Football drills for 10 year olds

1. Ball mastery circuit

Close control with both feet

Set up

Each player works in a 3x3 yard square: sole rolls, inside-outside touches, drag backs and Cruyff turns, 40 seconds per move with a short walk between.

Coaching points

Light quick touches, weight over the ball, use the weaker foot every set.

Make it harder

Add a 10-yard dribble out of the square after the move, finishing with an acceleration.

2. Pass and follow diamond

Weight of pass and movement

Set up

A 10-yard diamond with two players per cone. Pass to the next cone, follow your pass and join that queue.

Coaching points

Open the body before receiving, pass to the front foot, firm along the ground.

Make it harder

Two touches maximum, then add a second ball travelling the other way.

3. 4v1 rondo

Scanning and passing under pressure

Set up

Four players on the edge of a 10x10 yard square keep the ball from one defender. Change the defender every 60 seconds or when they win it.

Coaching points

Offer two angles, move the defender with the first pass, look before the ball arrives.

Make it harder

Two touches, then add a second defender to make it 4v2.

4. 1v1 to two goals

Beating a defender

Set up

A 15x12 yard area with two small goals on each end line. Attacker starts with the ball and tries to score in either goal within 20 seconds.

Coaching points

Attack at speed, commit the defender, use a change of direction then accelerate.

Make it harder

Loser defends the next repetition, so intensity stays high.

5. Third man run pattern

Combination play

Set up

Three players in a Y-shape over 20 yards. Player one passes into a midfielder who sets it back, then the ball is played into a runner arriving from the far side.

Coaching points

Set the ball back firmly, time the run late, first touch forward.

Make it harder

Add a passive defender, then finish the pattern with a strike at goal.

6. Cutback finishing

Finishing from wide areas

Set up

A wide player dribbles to the byline and cuts the ball back to two arriving attackers at the near and far post.

Coaching points

Cut the ball behind the defender's line, attack the ball, side-foot the finish first time.

Make it harder

Add a recovering defender so the strikers must time their arrival.

7. Transition possession 4v4+2

Keeping the ball and reacting to turnovers

Set up

A 30x25 yard area, 4v4 with two neutral players who always play for the team in possession. Six passes scores a point.

Coaching points

Use the neutrals, switch play through the free side, press immediately when you lose it.

Make it harder

Add end zones to dribble into so forward play is rewarded.

8. 7v7 with a build-out rule

Playing out from the back

Set up

A 55x35 yard pitch, 7v7. On a goal kick the opposition drops behind the halfway line until the ball is played out.

Coaching points

Full backs wide and high, keeper looks short first, midfielder shows for the third pass.

Make it harder

Remove the retreat line for the last five minutes so players cope with real pressure.

What football drills suit 10 year olds?

At 10, players are ready for practices with decisions in them: a ball mastery circuit, a pass and follow diamond, a 4v1 rondo, 1v1 to two goals, cutback finishing and a 7v7 game with a build-out rule. Keep dribbling and technique in every session, then add opposition.

How long should a U10 session be?

Around 60 to 75 minutes. A good split is 12 minutes of warm up and ball mastery, 20 minutes of a technical theme, 15-20 minutes of a small-sided game on that theme, and 20 minutes of 7v7 to finish.

Should 10 year olds be taught positions and tactics?

Lightly. Give simple principles such as spreading out in possession, pressing the ball quickly when you lose it and playing out from the back, but rotate positions every week so nobody is locked into one role at U10 or U11.

What size ball and pitch do 10 year olds use?

In England U10 and U11 teams play 7v7 with a size 4 ball on a pitch around 55x35 yards, with goals of roughly 12x6 feet and a build-out retreat line at goal kicks.

How do I make drills harder for stronger players?

Reduce touches, shrink the area, add a defender or add a time limit rather than changing the drill. That keeps the group together while stretching the players who need it, and every practice above lists a progression to use.