45 minute sessions
45 Minute Football Training Session
A timed 45 minute football session structure, plus drills short enough to fit each phase.
Can you run a useful session in 45 minutes?
Yes, if you use one area for the whole session and keep to a single theme. Moving cones between practices is what eats short sessions.
Forty-five minutes is the reality for a lot of grassroots teams — one pitch, one slot, floodlights on a timer. The trick is doing less: one theme, one set-up and a game that starts on time.
The drills underneath all list a duration that fits inside one block of this session, so you can slot them straight into the shape above.
Drill categories on this page
How the session breaks down
| Phase | Minutes | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival activity | 8 | Ball each, players join as they arrive. |
| Technical practice | 12 | One theme, same area as the arrival activity. |
| Game-related practice | 10 | Add an opponent to the same theme. |
| Small-sided game | 15 | Free game, one light constraint at most. |
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
Rolling arrival activity
5 minA 20 x 20 square, ball each, dribbling with turn calls. Players join as they walk on, so a late arrival costs you nothing.
- 2
Sharks
3 minTwo 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.
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.
- Age band
- Under 7 to Adults
- Players
- 1-2
- Time
- 10 min
- Area
- 15 x 10 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Ladder
- Focus
- Warm Up
1-to-1 Agility With The Ball
Improve foot speed and change of direction
- Age band
- Under 5 to Adults
- Players
- 2-24
- Time
- 10 min
- Area
- 15 x 15 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones
- Focus
- Warm Up
500 Touches Mastery Circuit
Bank hundreds of quality touches quickly
- Age band
- Under 8 to Adults
- Players
- 7-21
- Time
- 12 min
- Area
- 12 x 12 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Bibs, Cones
- Focus
- Technical Practice
5v2 Rondo Ladder
Keep the ball with quick, accurate passing
- Age band
- Under 5 to Adults
- Players
- 4-16
- Time
- 12 min
- Area
- 15 x 10 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Aerial Control Practice
Control a bouncing or lofted ball cleanly
- Age band
- Under 6 to Under 16
- Players
- 6-12
- Time
- 8 min
- Area
- 18 x 18 yards
- Kit
- Cones, Bibs, Balls
- Focus
- Warm Up
Angle And Go
Practise curved pressing runs
- Age band
- Under 7 to Adults
- Players
- 6-12
- Time
- 12 min
- Area
- 28 x 22 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Full-size goal
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Angle Finish
Finish from different angles
- Age band
- Under 6 to Under 12
- Players
- 6-10
- Time
- 10 min
- Area
- 20 x 14 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Mini goals
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Angle Finish Lane
Finish from an angled approach
- Age band
- Under 8 to Adults
- Players
- 6-10
- Time
- 11 min
- Area
- 30 x 20 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Angle of Attack
Approach the wide area at the right angle
- Age band
- Under 7 to Under 15
- Players
- 10-16
- Time
- 12 min
- Area
- 30 x 20 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Back Line Gates
Keep the ball moving through the back line
Need a complete session, not just drills? Pick your age group, numbers, length and focus and get the whole plan.
Build one nowMore practices that fit
Every drill page has the full set-up, step-by-step instructions, coaching points and progressions.
- Back Pedal Catch — goalkeeping drill, 10 min, Under 7 to Under 16
- Back Post Bounce — crossing drill, 12 min, Under 12 to Adults
- Backspin Control — first touch drill, 10 min, Under 6 to Adults
- Ball Mastery Toolbox — ball mastery drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Ball Move Circuit — possession drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Ball Stop Relay — ball mastery drill, 12 min, Under 6 to Under 14
- Ball Tag & Fun Games — warm ups drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Ball Win Relay — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 7 to Under 15
- Barrier Break — set pieces drill, 10 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Blindside Pop — heading drill, 12 min, Under 12 to Adults
- Block & Slide Tackle Technique — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 10 to Adults
- Bounce and Break — speed & agility drill, 12 min, Under 9 to Under 16
- Bounce And Burst — small-sided games drill, 10 min, Under 7 to Under 16
- Bounce And Open — receiving drill, 12 min, Under 7 to Adults
- Bounce and Spread — passing drill, 12 min, Under 7 to Adults
- Bounce and Turn — warm ups drill, 10 min, Under 6 to Under 16
- Bounce Back — defending drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Under 16
- Bounce Back Press — pressing drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Bounce Finish — shooting drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Under 16
- Bounce Finish Box — finishing drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Bounce Wall Turns — dribbling drill, 12 min, Under 7 to Adults
- Box Balance — team shape drill, 12 min, Under 7 to Under 16
- Box Edge Delivery — crossing drill, 12 min, Under 11 to Adults
- Box Finish — shooting drill, 12 min, Under 7 to Under 14
- Box Finish Gates — finishing drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Box Out Battle — defending drill, 12 min, Under 7 to Under 16
- Box to Goal — attacking drill, 12 min, Under 7 to Under 14
- Box To Touch — football fitness drill, 8 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Box Turn Battle — dribbling drill, 12 min, Under 6 to Adults
- Boxed Outs — speed & agility drill, 12 min, Under 9 to Under 16
- Breath And Balance — cool downs drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Breath And Reset — cool downs drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Buddy Breather — cool downs drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Catch And Roll — goalkeeping drill, 10 min, Under 6 to Under 12
- 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
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
Related Football Drills & Sessions
- 1-to-1 Agility With The Ball — speed & agility football drill
- 500 Touches Mastery Circuit — ball mastery football drill
- 5v2 Rondo Ladder — possession football drill
- U8 Dribbling Session Plan (45 Minutes, Free)
- U7 First Football Session Plan (45 Minutes, Free)
- Explore all football drills by age, topic and squad size
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
Can you run a useful session in 45 minutes?
Yes, if you use one area for the whole session and keep to a single theme. Moving cones between practices is what eats short sessions.
How long should the warm up be in a 45 minute session?
Allow about eight minutes for a ball-each arrival game. Players can join as they arrive, so the clock is not lost to a lengthy team talk.
How many drills fit into 45 minutes?
Use one technical practice and one game-related practice after the warm up, then finish with a small-sided game. Change the rules instead of rebuilding the pitch.
What if the group arrives late?
Keep the arrival game running while players join and shorten the first technical block. Protect time for the final game so players can apply what they learnt.
Other session lengths
Drills by age group
Browse by squad size
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
Build your own 45 minute plan
Choose the objective, age group and numbers, and the session builder fills the structure above with timed practices.
Free plan included. Try Coach free for 7 days — £0 today, cancel any time.