Youth Football Training Sessions
Coaching children is a different craft from coaching adults. These ready-to-run sessions are built around each age group's stage — maximum ball touches and fun at U8, passing and 1v1 at U10, combination play and positional understanding at U12 — so every player develops while enjoying the game.
Youth Football Training Sessions in the library
U8 Training Session
Maximise individual ball contacts and build confidence on the ball through fun dribbling, ball-mastery and 1v1 activities, then let players express those skills in tiny-sided games where everyone is constantly involved.
View training session →U10 Training Session
Develop passing, receiving and first touch under light pressure, sharpen 1v1 skills in attack and defence, and introduce the ideas of width and support through 5v5 and 7v7 small-sided games.
View training session →U12 Training Session
Develop combination play and positional awareness, introduce the basics of building from the back, and train fast reactions in transition, then apply it all in 7v7 and 9v9 game phases.
View training session →More football skills
How to plan a youth football session
Give every session the same simple shape: an active warm-up with a ball, one technical theme, a practice that tests that theme against opposition, and a small-sided game to finish. Keep instructions under 30 seconds, demonstrate rather than explain, and count how long children spend standing still (it should be almost none). No laps, no long queues. Build the whole hour around one theme, such as passing or 1v1 attacking, so the learning adds up instead of scattering across six unrelated drills. The U8, U10 and U12 sessions here follow exactly that structure, so you can run one as written or use it as a template.
What to focus on at each age
At U8 the priorities are fun, ball mastery and constant 1v1 moments in tiny games of 3v3 or 4v4. At U10 players can start to combine, so bring in passing and receiving, simple team shape and 5v5 or 7v7 games. At U12 they can handle positional ideas (width, depth, playing out) and more structured practices, while still spending at least half the session playing games. Whatever the age, finish with a match: it is what children came for, and it shows you whether the theme stuck.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a youth football training session be?
About 60 minutes for U8 and U10, and 75–90 minutes for U12, warm-up and game included. Keep each activity to 10–15 minutes so attention stays high.
What are good football drills for 7 and 8 year olds?
Games where every child has a ball: dribbling gates, traffic lights, 1v1s to small goals and 3v3 matches. At this age fun and touches on the ball matter far more than tactics or positions.
How many players should be in a youth drill?
As few as possible so everyone is active: pairs, groups of three or four, or small-sided games. If children are standing in a queue, split the group or set up a second area.
Animate your football youth work.
Build any of these on a Coach Board tactical board, animate the movement, and share it with your squad in one click.
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