Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): U9 / U10 Maintaining Individual Possession

Ball mastery (10 mins)

Each player with a ball in a square focusing on the following techniques.

Encourage players to keep eyes up off the ball.

• Dribbling with the inside of the feet
• Dribbling with the outside of the foot
• Dribbling with laces
• Changing tempo - slow down in tight areas (softer touches); speed up in space (stronger touches)
• 20x Toe taps on the ball - more experienced players can do this moving forwards and then backwards with the ball.
• Shuffling ball between inside of both feet - more experienced players can do this moving around the area with the ball.
• Changing direction by pulling the ball back with the sole of the foot.
• Changing directions with the outside of the foot
• Changing directions with the inside of the foot

4-goal maintain possession (15 mins)

Set Up

• 10m by 10m square set up (adjust the size for level and age of player)
• Add a goal to each side of the square.

• Players into teams differentiated by bib colour.
• Each player has a ball inside the area - except for one pair who must start without balls and on the outside of the area.
• On the coaches call, the players on the outside enter the area to win the balls.
• If the out of possession player wins the ball, they look to score in one of the four goals.
• Each round should last 30-60 seconds (depending on age of players).
• Once the defenders win the ball and score, the player who they took the ball from can retrieve their ball and join back in.
• Coaches to count how many goals are scored by each team.

Coaching Points

• Players in possession must attempt to keep the ball moving (ask players to consider what they just used in the ball mastery square).
• They must simultaneously shield the ball from their direct opponent by keeping their body between the ball and them.
• If a player has their ball taken, encourage them to try win it back before the player scores.