Tri-Cities Strikers Soccer Curriculum U12 - Outcomes
Overall this age group is much like the U11s. We’re still in 8v8 games and by the end of this year, players should understand
and play in a way that reflects the principles of attack and defense within small groups and players should easily transition
between attack and defense in all areas of the field. Technical skills should be significant and players gaining increasingly on
the speed and accuracy of their skills. Physical changes will begin to allow them to play longer and further balls increasing the
tactical application of those skills.
Technical Outcomes
If U11 was the turning on of attacking and defending tactics than U12 is the demonstration of those tactics in game play.
Technical emphasis remains speed and accuracy especially in passing, receiving, and shooting. Individual ball skills,
dribbling, running with the ball, and 1v1 attacking maintain high priorities.
Passing
 Players will be able to demonstrate both right and left footed inside of the foot passes in practices and game play.
 Players will accurately pass between 20-25 yards with left and right foot in both practices and games.
 Player will be able to demonstrate both right and left instep drives.
 Players will be able to recite the key coaching points of a flighted ball – approach on an angle, plant foot pointed towards the
target, hit the ball on the bottom half, follow through towards your target.
 Players will be able to accurately serve flight balls to a teammate in practices and from set pieces in games.
 Players will have the technical passing ability to hit short one time passes (5-10 yards), and mid (10-15 yards) to long (15-20
yards) range passes, including instep drives and flighted balls consistently and accurately with both feet in games and
practices.
 Players will demonstrate in game play the ability to play short, mid and long range passes with both feet without hesitation.
Receiving
 Players will be able to demonstrate both right and left footed inside and outside of the foot traps.
 Players will be able to accurately receive and move with balls coming to them from a variety of angles and speeds.
 Players will be able to vary their first touch either keeping it close or playing it further away.
 Player will be able to demonstrate receiving balls on the ground as well as from the air.
 Players will be able to accurately receive with a positive first touch with feet, thigh, and chest.

Players receiving skills will lead directly into the next play. Receiving for the sake of receiving is no longer accepted; it’s
receiving to do the next move/tactical choice that is the emphasis. Thinking ahead.
Turning
 Players will be able to demonstrate turning by receiving with the inside of their right and left foot.
 Players will be able to demonstrate turning by receiving with the outside of their right and left foot.
 Players will “take a peak” over their shoulders before receiving the ball to know if they can turn.
 Players will demonstrate a shoulder fake before receiving to turn.
 Players will be able to receive a ball with their back to goal, turn and shoot.
 Players will know to communicate when they pass to their teammate to turn based on the time and space the receiving player
has.
Shooting and Finishing
 Players will demonstrate in game play the technical ability to finish short, mid and long range shots and a scorers mentality –
always looking to put the ball in the back of the net, from scrappy play in front of the goal, great individual efforts in close,
multiple player combinations to score, or fantastic long range drives.
 Player will be able to demonstrate both right and left instep drives.
 Players will be able to accurately strike instep drives using both the right and left foot.
 Players will know the meaning of shooting ‘near post’ and ‘far post’
 Players will be able to demonstrate bent balls using the inside and outside of their right and left foot.
 Players will accurately choose the proper surface for finishing chances – head, chest, thigh, inside or outside of foot, toe punch
etc.
 Players will demonstration and ability to get the ball into the back of the net
Running with the Ball/Dribbling/Ball Control/Shielding
 Players will be able to perform Toe Taps, Tic-Tocs, Inside Cuts, Outside Cuts, Pull Backs, Step Overs, Maradona, Cryuffs and
moves in combination with both feet in practice.
 They will take on players in games using a variety of moves.
 Players will be able to juggle with their feet at least 25 kicks in a row. Players will be able to play Kick and Catch accurately
with a teammate over a distance of 25-30 yards.
 Players will be able to take balls out of the air from a kicked pass.
 Players first touch will be in the direction and distance appropriate for the moment with both right and left foot.
 Players will demonstrate in practices and games an ability to shield and maintain possession.

Players will be able to demonstrate proper dribbling techniques in a variety of settings.
o In tight spaces players will use inside, outside, and sole of the foot to manipulate the ball.
o Players will use a big touch into space to accelerate, use their laces to push the ball while they sprint, and begin to take
smaller touches as they decelerate into Messi touches (one touch every step with the laces of the foot setting up to take
on a defender)
Heading
 Players will be able to properly head a teammate-crossed ball.
 Players will demonstrate ability to head in games.
 Players will be able to recite the differences between an attacking header (hard and low) and a defending (high and wide)
header.
 Players will be able to demonstrate attacking and defending headers from kicked balls.
1v1 Attacking
 Players will be encouraged to take players on in practice and games and will demonstrate an attacking mentality.
 Players will have frequent 1v1 training opportunities throughout each season.
 Players will demonstrate taking players in games in relation to the thirds of the field (Don’t take players on 1v1 in front of your
own goal. Take players on in the middle or attacking 1/3s when there is space behind the defender.)
 Players quickly recognize 1v1 opportunities and have an attacking mentality as demonstrated in game play.
Tactical Outcomes
Attacking Tactics
 Players will demonstrate an understanding by creating proper attacking shape (height, width, depth, someone in the hole) in the
natural flow of the game with and without cues from the coach.
 Players will demonstrate immediate support in games and know that multiple players can support the ball at the same time.
 Players will demonstrate third attacker runs in either creating space by pulling a defender or filling space by running into open
areas in the natural flow of the game with and without coach’s cues.
 Players will demonstrate two player combinations in practice and games; wall pass, give and go, overlap, double pass and three
player combinations drive-dish-deliver (also known as up-back-through)
 Players will develop possession out of the back for the purpose of penetration. This would include playing wide from the gk or
from a steal in the back third, penetration up the touch, two player combinations, proper team shape, and switching the point of
attack (emphasis needs to be placed on the fact that you can switch the point of attack multiple times and not just once as is
often the case at this age).
 Players will maintain possession for significant portions of the game in order to create multiple attacking opporutnities.
Defending Tactics – Significantly more time should be spent on attacking tactics than defending tactics. Attacking is much
more difficult and therefore more time is needed learning and practicing attacking tactics. It is better to struggle through
attacking tactics at this age than to master the defending ones.
 Players will demonstrate proper pressure, cover and balance in the flow of the game with and without coach’s cues.
 Players will transition roles between pressure, cover, and balance.
 Player will demonstrate proper balance positioning in games with and without coach’s cues.
 Players will demonstrate the concept of compactness in games with and without coach’s cues.
Transition
 The player with the ball will transition quickly to attack looking to penetrate to score first, penetrate second and maintain
possession third.
 Players not on the ball will take up counter attacking positions – height, as well as supporting positions – width and depth on
the coach’s cues.
 The player(s) closest to the lost ball will immediately pressure to win the ball back.
 Covering and balancing players will take up proper positions.
 The players will demonstrate in the flow of the game quick throw-ins and restarts with and without coach’s cures.