Over 300 Soccer Drills and Activities for All Age Levels

All of the soccer drills and activities listed on this page are explained with diagrams, descriptions, training tips, and animations. The combination of these three components allow soccer coaches and players of all levels to fully understand how each drill is intended to work. Youth soccer coaches can use these training ideas for use in their own practice plans and share them with their teams prior to practice.  Whether you are a first-time parent coach or an experienced soccer coach of higher levels, you will be able to find great soccer drills and activities to implement into your soccer training sessions. This list is being added to on a consistent basis with fresh new ideas you can implement in your practice plans. 

There are over 50 free soccer drills on this page that do not require a membership to view. 

Shooting Soccer Ball for Accuracy

Shooting For Accuracy

Shooting Drills
Watch fundamental shooting tips demonstrated by 10 Year MLS Vet Bobby Burling. In this video, he speaks about shooting for accuracy by utilizing similar techniques for passing. Coaching Points: Plant Foot Faces Target Use Side of...
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Soccer Curve Pass

Curve Pass Fundamentals

Passing Drills
10 Year MLS vet Bobby Burling demonstrates fundamental concepts of a Curve Soccer Pass. The curve pass is great when passing around a defender and you want to curve the ball into the direction of your teammate. It can also be great for...
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Soccer Chip Pass

Chip Pass Fundamentals

Passing Drills
10 year MLS Vet Bobby Burling walks us through a few tips to execute a Chip Pass. The chip is great for getting the ball out of trouble or for passing a ball over a defender to one of your teammates. Also, chipping the ball can allow your...
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Long Drive Soccer Pass

Long Drive Pass Fundamentals

Passing Drills
In this video, Bobby Burling demonstrates a long drive soccer pass. This pass is great if you are passing a further distance, trying to change the field of play or to get the ball out of trouble.  Coaching Points Use laces to...
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Trap Soccer Ball With Chest

Trap Soccer Ball With Chest

First Touch
Learn how to trap a soccer ball with your chest in this video tutorial! 10 Year Major League Soccer Vet Bobby Burling demonstrates how to properly trap a soccer ball with your chest. It is important to catch and drop the ball to the ground...
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Trap Soccer Ball With Thigh

Trap Soccer Ball With Thigh

First Touch
In this video demonstration, 10 Year Major League Soccer Veteran Bobby Burling demonstrates how to trap the soccer ball with your thigh. He notes that it is important to catch and drop the ball instead of popping the ball up like you are...
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Basic Soccer Passing Technique

Basic Passing Technique

Passing Drills
Learn the basics of how to pass a soccer ball with this video demonstration from 10 year MLS veteran, Bobby Burling. In the video, Bobby explains and demonstrates the fundamentals of passing a ball. Main Coaching Points: Make sure your...
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Heading the Soccer Ball

Basic Fundamentals: Heading the Soccer Ball

Heading Drills
In this video Bobby Burling demonstrates how to head a soccer ball. It is crucial that young players are taught the proper technique especially with the recent concerns about concussions. Here are the key coaching points: Coaching Points...
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Juggling a soccer ball

Basic Fundamentals: Juggling a Soccer Ball

Dribbling Drills
In this video Bobby Burling demonstrates some keys on how to juggle a soccer ball. He starts with how to use the thighs and then progresses to the feet and other parts of the body. This is a great skill to work on any time becuase all you...
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First Touch Soccer Drill: Trap, Roll, and Play

First Touch: Trap, Roll, and Play

Passing Drills | First Touch
In this video Bobby Burling demonstrates the Trap, Roll, and Play. This is another first touch techinique where you trap the ball with the sole of your foot outside the cones, roll the ball inside the cones, and play the ball with the...
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First Touch Soccer Drill: Inside Trap and Outside Play

First Touch: Inside Trap and Outside Play

Passing Drills | First Touch
This is another variation of a first touch soccer drill. The ball is trapped with the inside of the foot and played with the outside surface of the same foot. Watch Bobby Burling demonstrate this first touch drill in this video. The...
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First Touch Soccer Drill - Outside Trap and Play

