Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): 2025 CASA U9 SESSION 1 Ball Mastery

squirrles and Nuts (10 mins)

Set up 20x20 grid with a 5x5 grid in the middle

20 balls in the middle of the 5x5 (nuts)

split players into even teams of 4. approx. 3-4 per team

OBJECTIVE

relay race one at a time in each group run towards the small middle grid

you can have them do a variety of physical literacy movements each round while they go towards the "nuts"

- hop on 1 foot, 2 footed hops, crab crawl, skip, bear crawl, sprint.

Once they reach the "nuts" have them preform a ball mastery skill to get a ball.

-drag back, sole roll, outside turn, inside turn, scissors (before they grab a ball)

Once the nuts have been collected, to restart the game have players then perform tik toks, toe taps etc with the ball and put the nuts back in the middle.  Still a competition one player from each line going at a time.

Once they preform a skill have them dribble the ball back to their line 

Most "nuts in the groups win.

COACHING POINTS

Physical literacy

Ball mastery moves under control

Dribbling under control 

1v1 fun tag game (5 mins)

Set Up

2 - 12x10yds grid 

2 mini gates 2 yds apart at each end zone

2 teams 1 attacking, 1 defending

OBJECTIVE

Red start out as attacking (no balls)

Blue team Defending

Red player goes 1v1 against blue player, Red player tries to get around defender and sprint through the cones.  Blue team tries to tag red player

after a minute switch attacking and defending roles.

PROGRESSION

1.  If the attacking team gets tagged they then become the defending team (transition from offense to defense), next blue player then is the attacker and they try to get through the gates.  

2.  1 v 0 

Red dribble at a cone then pass to blue, they dribble at a cone pass to red

3. 1 v 0 with light pressure 

Red and blue dribble to a cone in the middle and do a move the coaches tell them to and then pass the ball to the next in line

4.  1 v 1 light pressure have defenders take away space and jockey (delay) compose and then defend when ball is free to get.

5.  1 v 1 full pressure

1 v 1 (full pressure) (10 mins)

Set up, 10x15 grids (as many as needed) to accommodate 4- 6 players per grid depending on numbers.

Each line has 2 balls in play with extras close by.

as many cones needed to make grids. 

ORGANIZATION

PROGRESSION FROM 1v0 to 1v1

Front player from one line plays a pass to the other line.

player receives pass and attempts to get past the passing player and dribble over the line.

players switch lines and alternate attacking and defending lines.

COACHING POINTS

control the pass, open the ball up in the direction you want to travel, attack the space when you receive the ball, make a move, accelerate to the end line.

don't concentrate on defending unless you are using this as a defending drill.