ball out of the area, then that player also becomes a defender. Continue until one attacker remains.

Set out a triangle with 3 cones all 1 meter apart. Player 1 passes the ball to player 2 through the area of the triangle. Player 2 has to control the ball and touch it to the side before playing a return pass. Players must make sure that when they make a return pass that it is never played through the same side of the triangle that they have just received the ball through.

Straight forward passing and moving drill with only two touches on the ball. The blue players off the ball can only receive the ball at one of the four cones in each corner of the area and the red player is trying to intercept the ball.

Set up as shown with two attackers and one defender, with the defender positioned closest to the goal. Attackers must look to pass the ball quickly  before dribbling it into the goal.

Players line up in 3 groups. Player 1 from the left of the square moves into the square. Player 1 from the top of the square plays the ball into the player in the square. Player 1 then moves in on goal. Then rotate the players moving into the square.

Position 2 teams of 6 players in opposite corners of the same end line and number players on each team from 1 to 6. Place a gate (2 cones, 3 yards apart) at the opposite end of the area to the goal. Position the coach as a goalkeeper in the goal. The coach calls out a number from 1 to 6. The respective players from each team run with the ball following the directional arrow as shown in the diagram, to the gate at the end of the grid. The first ball to cross through the gate is the ball that is used (the other one can be discarded). The players then compete in a 1 vs 1 to get a shot on goal.