U6 Practice - Big Touches vs Little Touches

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:

• Place several gates around the inside of grid, that are about a yard wide.
• All of the players start with a ball and dribble through gates in order to score a goal. They have 30 seconds to get as many goals as they can.
• When the Coach calls out a body part (ex: "knee!"), the players have to stop the ball by using that body part.
• After all of the balls have stopped, ask the players what their goal scoring total is.
• Progress to the coach just touching a body part and see which players can stop the quickest using that body part.

Coaching Points:

• Encourage kids to use peripheral vision while dribbling.  
• Make small, quick touches on the ball so that you can control it as you change direction.
• Praise players who can stop quickly by keeping their ball close.

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.