U6s drills
Football Drills for U6s
278 football drills suitable for U6s, filtered from the full Football Coach Hub library.
At U6 a session is really a series of short games with a ball each. Attention spans are three or four minutes long, so these practices keep every child moving, give them their own ball wherever possible, and use characters and colours rather than tactical language.
Every practice below lists its age band, player numbers, duration, area size, ability level and the kit you need, so you can pick something that fits tonight's U6s session rather than adapting it on the pitch.
Drill categories on this page
Football drills for U6s
Picked from the 278 practices in the library that list Under 6 as a suitable age group.
More practices that fit
Every drill page has the full set-up, coaching points, progressions and a diagram.
- 3v3 Continuous Games — small-sided games drill, 20 min, Under 5 to Adults
- 500 Touches Mastery Circuit — ball mastery drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Aerial Control Practice — receiving drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Attacking Overloads 3v2 — attacking drill, 20 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
- 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 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 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 End Zone Game — small-sided games drill, 16 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Combination Escape Square Dribble — dribbling drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Combination Figure Eight Mastery — ball mastery drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Combination Four Goal Game — small-sided games drill, 18 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Combination Gate Hunt Dribble — dribbling drill, 12 min, Under 5 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 Passing Gate Channel — passing drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Combination Pressure Ring Receiving — receiving drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Combination Reaction Sprint Pairs — speed & agility drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Combination Rebound Wall Touch — first touch drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Combination Rotating Diamond — passing drill, 14 min, Under 5 to Adults
- Combination Sole Roll Grid — ball mastery drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
Ready-made session plans for U6s
- U10 Passing Session Plan (60 Minutes, Free) — passing & receiving, 12 players, 60 minutes
- U8 Dribbling Session Plan (45 Minutes, Free) — dribbling & 1v1, 10 players, 45 minutes
- U12 Defending Session Plan (75 Minutes, Free) — defending & pressing, 14 players, 75 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 long should a U6 football session be?
About 45 minutes in total, split into five or six short activities. Most U6 groups lose focus after four or five minutes on the same task, so change the game rather than repeating it.
How many players per coach at U6?
Six to eight children per coach works best. Beyond that you spend the session managing rather than coaching.
Drills for other age groups
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Turn these drills into a full U6s session
Pick an objective, your player numbers and how long you have — the session builder puts a timed plan together from these drills.