60 minute sessions
60 Minute Football Training Session
A timed 60 minute football session structure, plus drills short enough to fit each phase.
Sixty minutes is the standard grassroots session. It gives you an arrival activity, two practices that build on each other and a proper game at the end — as long as each block starts and finishes on the clock.
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 | 10 | Ball mastery or a dribbling game. |
| Technical practice | 12 | Unopposed or lightly opposed repetition. |
| Skill practice | 13 | Same theme, live opponent. |
| Small-sided game | 20 | Play, with one theme-related rule. |
| Cool down and review | 5 | Two questions about the theme. |
A 10 minute warm up for a 60 minute session
An hour gives you a proper warm up without stealing time from the game. Ten minutes: movement, touches, then something competitive.
- 1
Ball each dribbling
4 min20 x 20 square, turn calls, both feet, heads up.
- 2
Pairs passing
3 minTen yards apart, receive on the back foot, two touches, gradually quicker.
- 3
Rondos
3 min4v2 in a 10 x 10 square. Defender who wins it swaps with whoever lost it.
Set the session theme in one sentence at the end of the warm up so every practice afterwards makes sense.
The standard grassroots hour
Sixty minutes is the most common session length in UK youth football, and it fits the classic shape neatly: arrival activity, technical practice, skill practice, game. The theme should be identical in all four.
The drills below all list a duration that fits inside a single block, so you can drop them straight into the structure above.
- Ten minutes arrival, twenty-five minutes of practices, twenty minutes of game, five to review.
- Two questions at the end beat a five minute team talk.
Football training drills that fit a 60 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
- 1-2
- Time
- 14 min
- Area
- 15 x 10 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Mini Goals
- Focus
- Skill Practice
1-to-1 Attacking Duels
Beat an opponent one against one
- Age band
- Under 5 to Adults
- Players
- 1-2
- Time
- 15 min
- Area
- 8 x 8 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones
- Focus
- Technical Practice
1-to-1 Ball Mastery Clinic
Master a bank of moves through repetition
- Age band
- Under 5 to Adults
- Players
- 1-2
- Time
- 14 min
- Area
- 15 x 10 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones
- Focus
- Skill Practice
1-to-1 Defending Technique
Individual defending shape and footwork
- Age band
- Under 8 to Adults
- Players
- 1-2
- Time
- 15 min
- Area
- Half of the penalty area
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Mini Goals
- Focus
- Skill Practice
1-to-1 Finishing Session
Groove a repeatable finishing technique
- Age band
- Under 7 to Adults
- Players
- 1-2
- Time
- 15 min
- Area
- 10 x 8 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Rebound Boards
- Focus
- Technical Practice
1-to-1 First Touch Wall Work
Take a directional first touch under time pressure
- Age band
- Under 8 to Adults
- Players
- 1-2
- Time
- 15 min
- Area
- Goal area
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Full Goals
- Focus
- Technical Practice
1-to-1 Goalkeeper Handling
Sharpen handling and set position
- Age band
- Under 5 to Adults
- Players
- 1-2
- Time
- 14 min
- Area
- 12 x 8 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Rebound Boards
- Focus
- Technical Practice
1-to-1 Passing & Receiving Wall Work
High volume of passes and first touches alone or in a pair
- Age band
- Under 8 to Adults
- Players
- 4-16
- Time
- 14 min
- Area
- 15 x 12 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Mini Goals
- Focus
- Skill Practice
1v1 Arrival Box
Beat a defender who arrives at a realistic moment
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.
- 1v1 Channel Duels — dribbling drill, 15 min, Under 6 to Adults
- 1v1 Defending — defending drill, 15 min, Under 5 to Adults
- 1v1 Defending Duels — defending drill, 15 min, Under 7 to Adults
- 1v1 End Zone Duels — dribbling drill, 15 min, Under 5 to Adults
- 1v1 Gate Attack — dribbling drill, 15 min, Under 5 to Adults
- 4v2 Rondo Circle — possession drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
- 500 Touches Mastery Circuit — ball mastery drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
- 5v2 Rondo Ladder — possession drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Acceleration Ladders — speed & agility drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Acceleration Starts — football fitness drill, 12 min, Under 12 to Adults
- Activation Circuit — warm ups drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Aerial Control Practice — receiving drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Aerial Control Station — receiving drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
- 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
- Attacking Corners Practice — set pieces drill, 15 min, Under 10 to Adults
- Attacking Header Finishing — heading drill, 14 min, Under 12 to Adults
- Attacking Headers From Corners — heading drill, 15 min, Under 12 to Adults
- Attacking Throw In Routines — set pieces drill, 15 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Back Pass Support Work — goalkeeping drill, 15 min, Under 10 to Adults
- 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
- Breakaway Situations — goalkeeping drill, 15 min, Under 9 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
Complete plans you can run as they are
- U10 Passing Session Plan (60 Minutes, Free) — passing & receiving, 12 players, 60 minutes
- U9 Shooting & Finishing Session Plan (60 Minutes, Free) — shooting & finishing, 12 players, 60 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
How should a 60 minute football session be structured?
Roughly 10 minutes arrival, 25 minutes of practices on one theme, 20 minutes of game and 5 minutes to finish. Keep the theme identical throughout.
Other session lengths
Drills by age group
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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 60 minute plan
Choose the objective, age group and numbers, and the session builder fills the structure above with timed practices.
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