Football Drills for U6s

Drill categories on this page

• football passing drills (7)
• football dribbling drills (12)
• football defending drills (10)
• football small-sided games drills (5)
• football warm ups drills (16)
• football finishing drills (1)

A 10 minute U6 football warm up

At U6 the warm up is the first game of the night. Nobody jogs a lap and nobody stretches — every child gets a ball and starts moving within thirty seconds of arriving, because that is how you keep six a side of the pitch happy on a cold Tuesday.

1. 1

   Ball each in the zoo

   4 min

   Mark a 15 x 15 yard square with four cones. Every child dribbles inside it as an animal: elephants use big heavy touches, mice use tiny quick ones, kangaroos stop the ball and jump over it. Call a new animal every thirty seconds.

2. 2

   Traffic lights

   3 min

   Same square. Green means dribble, amber means slow toe-taps, red means stop the ball dead with the sole of the foot. Add 'reverse' so they drag the ball backwards. It teaches stopping and starting without ever using the word technique.

3. 3

   Coach the crocodile

   3 min

   You become a crocodile trying to kick balls out of the square. Children protect their ball and celebrate loudly when they survive. Deliberately miss — the point is heads up and changes of direction, not tackling practice.

No static stretching is needed at this age. UK grassroots sessions are usually outdoors in the cold, so keep everyone moving with a ball and forget lines.

More football warm up drills

How to use these football training drills with U6s

U6 football in England is played 5v5 with no league tables, so training should look like playing. Every practice below is built around a ball each or a very small game, and none of them ask a five-year-old to wait in a queue.

Run four or five short activities rather than two long ones. If something is working, stop it while they still love it — that is what brings them back next week.

• Give each child their own ball whenever the practice allows it.
• Change activity roughly every five minutes, even if the last one went well.
• Use names, colours and characters instead of tactical language.
• Finish with a small-sided game and let them keep score themselves.

What to expect on a match day

Expect a swarm around the ball, and let it happen. Positions do not stick at U6, and forcing them costs you the confidence you have spent all winter building. Coach one thing — usually 'take a touch and run with it' — and praise the attempt rather than the outcome.

Football training 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, step-by-step instructions, coaching points and progressions.

• 2v2 Rapid Tournament — small-sided games drill, 20 min, Under 5 to Adults
• 3v3 Continuous Games — small-sided games drill, 20 min, Under 5 to Adults
• 4v4 To Mini Goals — small-sided games drill, 18 min, Under 6 to Adults
• 500 Touches Mastery Circuit — ball mastery drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Acceleration Ladders — speed & agility drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Activation Circuit — warm ups drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Aerial Control Practice — receiving drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Agility Diamond — speed & agility drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Agility Gate Weave — football fitness drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Under 12
• Animal Movement Circuit — football fitness drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Under 10
• Attacking Overloads 3v2 — attacking drill, 20 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Ball And Talk Cool Down — cool downs drill, 8 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Ball Mastery Figure Eight — ball mastery drill, 10 min, Under 5 to Adults
• Ball Mastery Maze — ball mastery drill, 12 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
• Ball Tag Conditioning Game — football fitness drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Under 12
• 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
• Check And Receive Circuit — receiving drill, 12 min, Under 5 to Adults
• 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

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

Drills for other age groups

• 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

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• Football passing drills
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