First Touch: Outside Trap and Play

Passing Drills | First Touch
This variation of the Trap and Play uses the outside of the foot to pay the ball. In this video Bobby Burling demonstrates how to trap the ball with the inside of the foot from outside the cones, the first touch brings the ball inside the...
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First Touch: Inside Trap and Play

First Touch: Inside Trap and Play

Passing Drills | First Touch
This is another exercise to work on the first touch when receiving the ball. To set up place four cones in a small square as shown in the video. Each player should have a partner. In this drill we receive the ball and trap it with the...
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First Touch: Receiving Ball with Outside of Foot

First Touch: Receiving Ball with Outside of Foot

Dribbling Drills | First Touch
This technique for receiving the ball on our first touch uses the outside of our foot. This is effective when you need to receive the ball and protect the ball from a defender. Use the outside of your foot to receive the ball to the...
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First Touch: Receiving Ball with Inside of Foot

First Touch: Receiving Ball with Inside of Foot

Passing Drills | First Touch
Hey everybody, Bobby Burling here for soccerdrive.com. Today we are looking at some techniques for our first touch when receiving the pass. Again, a lot of things go into the preparation for that first touch. How is our body position?...
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Soccer Turning Exercise the Hook and Pull

Turning Exercise: Hook and Pull

Dribbling Drills
This soccer move is another technique used for changing directions quickly and with complete control of the ball. In this video Bobby Burling explains and demonstrates the Hook and Pull move. Coaching Points Shift weight to inside leg...
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The Cryuff, soccer turning exercise

Turning Exercise: The Cruyff

Dribbling Drills
Here is another move that is great for changing directions, maintaining ball control, and protecting the ball from defenders. Bobby Burling demonstrates how to do it in this video. Here are the coaching points: Coaching Points Use the...
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Bobby Burling demonstrating the chop, soccer turning technique

Turning Exercise: The Chop

Dribbling Drills
The Chop is another technique player use to quickly change directions and maintain control of the ball while also creating space from a defender. In this video Bobby Burling demonstrates this technique and explains in detail how to do it...
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The pull back soccer turning skill

Turning Exercise: The Pull Back

Dribbling Drills
In this video Bobby Burling demonstrates the Pull Back. This is a soccer skill that should be introduced at a young age. It gives players a  great skill for turning and changing directions with the ball. It also shows them a technique...
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Forward and backward roll, soccer dribbling exercise

Forwards & Backwards Roll

Dribbling Drills
In this exercise players use the bottom of their foot to roll the ball while moving forwards and backwards. Coaching Points Be light on your toes. Bring knees up high. Use arms. Slight drag as you move backwards.
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Bobby Burling doing lateral rolls with soccer ball

Dribbling Exercise: Lateral Rolls

Dribbling Drills
In this video Bobby Burling is demonstrating a soccer dribbling exercise named lateral rolls. The coaching points for this exercise are: stay light on your feet use the sole of your foot to roll the ball as you get more comfortable...
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Soccer Dribbling Exercise - Inside Outside Touches with Both Feet

Inside and Outside Touches (Both Feet)

Dribbling Drills
The next progression from Inside / Outside Touches (1foot) is using both feet and alternating. Here are some key points: Zig zags can be nice and wide. Sequence is inside right foot,  outside left foot, inside left foot, outside...
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Soccer Dribbling Exercise to Improve Inside and Outside Touches

Inside and Outside Touches (One Foot)

Dribbling Drills
This is a really simple dribbling drill where we just dribbling down to the cone and back. Use the inside and outside of our foot. Use the right foot to the far cone and our left foot coming back. Get as many touches on the ball as...
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7 vs 6 One Goal with Counters - U14 / U16 Soccer Drill

7 vs 6 One Goal with Counters

Possession Drills | Attacking Drills
Setup If half field unavailable, use as much space as you can. The team you are coaching is defending the big goal, and is trying to score on the two small goals (3yds wide) Formation for black team: 1-4-2 (#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #8...
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4 vs. 4 to Six Goals Plus 1 - Soccer Drill for Building out of the back

