Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): U9-U11 Passing & Receiving

Passing & Turning

Organization:

Create area's 20' in length & 5' in width.

Equipment needed:

2 cones & 2 soccer ball per area.

4 players per area.

Explanation:

Balls start on the outside of the area's.

Players pass the ball in to the players in the middle.

Middle players accept passes and turn with the ball in the middle, avoiding each other and pass the ball to the player on the opposite side.

Players on the outside repeat until the coach changes the players in the middle, every few minutes, twice each.

Coaching points:

Collecting the ball with the side of your foot.

Soft touches.

Use the outside of your foot, ankle locked & push the ball while turning your body to complete your turn.

Pull-back turns. 

Accept the pass with the side of your foot, sole of your foot on top on the ball, roll the ball towards you and turn your body at the same time.

Shoulder checking to see where the other player in the middle is or avoid contact. 

Heads up passing

Organization:

Create area's about 20' in length & 5' in width, leaving space on either side for other area's.

Equipment needed:

3 cones and 2 soccer balls per area.

2 players per area, 1 soccer ball per pair.

Explanation:

Set a soccer ball on the middle cone like a tee.

Ball starts with a player on the outside cone.

Players pass the ball in a stationary position and try to knock the ball off the cone in the middle.

If they successfully knock the ball off the cone, the player who knocked the ball off quickly runs out and resets the ball on the cone.

The player from the other side collects the ball and tries to knock the ball off as well.

Make it a game and see which pair can knock the ball off the most times.

Coaching points:

Proper passing technique.

Heads up.

Progression:

See how many times players can pass the ball across to each other without knocking the ball off the tee. 

Let the players dribble or carry before passing to knock the ball off the tee.