Week 1, Practice A

Ball mastery at speed

1. 1Arrival play

   Warm-up · 8 min

   Setup

   1. Field and goals set up before players arrive.
   2. Balls out. Whoever is here plays right away, teams even as kids arrive.
   3. No coaching, no lines: the game starts the practice.

   Coaching points

   • Greet every player by name as they join.
   • Watch who is confident with the ball today.

   Easier or harder

   Easier: smaller area so touches come fast. Harder: nothing, it is play.

2. 2Ball Mastery Ladder

   Warm-up · 10 min

   Setup

   1. Every player with a ball, spread across the grid.
   2. 20 seconds each: toe taps, foundations, sole rolls left, sole rolls right.
   3. Then 60 seconds of free dribbling at full speed.
   4. Repeat the circuit twice, faster each time.

   Coaching points

   • Speed with the ball is the U12 currency. Push the pace.
   • Touches must stay clean at speed: quality before chaos.

   Easier or harder

   Easier: 30-second blocks. Harder: full circuit with the weaker foot.

3. 3Dribble and Turn at Pace

   Practice · 12 min

   Setup

   1. Two cone gates on the far line. Players dribble down in pairs.
   2. Turn at the gate with any turn, race back over your own line.
   3. Loser does 3 burpees, winner keeps the honor of going first next.
   4. 8 rounds, rotate opponents.

   Coaching points

   • Turns at speed need a shorter last touch.
   • Get your body low through the turn, explode out.

   Easier or harder

   Easier: solo, no race. Harder: a defender chases you 2 seconds after you turn.

4. 4Gates Dribbling

   Practice · 12 min

   Setup

   1. Scatter 6 cone gates, 2 yards wide, inside a 20x20 grid.
   2. Every player has a ball.
   3. Dribble through a gate to score a point, then find another.
   4. Most points in 3 minutes wins. New round every 3 minutes.

   Coaching points

   • Small touches through the gate, big touches between gates.
   • Scan for the next open gate before you arrive at this one.

   Easier or harder

   Easier: 4 yard gates. Harder: gates close after use, or one defender hunts balls.

5. 5Knockout

   Fun game · 12 min

   Setup

   1. A 20x20 yard grid. Every player dribbles their own ball inside it.
   2. While dribbling, kick other players balls out of the grid.
   3. If your ball goes out, you do 5 toe taps and come back in.
   4. Play for 2 minutes. Whoever kept their ball longest wins.

   Coaching points

   • Put your body between your ball and the attacker to shield it.
   • Turn fast when a player lunges at your ball.

   Easier or harder

   Easier: make the grid bigger. Harder: shrink the grid every minute.

6. 6Small-sided game, 6v6

   Match · 18 min

   Setup

   1. Split the team into equal 6v6 teams with bibs.
   2. Small field with a small goal at each end. Balls behind every goal.
   3. Theme condition: a goal after beating a player with a turn counts double.
   4. Roll new balls in when one goes out. Keep the game flowing.

   Coaching points

   • Praise the theme when you see it, once, briefly.
   • Let the game teach: no stoppages for coaching lectures.

   Easier or harder

   Easier: bigger goals, no goalkeepers. Harder: winners stay on, or a two-touch rule for a round.