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U8 Pack · Week 1, Practice A

First touches

50 min

Equipment: 1 ball per player · 20 flat cones · 2 pugg goals or tall-cone goals · Bibs for 1 team

  1. 1. Arrival play

    Warm-up · 8 min
    Balls out, play as you arriveAABB

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

  2. 2. Body Parts

    Warm-up · 10 min
    Stop the ball on the body part the coach callsAAA

    Setup

    1. Every player dribbles slowly inside a 15x15 grid.
    2. Coach calls a body part: foot, knee, elbow, ear.
    3. Players stop the ball on that body part, then dribble on.
    4. Last to stop does 2 jumping jacks, keep going.

    Coaching points

    • Little touches, ball close, head up between touches.
    • Say what you see: "Leo stopped it dead, great sole."

    Easier: foot only for round one. Harder: add "both knees", players must stop within 3 seconds.

  3. 3. Red Light, Green Light

    Warm-up · 12 min
    Green: dribble. Red: stop the ball deadAAAAB

    Setup

    1. Every player has a ball on one end line.
    2. Green light: dribble forward. Red light: stop the ball dead with the sole.
    3. A player who dribbles on red or rolls on red goes back 3 steps.
    4. First player to the coach line wins.

    Coaching points

    • Soft touches: the ball should stay inside one arm length.
    • Sole of the boot on top of the ball to stop it dead.

    Easier: call only green and red. Harder: add yellow light, turn and dribble back.

  4. 4. Small-sided game, 4v4

    Match · 20 min
    dribble instead of passing if you canAAAABBBB

    Setup

    1. Split the team into equal 4v4 teams with bibs.
    2. Small field with a small goal at each end. Balls behind every goal.
    3. Theme condition: dribble instead of passing if you can.
    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: bigger goals, no goalkeepers. Harder: winners stay on, or a two-touch rule for a round.