8 Youth Soccer Drills

Skill development, physical fitness, confidence building, and tactical awareness. These are just a few reasons why youth soccer drills are essential for the development of young athletes.

To help your young athletes improve their game, we have outlined 8 youth soccer drills that are perfect to incorporate at any practice or tryout.

Youth Soccer Dribbling Drills

Obstacle course

• Set up one row of 10-12 pylons in the middle of the field (each pylon should be about 2 feet apart to start).
• Line up players in a single file line.
• One at a time, players will weave in and out of these obstacles in a zig-zag formation while dribbling the ball.

Note: At any time during the drill, adjust the spacing between the pylons to make it more of a challenge.

Round the cone dribble

• Place about 5-7 cones in a circle (3 circles can be formed on your field).
• Line up players in three single file lines. *One line should be formed in front of each circle.
• On your whistle, the first player in each line will dribble the ball around the circle.
• After a minute has elapsed, the next player in line will take their turn.

Note: In this drill, players can practice maintaining close control of the ball while slightly angling their bodies as they dribble.

Youth Soccer Passing Drills

Square passing

• Set up 4 pylons in a square formation, with each pylon placed 6 feet apart from each other.
• Place 4 players beside each pylon. *Each player will stand slightly behind the pylon.
• On your whistle, you will state a direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) and players will pass the ball in that direction.

Note: During the drill, periodically change the direction in which players must pass the ball. This will encourage quick thinking.

Four corners

• Using pylons, set up four grids that are 10×10 feet apart in each corner of your field.
• Split up your players into two teams (ensure you use coloured jerseys or flags to easily identify the teams).
• On your whistle, teams will work together to pass the ball to each other and attempt to score in one of the grids.
• Once a team has scored in all four grids, they will be crowned the winners!

Four corners

Youth Soccer Shooting Drills

Shooting on the move

• Set up two pylons on either side of the net, 12 feet away from the net.
• Line up players in a single file line.
• On your whistle, the first player in line will dribble toward either pylon (left or right side on your call).
• Upon reaching the pylon (once they are 1-2 feet away), they will attempt to shoot the ball while moving.

Note: Express the importance of moving while dribbling. If players stop dribbling at any point, they will have to repeat the drill right away.

Wide-angle shots

• Line up your players in two single-file lines on one end of the soccer field.
• On your whistle, the first two players in each line will dribble the ball (keeping it on the far left or right side of the field).
• Once they approach the empty net, they will attempt to take a wide-angle shot while moving.

Wide-angle shots

Youth Soccer Defense Drills

Steal the ball

• Pair up players starting at one end of the field. One will assume defense and the other offense.
• Have the offense player start with the ball.
• In a span of 3 minutes, the defennse player will try and steal the ball, while offense does their best to shield the ball while moving across the field.

2 vs. 2 net scoring

• Place 2 defense players 6 feet apart from each other, slightly in front of the net.
• Line up offense players in two single-file lines on one end of the soccer field.
• On your whistle, the first two offense players in line will pass the ball to each other, then try to take a shot while navigating through defense.

2 vs. 2 net scoring

Looking For an Easier Way to Evaluate Soccer Players?

Using SkillShark, you can easily score soccer players on your smartphone or tablet. Once your evaluation is complete, instantly gain access to player reports. Review player data and draft teams on the same day!