13 Best Soccer Drills for 10 Year Olds (U11) – According to Soccer Coach

Soccer drills for 10 year olds should be enjoyable, challenging, and focused on fostering a love for the game. Soccer is a great activity that keeps kids busy and healthy while teaching them valuable life lessons like collaboration, discipline, and perseverance.

One of the most crucial age groups in soccer development is the 10-year-olds. Children at this age are prepared to master advanced techniques and skills, and it’s the perfect time to introduce them to fun and engaging soccer drills.

This article will provide a comprehensive guide on soccer drills for 10 year olds, focusing on fun soccer games for 10 year olds and the best soccer drills for 10 year olds.

Soccer Drills for 10 Year Olds

Soccer drills for 10 year olds should be fun, engaging, and challenging. They should also help to develop key skills such as passing, shooting, dribbling, and defending. Here are some of the best soccer drills for 10 year olds that are fun and effective in skill development.

1. 4v4 to Mini-Goals

This drill is excellent for teaching game decisions, passing vs. dribbling, and 1v1 situations. The setup is simple: create a small field and divide the players into teams of four. The teams then compete in 3-minute games, with the aim of scoring in the mini-goals. This drill is great for both attacking and warm-up drills.

Set up: 

Create a small field with two mini-goals at each end. Divide the players into two teams of four.

How to play: 

The teams play against each other, trying to score in the opponent’s goal. The game encourages passing, teamwork, and spatial awareness.

Coaching Points and Tips:

Encourage players to communicate and work together. They should make use of the whole field and create scoring opportunities by outplaying their opponents.

2. Dribble to Pass

This drill helps to improve passing on the move, ball control, and receiving. Players pass the ball to the next in line after dribbling past a set of cones. This drill is a fantastic warm-up exercise and helps improve technical skills.

Set up: 

Set up a grid with cones. Each player has a ball.

How to play: 

Players dribble around the grid and pass their ball to a teammate on the coach’s command. The aim is to maintain control of the ball and accurately pass it.

Coaching Points and Tips: 

Encourage players to keep their heads up and be aware of their surroundings. They should also focus on controlling the ball and making accurate passes.

3. Freeze Tag

Freeze Tag is a fun soccer games for 10 year olds that helps to improve dribbling, keeping the head up, and ball control. In this game, one or two players are chosen as ‘taggers.’ They try to tag the players who are dribbling around with the ball. If a player gets tagged, they become frozen until another player passes the ball between their legs to unfreeze them.

Set up: 

Create a large playing area. Select one or two players to be “it”.

How to play: 

Players dribble their balls around the area while trying to avoid being tagged by the players who are “it”. If a player is tagged, they are “frozen” and must stand still until a teammate tags them to “unfreeze” them.

Coaching Points and Tips: 

This game helps improve dribbling skills and spatial awareness. Encourage players to keep their heads up and be aware of where the “it” players are.

4. 1v1 Shooting

In this drill, two players compete in a race to the ball and the goal. They both face the goal and try to score before the other. It’s a fun combination of 1v1 and shooting, and it’s excellent for practicing attacking skills.

Set up: 

Create a small field with a goal at one end. One player is the attacker with a ball, and the other is the defender.

How to play: 

The attacker tries to get past the defender and score a goal. After an attempt, players switch roles.

Coaching Points and Tips: 

This drill helps improve shooting, dribbling, and defending skills. Encourage the attacker to be creative and try different techniques to get past the defender. The defender should focus on blocking the attacker and preventing a goal.

5. Pass Through the Gates

This drill is designed to improve passing and communication. To score, players must pass the ball to their teammate through a gate. This drill is excellent for both attacking and defensive drills.

Set up: 

Set up several small “gates” (two cones close together) throughout the playing area. Each player has a ball.

How to play: 

Players dribble their balls and try to pass their ball through as many gates as possible within a set time limit.

Coaching Points and Tips: 

This drill helps improve dribbling and passing accuracy. Encourage players to keep control of the ball and aim their passes through the gates.

6. The Bermuda Triangle

“The Bermuda Triangle” is a unique shooting game that helps young players improve decision-making and passing skills.

Set-Up:

Set up an 8x8x8 yard triangle with three goals using tall cones. Split players into two teams with two goalkeepers defending all three goals.

How to Play:

Players compete to score in any of the goals. They can’t run through the triangle, but the game continues if a goal is scored and the ball re-enters through a different side. A team wins if they score five goals first. 

Coaching Points and Tips:

Encourage players to be positive, work hard, and use dribbling and turn moves to surprise opponents. A player is eliminated from that round if they kick the ball out.

7. Multiball Shooting

Multiball shooting is a fun soccer games for 10 year olds. It helps players improve vision, awareness, and decision-making. It’s competitive, and there are many goals to score. Enjoy the game and have a blast!

