5-player sessions
Football Drills for 5 Players
603 football drills whose player range genuinely covers a group of 5.
Five players suits a 5v5 squad on a light night. Use a 2v2 plus a floater, or three attackers against two defenders, so the odd number becomes an overload rather than a problem.
Nothing on this page has been adapted to fit. Each drill states a minimum and maximum number of players in the library, and only practices whose range includes 5 appear here.
Use the spare player as a floater
Overload practices
Constant rotation
45 matching drills
Drill categories on this page
Drills that work with 5 players
Filtered on the player range recorded for each drill, so every practice runs properly with 5 on the pitch.
More practices that fit
Every drill page has the full set-up, coaching points, progressions and a diagram.
- 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
- 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 Rondo Warm Up — warm ups drill, 12 min, Under 8 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 Rondo Warm Up — warm ups drill, 10 min, Under 8 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 Central Combination Attack — attacking drill, 16 min, Under 10 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 Cutback Finish — finishing drill, 16 min, Under 9 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
Session plans for a squad this size
- U7 First Football Session Plan (45 Minutes, Free) — fun & ball mastery, 8 players, 45 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 do you run a drill with an odd number of players?
Make the spare player a neutral who always plays for the team in possession. It keeps everyone involved and teaches players to use the free man.
Other squad sizes
Drills by age group
Browse by session length
Kit and space
Plan a session for 5 players
Enter your numbers and the time you have, and the session builder only uses drills that fit the group in front of you.