45 Minute Football Training Session

Drill categories on this page

• football passing drills (10)
• football dribbling drills (7)
• football defending drills (5)
• football possession drills (5)
• football small-sided games drills (1)
• football warm ups drills (19)
• football finishing drills (1)

How the session breaks down

An 8 minute warm up for a 45 minute session

In a short slot the warm up has to double as the first practice. Set out one area, get balls out as players arrive and never stop to re-organise.

1. 1

   Rolling arrival activity

   5 min

   A 20 x 20 square, ball each, dribbling with turn calls. Players join as they walk on, so a late arrival costs you nothing.

2. 2

   Sharks

   3 min

   Two players without a ball try to knock balls out; anyone who loses theirs joins them. Raises the tempo and gets the group listening in one go.

Use the same square for the technical practice that follows — moving cones is what eats a 45 minute slot.

More football warm up drills

Making 45 minutes count

Forty-five minutes is the reality for plenty of UK grassroots teams: one pitch, one slot, floodlights on a timer. The answer is to do less. One theme, one area and a game that starts on time beats four practices that never quite get going.

• Set out cones before the first player arrives.
• Explain each practice in under thirty seconds.
• Protect the final game — it is the part they came for.

Football training drills that fit a 45 minute session

Each practice states its own duration in the library — these all fit inside a single block of the structure above.

More practices that fit

Every drill page has the full set-up, step-by-step instructions, coaching points and progressions.

• Aerial Duel Practice — heading drill, 12 min, Under 12 to Adults
• Agility Diamond — speed & agility drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Agility Gate Weave — football fitness drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Under 12
• Animal Movement Circuit — football fitness drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Under 10
• Ball And Talk Cool Down — cool downs drill, 8 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Ball Mastery Figure Eight — ball mastery drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Ball Mastery Maze — ball mastery drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Ball Mastery Toolbox — ball mastery drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Ball Tag & Fun Games — warm ups drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Ball Tag Conditioning Game — football fitness drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Under 12
• Block & Slide Tackle Technique — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 10 to Adults
• Challenge Ball and Body Warm Up — warm ups drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Challenge Pass and Move Warm Up — warm ups drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Challenge Rondo Warm Up — warm ups drill, 10 min, Under 8 to Adults
• Challenge Stretch Circle Cool Down — cool downs drill, 8 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Challenge Walk and Talk Cool Down — cool downs drill, 8 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Challenge Youth Movement Games — football fitness drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Under 11
• Change Of Direction Mirror — football fitness drill, 10 min, Under 12 to Adults
• Check And Receive Circuit — receiving drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Circuit Ball and Body Warm Up — warm ups drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Circuit Pass and Move Warm Up — warm ups drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Circuit Rondo Warm Up — warm ups drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
• Circuit Stretch Circle Cool Down — cool downs drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Circuit Walk and Talk Cool Down — cool downs drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Circuit Youth Movement Games — football fitness drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Under 11
• Colour Call Ball and Body Warm Up — warm ups drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Colour Call Pass and Move Warm Up — warm ups drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Colour Call Rondo Warm Up — warm ups drill, 10 min, Under 8 to Adults
• Colour Call Stretch Circle Cool Down — cool downs drill, 8 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Colour Call Walk and Talk Cool Down — cool downs drill, 8 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Colour Call Youth Movement Games — football fitness drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Under 11
• Combination Aerial Control Zone — first touch drill, 12 min, Under 9 to Adults
• Combination Attacking Header Target — heading drill, 10 min, Under 12 to Adults
• Combination Change of Direction Grid — speed & agility drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Combination Clock Face Touches — ball mastery drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Combination Defensive Heading Clear — heading drill, 10 min, Under 12 to Adults

Complete plans you can run as they are

• U8 Dribbling Session Plan (45 Minutes, Free) — dribbling & 1v1, 10 players, 45 minutes
• U7 First Football Session Plan (45 Minutes, Free) — fun & ball mastery, 8 players, 45 minutes

Coaching articles that help here

• How To Give Better Feedback — Five ways to make your feedback land, stick and actually change what a player does next.
• The Art Of Asking Better Questions — Questions turn players into problem solvers. Here is how to ask ones that get real answers.
• How To Plan A Better Training Session — One theme, four phases and a game at the end — the plan that works for almost every grassroots night.
• Coaching Confidence — Practical ways to feel calmer and more assured on the pitch, even when you're new to it.

Common questions

Other session lengths

• 60 Minute Football Training Session
• 75 Minute Football Training Session
• 90 Minute Football Training Session

Drills by age group

• Football drills for U6s
• Football drills for U7s
• Football drills for U8s
• Football drills for U9s
• Football drills for U10s
• Football drills for U11s
• Football drills for U12s
• Football drills for U13s
• Football drills for U14s
• Football drills for U15s
• Football drills for U16s

Browse by squad size

• Football drills for 4 players
• Football drills for 5 players
• Football drills for 6 players
• Football drills for 8 players
• Football drills for 10 players
• Football drills for 12 players
• Football drills for 14 players
• Football drills for 16 players
• Football drills for 18 players
• Football drills for 20 players

Browse by topic

• Football passing drills
• Football shooting drills
• Football dribbling drills
• Football defending drills
• Football possession drills
• Fun football drills
• Football warm up drills
• Small-sided games
• Goalkeeper drills
• Football rondo drills
• 1v1 football drills
• 1v1 tackling drills
• 2v2 defending drills
• Football session plans