How to Play:

Divide players into two equal teams and start the game by kicking a ball into the grid. The rules are the same as a regular game, but with one difference: if a team scores or kicks the ball out, the other team can choose any ball around the grid to restart. Only one ball is allowed on the field at a time. If one team brings two balls onto the field, the other team gets a free kick. Keep playing until all the balls are used, and the team with the most goals wins.

Coaching Points and Tips:

In this drill, players strategically choose which ball to bring onto the field and why, working the rules to their advantage. Encourage fast transitions between offense and defense for both teams. 

8. Pass and Move

This drill encourages the oh-so-important skill of moving after you pass. It also includes variations so kids can try wall passes and then one-touch passes once they’ve mastered the simple pass and run.

Set-Up:

Set up a grid of about 20×20 yards. Divide the players into pairs and give each pair a ball.

How to Play:

One player starts with the ball and passes it to their partner. After passing, they should immediately move to a new space in the grid. The partner then passes the ball back and also moves to a new space. The aim is to keep the ball moving and for players to not stand still after passing it.

Coaching Points and Tips:

Encourage players to communicate with each other and to keep their heads up to see where their partner is moving. They should also try to pass the ball accurately to their partner’s feet.

9. Triangle Passing

This drill is excellent for working on passing accuracy and movement off the ball.

Set-Up:

Set up four red cones about 10 yards apart and then place a single blue cone in the center. The central player’s job is done once they’ve completed four triangle passes.

How to Play:

The player in the center starts with the ball and passes to a player on the outside. The outside player then passes the ball to another outside player, who passes it back to the center player. This forms a triangle of passes. The center player then moves to the outside, and a new player becomes the center player.

Coaching Points and Tips:

Encourage players to pass the ball accurately and to move quickly after they’ve passed the ball. They should also communicate with each other to decide who will become the new center player.

10. Possession

This drill is great for working on keeping possession of the ball and making quick, accurate passes.

Set-Up:

First, mark out a playing area on the field using cones or existing lines. Then, split the players into two teams, and give one team pinnies to tell them apart easily.

How to Play:

Teams try to keep the ball and make a certain number of passes without the other team taking it. If they succeed, they earn a point.

Coaching Points and Tips:

Encourage players to move into space to receive a pass and to pass the ball quickly to keep possession. They should also communicate with each other and work as a team to keep the ball away from the other team.

11. Two-Ball Passing

This drill is a fun way to work on passing and receiving skills and also encourages players to think quickly.

Set-Up:

Set up a grid of about 20×20 yards. Divide the players into groups of three and give each group two balls.

How to Play:

Two players start with the balls and pass to the third player, who must quickly pass the balls back. The players then rotate so that a different player is receiving the two balls.

Coaching Points and Tips:

Encourage players to pass the ball accurately and to control the ball quickly before passing it back. They should also communicate with each other to ensure they don’t pass the balls at the same time.

12. Finishing Off a Cross

This drill is one of the best soccer drills for 10 year olds. This drill is excellent for working on finishing skills and also encourages players to make accurate crosses.

Set-Up:

Set up a regular goal and mark out a crossing area on one side of the penalty area. Divide the players into pairs and give each pair a ball.

How to Play:

One player starts with the ball and crosses it into the penalty area. The other player tries to score from the cross. After a set number of crosses, the players switch roles.

Coaching Points and Tips:

Encourage players to make accurate crosses and to time their runs to meet the cross. They should also try to finish with one touch if possible.

13. Four-Cone Shooting

This drill is a fun way to work on shooting skills and also encourages players to make accurate passes.

Set-Up:

Set up four cones in a square about 10 yards apart. Divide the players into pairs and give each pair a ball.

How to Play:

One player starts with the ball and passes to their partner, who is standing at a different cone. The partner controls the ball and then shoots at one of the cones. The players then rotate so that they are shooting at a different cone.

Coaching Points and Tips:

Encourage players to pass the ball accurately and to control the ball quickly before shooting. They should also aim to hit the cone with their shot.

These fun soccer games for 10 year olds are enjoyable for young players and help develop essential soccer skills. Incorporate these drills into your training sessions to keep the kids engaged, motivated, and continuously improving on the field.

How Should a 10 Year Old Practice Soccer?

10-year olds should practice soccer with game-like drills. Fun soccer games for 10 year olds are essential to their development. These games keep them engaged and excited about soccer and help them learn important skills in a game-like setting.

At this age, coaches should balance fun and learning, challenging 10-year-olds to progress their technical and tactical abilities while ensuring they enjoy the process.

At 10 years old, kids are at a crucial stage in their soccer journey. Coaches should focus on building strong fundamentals while also challenging them to improve their technical and tactical skills.

