Annual training plan · U9–U13

Week 40: Individual Training for Kids – Passing

2 complete training sessions with 6 drills – created by licensed coaches. Open every drill in the easy2coach web app with one click.

This week’s focus

This week, more practices for individual training are presented. Training alone is rather unusual for a footballer, but everyday training for other athletes.

Training in a group has some advantages, but individual training has its advantages too and gives the player new experiences if he is not yet used to it. When training is done in pairs or in a group, the session also thrives on the social aspect. At least in the time before and after training. In addition, younger players in particular usually really enjoy measuring themselves against others. Competition spurs the players on even more. That is why it is a good idea to include lots of playful competitions in training with the younger age groups.

But back to individual training! Here, too, there is a chance to compare. Not with other players, but with yourself. For this, practices should be chosen in which performance can be clearly measured. For example, a dribbling course that is completed against the clock. The player can then check whether he manages to improve his time during the session. Alternatively, the practice can be repeated in the next session. The player can then compare his two best times and check whether he has improved.

If you as the coach set your players specific practices for individual training, the players can also compare their performances afterwards. Alternatively, one or more of the individual training practices can be done in the next team session. This lets you as the coach check whether the players have done their “homework”. The players who are familiar with the practice will very likely approach it with confidence.

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

3 drills

Passing and controlling the ball can be practised very well on your own against a wall or a bench. Almost all passing techniques and ways of controlling the ball can be improved in this way. The passing distance can also be varied by simply increasing or reducing the distance to the wall.

An important difference between passing with a wall and passing between 2 players is the return pass. When passing is practised with a training partner, the partner determines the accuracy and the pace of the pass. When the ball is played against the wall, however, your own passing quality determines the “return pass”. If the ball is not played straight against the wall, it comes back even less accurately. If the ball is not passed along the ground to the wall, a bouncing ball also comes back.

For the ball to arrive at the wall as low as possible, it should be struck exactly through its middle. In addition, the upper body should be bent over the ball to stop the ball from bouncing.

Coaching points for this session
  • Take enough rest between the rounds
  • Adapt the difficulty of the training to your own ability (choose moderately difficult tasks)
  • Prepare well for training: drinks, weather-appropriate clothing, pump up the ball, training equipment, suitable footwear
Drill 1

Ball Control and Ground Passing

15 min

The player takes up a position behind the two cones and plays the ball along the ground against the wall for about 30 seconds per run. The following tasks are carried out:

  • Stop the ball with the inside of the foot and play it against the wall with the same foot.
  • Take the ball diagonally forward with the inside of the foot and play it against the wall with the other foot.
  • Play the ball against the wall first time.
  • Take the ball sideways with the outside of the foot and play it against the wall.
  • Take the ball diagonally forward with the inside of the foot, carry it on once with the outside of the foot and then pass it against the wall.
  • Play the ball against the wall first time and gradually increase the distance to the wall as the run goes on.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: A wall or a bench as a rebound surface; two cones mark the position of the player in front of it.

Equipment: 1 bench or wall, 2 cones and 1 ball.

Players: One player.

Coaching points
  • After every pass, first drop back and then move a little towards the ball.
  • Pass with power.
  • Make the first touch purposeful so that the ball can be played cleanly with the second touch.
  • Lock the ankle when receiving and taking the ball.
  • Do not lean back when passing.
Drill 2

Sprint Drills from a Run

15 min
  • The player takes up a position between the two red cones.
  • Up to the blue cones the player runs at an easy pace and then goes into a sprint.
  • As soon as the player has sprinted through the yellow cones, the player runs it out easily.
  • Six to ten runs are completed, with about 60 seconds' rest in between.

Tasks on the stretch to the blue cones: Heel flicks, high knees, alternating jumps, ankle work and two to three jumps with a two-footed take-off.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six cones in three colours mark the start, the acceleration point and the finish.

Equipment: 6 cones in 3 colours.

Players: Each player works alone.

Coaching points
  • Go into the sprint explosively.
  • Keep the arms running straight.
  • Straighten up slowly.
  • Keep the trunk and hips stable.
  • Increase the stride length through the knee lift.
Drill 3

Dribbling Tasks Around the Square

15 min

The square is dribbled around clockwise and anti-clockwise in turn. The following tasks are carried out in the runs:

  • Carry the ball only with the left or only with the right foot.
  • Pull the ball back with the sole on two opposite sides and shuffle backwards on the other two sides.
  • Perform the changes of direction with the Zidane trick.
  • Perform the changes of direction after a shot feint.
  • Perform the changes of direction after a scissors.
  • Perform the changes of direction after a body feint.
  • Juggle the ball around the square.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones form a square.

Equipment: 4 cones and one ball per player.

Players: Each player works alone.

Coaching points
  • Work at a high tempo and take enough rest between the runs.
  • Keep the ball close.
  • Work with both feet.
  • Look up from the ball.
  • Judge the touches correctly so as not to stray from the shortest route.
  • Make the changes of direction sharp and not in an arc.
The complete session as a ready-made training plan – with animated drills in the web app. Go to the web app

Session 2

3 drills

Anyone who wants to do individual training usually has to organise it themselves too. When training with the team, the coach gives the players tasks, but the coach also organises the preparation of the session and how it is carried out.