4 vs. 4 to Six Goals Plus 1

Possession Drills | Passing Drills | Games | Attacking Drills
Setup Make multiple fields as necessary. Players play 4v4 with a neutral player in the middle. Neutral player is on the team with the ball, so game is always 5v4 Teams attack the three goals on one side of the field. Outside goals are...
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Gatekeepers - U10 Soccer Dribbling Activity

Gatekeepers - Soccer Dribbling Activity

Dribbling Drills | Games
Setup Every player needs to have a ball. (except for a couple gatekeepers). Spread pairs of cones around the grid about a yard apart from each other. Each set of cones is called a ‘gate.’ Players have 45 seconds to dribble through as...
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Colored Gates in Pairs - Soccer Passing Drills

Colored Gates in Pairs

Passing Drills | Games
Setup Put your players in pairs with one ball per group. Create a series of gates (two cones, 1yd apart) for the players to pass through Make half the ‘gates’ a different color of cone (example: 3 red gates, and 3 blue gates). If you...
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4 vs. 4 to Six Goals - Small Sided Soccer Game

4 vs. 4 to Six Goals

Passing Drills | Attacking Drills | Offensive Drills | Games
Setup Make multiple fields as necessary. Players play 4v4. Teams attack the three goals on one side of the field. Outside goals are worth 3pts, inside goal worth 1. Restart with throw-ins and goalkicks. No corners. Both teams play...
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Dribbling Endzones - Small Sided Soccer Game

Dribbling Endzones

Dribbling Drills | Games
Drill Setup Make a 25x20 yd field with a 3 yd “endzone” on each end. Players play 4v4 Players score by dribbling into the endzone. Once a goal is scored, the other team starts from their endzone. Players are not allowed to pass...
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Accurate passing & movement without ball.

Hexa Possession Passing Drill

Passing Drills | Possession Drills | Warm Up Drills
Communication, accurate passing, movement without ball, and awareness are all important factors in this passing drill.  The set up requires 6 cones ore discs set up in a rectangular hexagon (see diagram) and a smaller box on the...
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A warm up drill for goalies, midfielders, and strikers.

Forward Goalie Warm Up

Goalkeeping Drills | Shooting Drills | Warm Up Drills
A classic warm up drill for goalies, midfielders, and strikers. This drill focuses on anticipation and a good first touch. The player receiving the pass can lay the ball of to the left or to the right and the shooting player  needs to...
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Striker shoutout - soccer shooting and goalie drill

Striker Shoutout

Shooting Drills | Goalkeeping Drills
This drill focuses on passing, speed, trapping, ball control, and shooting.  The passing player becomes the shooter.   Players need to explode to the cone Trap, turn, shot in 2 touches, pass to the attacking player on the ground...
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Control Burst Dribbling Relay - soccer relay race

Control Burst Dribbling Relay

Dribbling Drills | Games
This soccer dribbling drill focuses on controlled dribbling in tight space and explosive controlled dribbling in open spaces.  Players need to keep their eyes up Maintain ball control in open and tight spaces The transition from open...
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Attack the cone dribbling skills - soccer drill for ball control

Attack the cone Dribbling Skills

Dribbling Drills | Warm Up Drills
The emphasis of this soccer drill is on dribbling. Set up five cones as shown in the diagram to form a 15 x 15 yard square with one cone in the middle. There is a player at each cone with a ball (except the cone in the middle). In the...
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Shooting box - soccer shooting drill

Shooting Box

Shooting Drills | Goalkeeping Drills
This Soccer Drill focuses on shooting the ball quickly off of a pass.  One player is in the box created by the four cones and three other players are about 10 - 15 yards away, each with soccer balls.  P2 passes the ball to P1 and...
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3 vs. 3 Quick attack game, a fun small sided soccer drill

3 vs. 3 Quick Attack Game

Games | Passing Drills | Goalkeeping Drills | Shooting Drills | Attacking Drills
To set up this game you will need to place the goals about 20 - 30 yards apart.  You will need two goalies, six players, a handful of balls, and an extra player or coach.  As shown in the diagram, the filed is divided into six...
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3 vs. 3 own half shooting, a small sided soccer game