Here are some important things for 10-year-olds to learn:

• How to play the ball in the air
• Receiving the ball out of the air using different body parts (foot, thigh, chest, etc.)
• Defensive footwork
• Simple footwork moves while dribbling
• Passing, receiving, and shooting with their weaker foot
• Passing over longer distances

10-year-olds use a size 4 soccer ball. They should practice soccer for around 75 minutes 3 times per week.

Also Read: What is Beep Test in Soccer & How to Prepare for It?

How Do I Coach My 10 Year Old Soccer?

Coaching 10-year-olds can be a fun, rewarding endeavour. Here are some tips on how to coach your 10-year-old soccer player:

• Importance of Warming Up: Start teaching them the importance of warming up and how to properly do a dynamic warm-up. This will help them prepare their bodies for the physical activity ahead and reduce the risk of injuries.
• Focus on Basic Technical Skills: Spend a little time on some basic technical skills or drills. This could include passing, shooting, dribbling, and defending.
• Game-like Scenarios and Drills: Most practice should be game-like scenarios and drills. This will help them understand the dynamics of a real game and apply the skills they have learned in a practical setting.
• High Pace Practice: Keep the practice pace high, and engage as many players as possible. This will keep the sessions exciting and ensure all players are actively involved.
• Positive and Constructive Feedback: Continue to be positive and encouraging to kids and provide ample constructive criticism. This will help them understand their strengths and areas for improvement.
• Regular Practice: 10-year olds should practice soccer for around 75 minutes 3 times per week. Regular practice is key to improving their skills and understanding of the game.

Also Read: Difference Between Soccer and Football Cleats? – Explained by Soccer Coach

What Soccer Skills Should a 10-Year-Old Have?

By age 10, most children have some soccer experience, especially those who are part of a soccer academy. As select or try-out soccer is only a year away, 10-year-olds need to have a solid foundation in soccer fundamentals. Here are some of the key skills a 10-year-old should have:

• Understanding Every Position: A 10-year-old should have a basic understanding of every position on the field. This includes knowing where each position should be during the game and their primary responsibilities.
• Staying in Position: It’s important for young players to learn to stay in their assigned position during a game. This helps maintain the structure of the team and makes it easier to execute strategies.
• Passing with Both Feet: At this age, players should be comfortable passing the ball with the inside of both feet. This allows them to adapt to different situations on the field and keep the opposition guessing.
• Shooting with Laces: Shooting with laces is a fundamental skill that allows players to take powerful shots at the goal.
• Passing with the toe up and shooting with the toes down while keeping the ankle locked: This key technique helps players control the direction and power of their passes and shots.
• Ability to Shield the Ball: Shielding the ball is a crucial skill that helps players protect the ball from opponents.
• Proper Throw-In Technique: Players should know how to do a proper throw-in, which is a key part of restarting play in soccer.
• Understanding Restarts: This includes goal kicks, corner kicks, and kickoffs. Players should know the rules for these restarts and how to execute them effectively.
• Communication on the Field: Good communication is essential in soccer. Players should know how to communicate with their teammates on the field, both verbally and non-verbally.

Also Read: 433 Formation in Soccer: Uses, Variation, Strengths & Weaknesses

Summing Up on Soccer Drills for 10 Year Olds

Soccer drills for 10 year olds are vital in developing their skills, understanding of the game, and fostering a love for the sport. These drills focus on various aspects of the game such as passing, shooting, dribbling, and defending.

They are designed to be fun and engaging, helping to improve the players’ technical skills while also promoting teamwork and strategic thinking. The drills are also adaptable, allowing coaches to modify them based on the skill level of the players.

Also Read: How Long is Halftime in Soccer – Answered by a Soccer Coach

Faqs on Soccer Drills for 10 Year Olds

What Are Soccer Drills Called?

Soccer drills, particularly those focusing on passing and possession, are often referred to as ‘Rondos’. A rondo is a type of soccer drill where a team of players tries to keep possession of the ball while another player (or players) tries to take possession.

What Are Tactical Soccer Drills?

Tactical soccer drills are used in training to develop a team’s strategic understanding of the game. These drills focus on positioning, decision-making, and exploiting the opponent’s weaknesses. They mimic real-game situations, helping players understand and apply different strategies during a match.

What is Dribbling Drills in Soccer?

Dribbling drills in soccer are designed to improve a player’s ability to control the ball at their feet while moving around the field. These drills help players to maintain possession of the ball under pressure, navigate through tight spaces, and evade opponents. They are essential for developing a player’s technical skills and confidence on the ball.

What is Agility Drill in Football?

Agility drills in football focus on developing the ability to move quickly and easily change directions. These drills are designed to improve footwork, coordination, balance, and overall agility, critical skills for football players of all positions. They can help players outmaneuver their opponents and make game-changing plays.