60 minute sessions
60 Minute Football Training Session
A timed 60 minute football session structure, plus drills short enough to fit each phase.
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.
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 5 to Adults
- Players
- 6-16
- Time
- 15 min
- Area
- 15 x 12 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Mini Goals
- Focus
- Skill Practice
1v1 Defending
Delay and control an attacker one against one
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 End Zone Duels — dribbling drill, 15 min, Under 5 to Adults
- 1v1 Gate Attack — dribbling drill, 15 min, Under 5 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
- Aerial Control Practice — receiving drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Angle And Go — pressing drill, 8 min, Under 6 to Under 16
- Angle Finish — finishing drill, 12 min, Under 7 to Adults
- Angle Finish Lane — shooting drill, 10 min, Under 6 to Under 12
- Angle of Attack — crossing drill, 11 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Angle Run Game — speed & agility drill, 15 min, Under 7 to Under 16
- Angle Shield — goalkeeping drill, 14 min, Under 8 to Under 16
- Attacking Corners Practice — set pieces drill, 15 min, Under 10 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 Door Block — defending drill, 14 min, Under 10 to Adults
- Back Line Gates — playing out from the back drill, 12 min, Under 7 to Under 15
- Back Pedal Catch — goalkeeping drill, 10 min, Under 7 to Under 16
- Back Post Bounce — crossing drill, 12 min, Under 12 to Adults
- Back Post Burst — shooting drill, 15 min, Under 10 to Under 16
- Back Post Race — attacking drill, 14 min, Under 12 to Adults
- Back Three Build — team shape drill, 15 min, Under 10 to Adults
- Back-Post Bank — heading drill, 15 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
- Bibs And Borders — tackling drill, 15 min, Under 7 to Under 14
- Blind Side Break — pressing drill, 14 min, Under 9 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 Finish — heading drill, 13 min, Under 12 to Adults
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
Related Football Drills & Sessions
- 1-to-1 Agility With The Ball — speed & agility football drill
- 1-to-1 Attacking Duels — dribbling football drill
- 1-to-1 Ball Mastery Clinic — ball mastery football drill
- U10 Passing Session Plan (60 Minutes, Free)
- U9 Shooting & Finishing Session Plan (60 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
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.
How many practices do you need in an hour?
Two themed practices between a short arrival game and the final small-sided game are enough. Add an opponent to the second practice rather than teaching a new topic.
What is a simple 60 minute football warm up?
Start with ten minutes of ball mastery or dribbling through gates. Let players join immediately, then use one question to introduce the session theme.
What if a drill runs over time?
Shorten the second practice rather than dropping the final game. Players need the game to test their decisions against real opponents.
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 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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