GUIDE LINES FOR COACHING YOUTH PLAYERS
Starting point for each practice: “All soccer players require a certain amount of uninterrupted play”
1) Are your players moving? (minimize the times that they are just standing around during an exercise)
2) Are they having fun, and is there variety to the games/activities being played?
3) Are your players experimenting and are they expressing themselves with the ball?
4) Are all of your players “involved” in the game or exercise?
(a) Are all the players participating in your exercise, or involved in some much-needed rest?
(b) When involved, are they actively a part of what’s happening on the field? This looks different for different
ages!
-do they have a ball at their feet
-are they trying to score goals?
-are they trying to win the ball back?
-are they trying to help their team?
-are they challenged and are they enjoying themselves?
Some examples of ways to accomplish these goals:
Set up games that have an objective to accomplish what the kids like to do – while also addressing soccer needs.
 dribbling in a crowd with rules (ball can’t go out of bounds/can’t touch other players, etc)
 scoring on goals (big, small, multiple; passing goals, dribbling goals, on boundary lines, inside field)
U-6
Your goal as coach is to make soccer so fun that kids – when they are at home and have choices – choose the
soccer ball as one of their favorite toys.
Ideas to consider when setting up practices for these ages:
Any game that you create that allows your players to touch the ball a lot. There should not be extended periods
of time when your players DO NOT have a ball at their feet.
Objectives:
 An introduction to the ball
 Moving (balance, changing direction, jumping) while also dealing with a ball
 Scoring goals
 Short games and many water breaks
Examples of some games:
Red Rover
Circle Game
Games with multiple goals and balls 1:1 and adults as gks
Can you do this?
Timed game (up and back race – how far can you get?)
Free time with ball (inside a boundary)
Any games with goals to score on.
U-8
Introduce different parts of foot that can help to control ball (stop, move, change direction)
Objectives:
 Building on skills from U-6
 Dealing with bouncing balls
 Turning and changing direction
 A lot of “gate” goals for dribbling, passing and scoring
 1v1 and 2v2 games to small goals
 Lots of opportunities to score goals
 Short games and many water breaks
U-10
Same concepts as U-8 but expanded
Unlocking the secrets of the game
 Introduce and practice sets of “moves” to get away from or by opponent
 Basic individual attacking and defending
 More bouncing balls
 Juggling with a bounce
 Moving and shooting on goals
 Some passing
 Games to goals
Still 1v1 and 2v2 but also 3v3 and 4v4 with or without gks
Games with one or multiple balls and two or more goals
U-12
Same concepts as U-10 but expanded
Individual defending and attacking
Attacking and defending in 2’s
Connecting with other players
(Getting players to think about how other players can help us – in attack and defense)
Passing and receiving
Ownership and accountability (Winning and losing)
Games with “bumper” players (1v1, 2v2,3v3,4v4,5v5 keep-away and with or without gks)
Competitions of 3 or more “teams”