Football Drills for 4 Players

Drill categories on this page

• football passing drills (5)
• football shooting drills (2)
• football dribbling drills (7)
• football defending drills (9)
• football possession drills (1)
• football small-sided games drills (1)
• football warm ups drills (12)
• football finishing drills (4)

A football warm up for 4 players

Small numbers make warm ups easy: nobody hides and every player gets hundreds of touches. Keep it in one area so the session flows straight into the first practice.

1. 1

   Ball each in a 15 x 15 square

   4 min

   Dribble, then work through sole rolls, drag-backs and outside-foot turns. Call a turn every twenty seconds and insist on both feet.

2. 2

   Pairs passing with movement

   4 min

   Ten yards apart, pass and follow into a two-yard gate beside your partner so both players are moving before every pass.

3. 3

   2v1 keep-ball

   4 min

   Tight square, defenders press for forty-five seconds then swap. Short and sharp — with a small group this is already competitive.

Twelve minutes is plenty. With a small group you can start coaching individuals from the first minute.

More football warm up drills

Setting up football training drills for 4 players

With 4 players your biggest advantage is touches. Keep areas small, keep the ball rolling and accept that anything needing a defending unit will not work tonight.

Every drill listed on this page stores its own minimum and maximum player numbers in the library, so nothing here has been stretched to fit.

• Use pairs, 1v1s and 2v2s rather than anything positional.
• Set the pitch out before players arrive so the first ball is kicked on time.
• Have one spare practice in your pocket for when numbers change on the night.

When numbers change on the night

Grassroots attendance in the UK swings with school, illness and the weather. The quickest fixes are a neutral player who always plays for the team in possession, or turning a defender into a target player. Both keep the practice intact rather than forcing you to rebuild it.

Football training drills that work with 4 players

Filtered on the player range recorded for each drill, so every practice runs properly with 4 on the pitch.

More practices that fit

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

• 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
• 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 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 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 Back-to-Goal Receiving — receiving drill, 16 min, Under 9 to Adults
• Combination Ball Interval Fitness — football fitness drill, 14 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
• Combination Delay and Show — defending drill, 14 min, Under 8 to Adults
• Combination Figure Eight Mastery — ball mastery drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Combination Free Kick Zone Practice — set pieces drill, 14 min, Under 10 to Adults
• Combination Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
• Combination Gate Hunt Dribble — dribbling drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Combination Goalkeeper Cross Collection — goalkeeping drill, 14 min, Under 10 to Adults
• Combination Goalkeeper Distribution Zones — goalkeeping drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
• Combination Goalkeeper Handling Ladder — goalkeeping drill, 14 min, Under 8 to Adults
• Combination Goalkeeper One-v-One Spread — goalkeeping drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
• Combination Half-Turn Box — receiving drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Combination Ladder and Ball — speed & agility drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Combination Long Range Zone — shooting drill, 14 min, Under 11 to Adults
• Combination Near Post Glide — finishing drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
• Combination One-v-One Lane — dribbling drill, 14 min, Under 7 to Adults
• Combination Passing Gate Channel — passing drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Combination Reaction Sprint Pairs — speed & agility drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults

Session plans for a squad this size

• U7 First Football Session Plan (45 Minutes, Free) — fun & ball mastery, 8 players, 45 minutes

Related Football Drills & Sessions

• 1v1 End Zone Duels — dribbling football drill
• 2v2 Rapid Tournament — small-sided games football drill
• 500 Touches Mastery Circuit — ball mastery football drill
• 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

Other squad sizes

• 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

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 session length

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

Kit and space

• Football Drills With No Equipment
• Football Drills With Cones
• Football Drills With Mini Goals
• Football Drills With One Ball
• Football Drills for Limited Space
• Football Drills for Small Groups
• Football Drills for Large Groups