3 vs. 3 Own Half Shooting

Games | Shooting Drills | Goalkeeping Drills
This soccer drill is a fun game for players and goalies and recommended for U16 age levels to U12 age levels.  To set up, place the nets about 30 yards apart and split the field into half using either the center field line, discs, or...
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1 vs. 1 wall game - small sided soccer game

1 vs. 1 Wall Game

1 vs 1 Drills | Games | Possession Drills | 2 vs 1 Drills
To set up this 1 vs 1 soccer drill mark off a rectangle that is about 10 x 20 yards. Two opposing players start in the rectangle, one player starts with the ball. The object of the game is to control the ball across the other players end...
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Wall Passes FTW! Soccer Activity

Wall Pass FTW!

Passing Drills | Offensive Drills | Defending Drills
Setup: In a 25Wx40L yard field with goals. Play 5v5 on field. When a team makes a wall pass or 3 players connect passes in a row and then score, the goal is worth 3pts. A goal scored normally is worth 1pt. Coaching Points:...
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Endzone Combinations To Goal

Endzone Combinations To Goal

Passing Drills | Offensive Drills
Setup: Play 7v6. Defending team plays a 1-3-3. Attacking team plays a 4-2. Place a 15 yard endzone starting from the top of the penalty box. - Forwards play 3v2 in endzone. Rest of the players play 4v3 in field. Attacking team has to...
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Endzone Combinations Soccer Activity

Endzone Combinations

Offensive Drills | Passing Drills
Setup: Field is 40x20 yards, with a 10x20yd endzone on each end. Play 4v4 in center grid, and 2v2 in each endzone. Each team attacks one direction. Score by dribbling ball over endline on endzone. Players in center can cross into...
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One goal + Endzone Soccer Game

One Goal + Endzone

Offensive Drills | Defending Drills | Games
Setup: Split players into two teams playing 6v5. Team defending the large goal plays in a 2-3 (+gk) formation. Team attacking the big goal plays in a 3-2 formation. Team attacking the large goal tries to score. Team defending the...
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Numbers Up and Down Soccer Game

Numbers Up and Down

Transition | Offensive Drills | Defending Drills | Games
Setup: Field is 30x30. Play 4 vs. 3 plus a GK in each goal. If white team scores, 3 new blacks come onto field with ball. If blacks scores, the four whites leave field and are replaced with 3 new whites, and a new black is added to...
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Dead Ball Striking Soccer Shooting Drill

Dead Ball Striking

Shooting Drills | Passing Drills | Offensive Drills | Goalkeeping Drills
Setup: Set up field as shows. Players split into two groups, divided into four equal lines. Must have a GK in each goal. A shooting cone is placed 15-18 yards from each goal. A player from each team (diagonal from each other)...
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2 vs. 2 Defending the Shot

2 vs. 2 Defending the Shot

Defending Drills | Offensive Drills | 1 vs 1 Drills
Setup: On same 36x20 field, split team into four lines. All balls are with one line. Game starts with pass to either attacking line. Play 2v2, with attackers trying to score on big goal, while defenders score on little goal if they win...
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1 vs. 1 Defending the Shot

1 vs. 1 Defending the Shot

Defending Drills | Offensive Drills | 1 vs 1 Drills
Setup: Field is 36 x 20. One size has a full goal with GK, while the other has a small goal with no GK. Create two lines. - Defending line has the balls. Game begins by first defender passing the ball to the opposing attacker, and...
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Flying Changes Soccer Activity

Flying Changes

Offensive Drills | Defending Drills
Setup: Play in a 36x20 yd field and have a large goal on each endline. Divide players into two teams, each split into two lines beside each goal. Balls are split between two of the lines. - One team dribbles out and plays 2v2 against...
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1 vs. 1 Transition Game

1 vs. 1 Transition

1 vs 1 Drills | Offensive Drills | Defending Drills
Setup: Make two fields that are 12x7yds. Have a 1yd goal at each end of field. Two lines per field, and every player has a ball. Game starts by first player in one of the lines dribbling towards opposing goal. Player on opposing line...
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