U9–U10 Football Exercises (Ages 8–9)

24 exercises

Possession game
4v1 Rondo
Four players on the sides of a 10 × 10 m square keep the ball away from one defender. The simplest rondo and the best introduction for young players.
Age
U7–U12
Players
5–20
Duration
10 min
BeginnerGlobalRondos
Waves
1v1 to Mini Goals
A defender passes to an attacker and closes down; the attacker must beat them and score in one of two mini goals. Simple, intense and full of duels.
Age
U7–U14
Players
4–12
Duration
15 min
BeginnerGlobal1v1
Match
3v3 Four-Goal Game
3v3 with two mini goals at each end. With two goals to attack, players learn to look up, spot the undefended goal and switch the play.
Age
U7–U14
Players
6–8
Duration
16 min
BeginnerGlobalSmall-Sided Games
Football-adapted game
Sharks and Minnows
Minnows dribble across the 'ocean' without losing their ball to the sharks in the middle. Caught minnows become sharks. A classic dribbling game for kids.
Age
U6–U10
Players
8–20
Duration
10 min
BeginnerGlobalDribbling
Waves
2v1 Overload to Goal
Two attackers against one defender and a goalkeeper. The ball carrier must commit the defender, then decide: pass, or keep going and shoot.
Age
U9–Senior
Players
6–12
Duration
15 min
BeginnerGlobal2v1
Match
4v4 Shoot on Sight
4v4 with goalkeepers in a short pitch where players are encouraged to shoot early. Goals from their own half count double; every shot must be followed up.
Age
U9–Senior
Players
10
Duration
20 min
BeginnerGlobalSmall-Sided Games
Football-adapted game
Passing Gates Warm-Up
Pairs move around an area full of small cone gates and score a point every time they pass through one. A warm-up with hundreds of passes.
Age
U7–Senior
Players
6–20
Duration
10 min
BeginnerAnalyticalWarm-Up
Circuit
Ball Mastery Grid
Every player has a ball in a 20 × 20 m grid and follows the coach's calls: sole rolls, inside–outside touches, turns and changes of speed.
Age
U6–U12
Players
6–20
Duration
10 min
BeginnerAnalyticalWarm-Up
Waves
First Touch Away from Pressure
A player receives while a defender closes in from one side and must take the first touch away from the pressure, through the gate on the free side.
Age
U9–U16
Players
4–12
Duration
12 min
IntermediateIntermediateBall Control
Football-adapted game
Treasure Thieves
Two teams race to dribble balls from the treasure in the middle to their base, then steal from each other. A favourite with U6 to U10 players.
Age
U6–U10
Players
6–16
Duration
10 min
BeginnerIntermediateFun Games
Waves
Reaction Sprint Duel
Two players react to the coach's call, touch the called cone and race to a ball 8 m away. The first to the ball attacks; the other defends in a 1v1 to two mini goals.
Age
U7–Senior
Players
4–16
Duration
12 min
BeginnerGlobalSpeed
Circuit
Turn and Shoot with a Rebound
A striker receives with their back to goal, turns around a mannequin and shoots. A second server immediately plays a loose ball into the box to finish.
Age
U9–Senior
Players
5–10
Duration
12 min
BeginnerIntermediateFinishing
Possession game
Ten Passes Game
Two teams in a 25 × 20 m area. The team with the ball counts its passes out loud; ten in a row scores a point. The classic keep-ball game.
Age
U9–Senior
Players
8–14
Duration
12 min
BeginnerGlobalFun Games
Circuit
Diamond Passing: Pass and Follow
Players pass around a diamond of cones and follow their pass to the next cone. A simple pattern to teach receiving on the back foot and playing on.
Age
U9–U14
Players
5–8
Duration
12 min
BeginnerAnalyticalPassing
Football-adapted game
Traffic Lights Dribbling Game
Young players dribble around like cars and react to the coach's calls: green (go fast), amber (slow, small touches) and red (stop the ball with the sole).
Age
U6–U10
Players
6–16
Duration
10 min
BeginnerAnalyticalDribbling
Waves
1v1 Defending in a Channel
The defender passes, closes down and must stop the attacker from dribbling over the end line in a 10 m wide channel. Teaches approach, body shape and timing of the tackle.
Age
U9–U16
Players
4–12
Duration
12 min
BeginnerGlobalDefending
Football-adapted game
1v1 Gates Duel
Pairs play 1v1 in an area full of gates. The attacker scores by dribbling through any gate; if the defender wins the ball, the roles swap immediately.
Age
U7–U14
Players
6–16
Duration
12 min
BeginnerGlobalDribbling
Football-adapted game
King of the Square
Every player dribbles their own ball in a 15 × 15 m square, protects it and tries to knock the other balls out. Nobody is eliminated.
Age
U7–U12
Players
6–16
Duration
10 min
BeginnerGlobalFun Games
Football-adapted game
Cone Knockdown
Two teams in their own half pass along the ground to knock down the opponents' cones while blocking shots at their own. Simple rules, lots of passes.
Age
U6–U12
Players
6–12
Duration
12 min
BeginnerIntermediateFun Games
Circuit
Coordination Ladder to Pass
Players work through an agility ladder and a pole slalom, then receive a pass and play it back. Footwork and coordination always finished with the ball.
Age
U7–U14
Players
4–12
Duration
12 min
BeginnerAnalyticalCoordination
Positional game
2v2 with Wall Players
2v2 in the middle with four wall players around the area. Teams score by getting the ball to the end player they attack; side wall players help whoever has the ball.
Age
U9–Senior
Players
8–10
Duration
15 min
IntermediateGlobal2v2
Circuit
Jungle Stretching Story
A 6-minute cool-down for U6 to U10: the coach tells a jungle story and each animal is a stretch — giraffe, flamingo, frog, cat, snake and turtle.
Age
U6–U10
Players
1–20
Duration
6 min
BeginnerAnalyticalStretching & Cool-Down
Circuit
Aerial Control in Pairs
One partner throws the ball in the air; the other cushions it with the instep, thigh or chest and plays it back on the ground or on the volley.
Age
U9–U16
Players
2–20
Duration
10 min
BeginnerAnalyticalBall Control
Circuit
Goalkeeper Set Position and Recovery
Two servers shoot one after the other from different angles. The goalkeeper sets before each shot, saves, then gets up quickly to be set for the second.
Age
U9–Senior
Players
3–5
Duration
12 min
IntermediateAnalyticalGoalkeeping