Annual training plan · U9–U13

Week 1: Dribbling for Kids – Season Start

2 complete training sessions with 8 drills – created by licensed coaches. Open every drill in the easy2coach web app with one click.

This week’s focus

In small-sided football the focus is above all on sound technical and individual tactical development. The training content is delivered in a balanced mix, both playful and systematic, without time pressure or pressure from opponents.

But group tactical content will also be part of training again and again, so that players learn the basics of defending and attacking as a team.

Improving coordination and fitness will happen almost exclusively through play. During pre-season, every session includes one practice with a fitness or coordination focus.

The sessions are rounded off with small-sided games that repeatedly contain tasks linked to the technical/tactical focus.

Throughout the whole season, technical and tactical topic blocks alternate, each lasting from 1 to a maximum of 3 weeks.

The first two training weeks cover the topic of dribbling.

After one session to regain confidence on the ball, there will be 2 sessions each on dribbling to keep possession and dribbling to beat an opponent.

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

4 drills

In small-sided football, the main focus will be on good technical and individual tactical development. The training content is taught in a balanced mix of playful and systematic methods, without time pressure or pressure from opponents.

After the summer break, you should first set the players easy and enjoyable training tasks. This allows your players to start pre-season with a sense of achievement, which give the children and young players confidence for the tasks ahead.

Drill 1

Coordination with Colour Commands

20 min

The players dribble freely in the playing area. The coach gives one of three commands:

  • Same colour: Every player runs to a cone of their own colour.
  • Different colour: Every player runs to a cone that does not match their colour.
  • Colour to colour: The coach calls out two colours, for example blue to red or yellow to white.

Players who do not reach a cone on the command or go to the wrong one get an extra task, for example a lap of dribbling at speed around the playing area.

Variations:

  • Remove one cone of one colour and play the format as “musical chairs”.
  • Remove one cone of each colour.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Rectangle, marked out with four cones at the corners. Coloured cones lie spread out in the playing area.

Equipment: 4 cones to mark the playing area, coloured cones and bibs in the same number of colours, 1 ball per player.

Players: One team per colour. There must be the same number of bibs and cones of each colour. In the example 4 players each play in red, yellow and blue.

Coaching points
  • Insist on different dribbling variations.
  • After the command, first lift the head.
Drill 2

Passing out of the Dribble

15 min
  • Players A and B set off into the passing square at the same time.
  • There they play a ground pass to Player C and Player D respectively.
  • They follow their ball and join the back of the queue.
  • Players C and D make a preparatory movement forwards, take the ball in their stride and play a ground pass to Player A and Player B respectively.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones form an outer square, four more a route in the middle.

Equipment: 8 cones and two balls.

Players: The players are spread evenly across stations A, B, C and D.

Coaching points
  • Make sure that the players start at the same time.
  • Have them train with both feet.
Drill 3

Cone Dribbling

20 min20 x 20 metres
  • On the coach's call, the first player of a group starts with a ball.
  • That player dribbles through the cone goals in any order.
  • Once all the cone goals have been dribbled through, the player returns to the group.

Variations: Every player in the group has a ball. All dribble through the goals at the same time in a line, with the player at the front setting the direction. Which group is first to return to the starting point?

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark a square; several cone goals stand inside it.

Equipment: Cones and at least one ball per group.

Players: Several groups.

Coaching points
  • Have them train with both feet.
  • Make sure that the whole group keeps up the pace.
Drill 4

4 vs 4 with a Goalkeeper

25 min25 x 30 metres
  • Free play in a 4 vs 4.
  • Only ground passes are allowed in the combination play.
  • When the ball goes out at the side, it is dribbled back in.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark out the playing area; there is a goal at each end.

Equipment: 2 goals, cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of four and goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • Defend in a ball-orientated and compact way in the 4 vs 4 as well.
  • Try to double up and, in doing so, cut off the passing line to another opponent.
The complete session as a ready-made training plan – with animated drills in the web app. Go to the web app

Session 2

4 drills

The 2nd training session of pre-season is about dribbling to keep the ball. Players who are able to dribble with both feet, using the sole as well as the inside and outside of the foot, have a clear advantage here. In this way they can keep the ball away from the opponent in a variety of ways.

In Exercise 1, a tag game is first used to work on how to get away from an opponent without the ball.

In Exercise 2 a ball then comes into play. The players have the opportunity to show each other their dribbling skills.

This is followed by a variation of the 1 vs 1. Finally, 6 vs 6 is played with changing goals, which means the players have to adjust quickly to new game situations.

Coaching points for this session
  • Shield the ball
  • two-footed dribbling/dribble with the foot furthest from the opponent
  • Look up from the ball
  • Use changes of direction and pace
  • Close ball control
Drill 1

How Many Bunny Tails Can You Catch?

15 min
  • The catchers try to grab all the bunny tails of the opposing team as quickly as possible.
  • Once a team has no players left in the playing area, it has lost.
  • Players who are caught automatically become catchers.
  • The team that has won the most rounds wins overall.

Variations: Introduce a third team in blue. The coach calls out a colour; that team is then chased by all the other players.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark the playing area.

Equipment: 4 cones and bibs in two, or optionally three, colours.

Players: Two teams in yellow and red, optionally a third in blue. Every player tucks the bib of the team colour into the back of the shorts; this is the bunny tail. Each team provides one catcher.

Coaching points
  • Always face the catcher.
  • Escape the catcher with changes of direction and body feints.
Drill 2

Shadow Dribbling

20 min15 x 20 metres
  • Two players run and dribble one behind the other — the front player as the dribbler, the rear player as the shadow.
  • The front player determines the direction and the pace.
  • The front player tries to shake off the shadow with changes of direction.
  • After one to two minutes both players swap positions.

Variations: Build feints such as the lunge and the step-over into the dribbling.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark out the playing area. With more than ten players a second area is set up.

Equipment: 4 cones per area and several balls.

Players: Pairs, each consisting of a dribbler and a shadow.

Coaching points
  • Keep making changes of pace and direction in the dribbling.
  • When feinting, shift the centre of gravity sufficiently.
Drill 3

1 vs 1 After Activation

20 min
  • The coach plays or throws the ball roughly into the middle of the playing area.
  • One player each from Red and Blue starts towards the ball.
  • The players may only score a goal once they have dribbled through one of the four yellow cone goals.
  • The finish is on the two goals that are further away from their own starting position.

Variations: It can also be played 2 vs 2.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Eight yellow cones form four cone goals about two metres wide; plus four mini goals.

Equipment: 4 mini goals, 8 cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams — Red and Blue — waiting at opposite starting positions.

Coaching points
  • Dribble with the foot furthest from the opponent.
  • Use feints and changes of pace to get away from the opponent.
  • Keep the ball close.
  • Get to the finish promptly.
Drill 4

6 vs 6 on Changing Goals

20 min25 x 25 metres
  • It is played 6 vs 6 on four mini goals.
  • The goal the teams attack is specified — for example yellow attacks goals 1 and 4, blue attacks goals 2 and 3.
  • During the game the goals are changed.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four tall cones mark the playing area; on the sides there are four mini goals numbered 1 to 4.

Equipment: 4 mini goals, 4 tall cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of six players each.

Coaching points
  • Make the game wide.
  • Look for lots of 1 vs 1 situations.
  • Stay focused throughout in order to keep track of the changing goals.
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