Fun Soccer Drills that Teach Soccer Skills to 5,6, and 7 Year Olds
Two games from the Defense and Dribbling with Pressure Chapter of the book
Fun Soccer Drills that Teach Soccer Skills
to 5, 6, and 7 year olds
Chase
Skills
Speed while dribbling
Shielding the ball from a defender
Taking the ball away from someone running with the ball when you are the defender
Drill Description
Everyone starts out with a ball except for one person who is “it." Give the group a destination some distance away that they must dribble to and back from. Those with a ball must dribble as fast as they can while the “it" person tries to take anyone’s ball away. Once a person has her ball taken away then she becomes “it" and tries to take someone else’s ball away. (She cannot take the ball away from the person who took it away from her.) The play continues this way until everyone returns to the start line.
Variations
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Dribble to several different locations and designate a different person to be “it" once you reach each destination.
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For larger groups start out with two or three people who don’t have a ball.
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Set up a large square and put a pile of balls in the middle. There should be one less ball than there are players. On the “go" signal everyone runs to get a ball. The one person who does not get a ball must steal one or chase someone out of the square to get that individual’s ball. At the end of a time limit, the person who does not have a ball must do something funny, such as perform a dance or sing a song for the group (or whatever consequence you decide upon).
Coaching Tips
As a coach you might allow the last person to take away your ball; that way you are the only one at game’s end without a ball.
Capture the Ball
Skills
Dribbling with speed
Dribbling against a defender
Drill Description
Using disc cones, set up a line across the field and divide the team into two even groups with one team on one side of the line and one on the other. On each side, make a box out of cones that is at least five yards behind the center line. Place three balls inside each box. Players try to go across the line and get the balls back to their own side without getting the ball taken away from them before they cross the line. Once a player runs across the line she can get tagged before getting to the box and sent back to her own side; if she makes it to the box she is safe till she leaves the box. Defenders may not enter into the box on their own side. When a player is dribbling out of the box the defenders may take the ball away and then the ball goes back into the box and the player must return to her side before trying again. Any ball that is successfully dribbled across the line is added to the box on that team’s side. The first team to get all six balls is declared the winner.
Coaching Tips
This can be one of those never ending games since the balls can go back and forth. I like to call the game to an end and declare it a tie when both teams have three balls again.