If your players train alone, you can give them the following tips:

  • Check the air in your ball before you go to training. If the ball gives too much when you press it in, grab your pump and pump the ball up. But make sure you do not pump the ball up too hard. The ball should give a tiny bit when you press it with your thumb.
  • Dress for the weather when you train. Even if you like wearing your favourite club's shirt, you should not be cold during training. So it is better to wear too much than too little. If you are warm enough after the warm-up, you can always take off a layer
  • Take something to drink with you to training. Especially when you train on a warm day, you should drink enough fluids during the session. Allow yourself short breaks now and then to have a sip of water. Prepare a heavily diluted fruit juice or still water for training
  • Choose your footwear to suit the surface. If you train on grass, you will of course choose studded boots. If you go onto artificial grass, you can also wear “astro trainers” for your training. However, if the artificial grass is wet, you should switch back to studded boots.
  • Take a small snack with you to top up your energy stores after training. This could be a banana or a cereal bar, for example
  • Get your training equipment ready. Cones and poles can easily be replaced by items of clothing
Coaching points for this session

Individual training checklist:

  • Watch/mobile phone
  • Drinks
  • Snack
  • Ball
  • Suitable footwear
  • Weather-appropriate clothing
  • Sun protection
  • Training equipment
Drill 1

Coordination Training with a Training Mat

15 min

The player stands on the training mat and keeps balance. The following tasks are carried out:

  • Stand only on the left or only on the right foot.
  • Stand only on the ball of the left or the right foot.
  • Stand on one foot only and turn the head as far as possible to the left or right; hold this head position for a few seconds.
  • Stand on the ball of one foot only and turn the head as far as possible to the left or right; hold this head position for a few seconds.
  • Stand on one foot only, tilt the head carefully back and look upwards; hold this head position for a few seconds.
  • Stand on the ball of one foot only, tilt the head carefully back and look upwards; hold this head position for a few seconds.
  • Stand on one foot only and bend the upper body forward until it is parallel to the ground; the other leg is also lifted until it is parallel to the ground. Hold this position for a few seconds.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: One training mat.

Equipment: 1 training mat.

Players: One player.

Coaching points
  • Stay patient.
  • Hold each position statically for 10 to 15 seconds.
  • Build up body tension.
  • Keep the knee joint slightly bent.
  • Do the drill barefoot.
  • Find stability in the knee and ankle joint.
Drill 2

Agility Ladder with Ball

20 min

Station 1: The player works through the agility ladder with one of the following step patterns:

  • Two contacts per square.
  • Three contacts per square.
  • One contact to the left of the square, two contacts in the square, one contact to the right of the square, two contacts in the square and so on.
  • Two contacts per square, moving two squares forward and one square back in turn.
  • Two contacts per square, with one foot flicking the heel up on every step and the other taking normal steps.

At the end of the ladder the partner throws the ball to the player, who plays it back:

  • With the left or right inside of the foot.
  • With the left or right instep.
  • As a header from a planted step.
  • As a header after a one-footed take-off.
  • With a chest control and a return pass with the inside of the foot.
  • As a drop kick with the left or right foot.

Station 2: The player works through the ladder sideways with two contacts per square. The partner stands at the long side and throws the ball to the player two or three times during the run. The following tasks are carried out:

  • Catch the ball and throw it straight back.
  • Catch the ball, pass it once around behind the back and throw it back.
  • Play the ball back with the inside of the foot.
  • Play the ball back with the instep.
  • Head the ball back.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: One agility ladder; the training partner or coach stands at Station 1 at the end of the ladder and at Station 2 at the long side of the ladder.

Equipment: 1 agility ladder and one ball per two players.

Players: Pairs of two players.

Coaching points
  • Work on the balls of the feet.
  • Bring the hands along.
  • Stay in rhythm.
  • Play the balls back with power and not in an arc.
  • Take enough rest between the runs.
Drill 3

Feinting

20 min8 metres from the starting position to the first dummy, 12 metres between the dummies
  • The player dribbles up to the first dummy, performs a step-over to the right and goes past on the left.
  • Then the player dribbles up to the second dummy, performs a step-over to the left in front of it and goes past on the right.
  • The player dribbles on to the second cone, cuts in front of it and dribbles on at high speed for a few metres.
  • After that the player dribbles back to the starting position at an easy pace.

Variations — feints for beating the dummies: Zidane trick, shot feint, lunge, Matthews trick, double step-over, double lunge.

Variations — cutting in front of the second cone: with the inside of the foot, with the outside of the foot, with the inside of the foot behind the standing leg, after a scissors, after a pass feint with the outside of the foot, after a pass feint behind the standing leg, after a body feint.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Two dummies stand one behind the other, with two cones behind them.

Equipment: 2 dummies or tall cones, 2 cones and one ball per player.

Players: The players start one after the other.

Coaching points
  • Build up speed.
  • Start the feints in good time.
  • Shift the centre of gravity far enough.
  • After the feints, carry out a change of direction and an explosive change of pace.
  • Complete the runs at high speed.
  • Take enough rest between the runs.
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