U6 Practice Plan - Ball Familiarity

Set Up:

• Make fields of 20 x 10 yards. Place small goals on each endline.

• The players go 2 v 2 on the field. On balls put out of play, use a throw-in or kick-in to get ball back in (coach's choice).

• After a goal is scored, play is restarted with a goal kick

Coaching Points:

• None. Let the players play and make mistakes. Only intervene if it is taking too long to get ball back in play.

Set Up:

• There are 3-5 players in the drill, every player has a ball.

• One at a time, the players hand their ball to the coach who tosses their ball in a different direction while telling them how to bring the ball back.

• Ways to ask the players to bring it back: running (with ball in hand), skipping, hopping. Using only their elbows touching the ball. Using only their knees etc.

Coaching Points:

• Have fun, and be creative with the actions.

• Encourage players to think about how they can bring the ball back, only using the body parts you’ve said they could use. Don’t let them break the rules that you give.

Progressions:

• Give them ways to bring the ball back that are more soccer specific: dribbling the ball, dribbling using only the bottom of their feet, using only the inside of their feet etc.

Set Up:

• On the small field, all players have a ball and start on one end line. The coach stands in the middle of the field.

• When the coach says ‘go,’ all the players (the swimmers) try to dribble from one end of the field to the other without getting their ball stolen by the coach (the crocodile).

• If a player gets their ball stolen, they must perform a special activity for the croc to spit them out (ex: touching the top of the ball with the bottom of their feet alternating eight times, or passing the ball between their feet eight times). Players do not become a croc with the coach - we want them to keep dribbling their soccer ball. Coaches - Be goofy and have fun!

Coaching Points:

1.  Wait and see where the Croc is going before you start dribbling.

2.  If the Croc is busy with someone else, speed dribble while you can.

3.  Try to avoid bunching up with the other swimmers. Find a lane of your own.

Progressions:

1.  Every player picks his own animal to be and makes animal noises as he/she dribbles across. The coach must also roar as he chases.

Set Up:

• Every player has a ball inside of the grid. The coach(es) are it and try to tag the players who must keep control of their ball. If a player gets tagged, they have to touch the ball with the bottom of their foot (alternating) six times before they can start playing again. Play for 30-45 seconds, make a coaching point, and then restart game. Play many rounds. If a player dribbles their ball out of bounds, they have to perform the special activity as if they got tagged.

Progression: Change activity that a player has to do when they get tagged. 

Coaching Points:

• Encourage players to take little touches when the tagger is close (so they can change direction quicker), and bigger touches to get away from the tagger.
• Compliment players that are using their peripheral vision to dribble.

Set Up:

• Remove the endzones in the previous game, and add two 3 yard goals on each end (field is now 31x20yds)

• Let players play 4v4, coach decides how restarts happen, depending on local rules

Coaching Points:

• None. Just let them play. However, get excited when you see a player try a try a dribbling move or attempts to get a defender off balance.

• Always highlight positives you see, but don’t stop play and don’t correct their decision making. This is their time to play how they want.