Preparing U10 Soccer Season

The rules of the game for U9 and U10 are the same: 7 vs 7, goalkeeper, an offside line, no limit on substitutions, rooster of 11 or 12 players, 50% playing time. Returning players will be familiar with the rules.

Past seasons recap:

Within those constraints, and with the learning objective for the season to learn about movement without the ball, we are going to organize the team with a defensive line of 3 players, an offensive line of 3 players, rotating lines in and out, hockey-style.

The objective of practices will be to create and maintain triangles around the ball carrier. As a result, we will pick training exercises that focus on 3v3, 3v2, and 3v1. Since the team will have at least one assistant coach, it will be possible to plan separate activities running in parallel.

It is still unclear if we should specialize players in defensive and offensive lines, or always substitute in the offensive line, effectively rotating players between an offensive and defensive position during games.

We are leaning towards a player having a fixed position within a line (left, center, right), but we are still debating if the same 3 players will always be part of the same line or not.

It is possible that headers are allowed in U10 games, so we will gently introduce them during technical training.

For practical implementation, we will keep following the tips in the Youth Soccer Coaching Crash Course.

U10 Knowledge Validation

As a collective, the learning objective for the season is to create and maintain triangles around the ball carrier.

Individually, we wish players will be able to recall 2 technical elements and 2 tactical elements at the end of the season.

Technical Elements:

  • Demonstrate 2 ways to drive the ball
  • Demonstrate 1 fake or feint

Tactical Elements:

  • What is One-on-one marking?
  • What is an overlap run?

U10 Practices Plan

As teams are formed semi-randomly, the challenges running practice sessions often originates in the wide range of player skills, and wide range of kids interest for the sport.

The most difficult for coaches is to keep a high intensity tempo - i.e. players running.

Each one hour practice will be split in 3 phases:

  1. 15min technical exercises with one ball per player
  2. 20min constraint exercise
  3. 20min 3v3 mini tournament, restart from the goal line, build out to the side

The remaining 5min are used for the 2min pre-game warmup, and 3min talk to communicate administrative information (ex: photos, pick a team name).

Week 1 (Dribbling, feints and fakes)

Practice 1

Practice 2

Week 2 (Dribbling, feints and fakes)

Practice 1

Practice 2

Week 3 (Receiving and passing)

Practice 1

Practice 2

Week 4 (Receiving and passing)

Practice 1

Practice 2

Week 5 (One-on-one Marking, Pressing)

Practice 1

Practice 2

Week 6 (One-on-one Marking, Pressing)

Practice 1

Practice 2

Week 7 (Overlap run)

Practice 1

Practice 2

Week 8 (Overlap run)

Practice 1

Practice 2

Week 9 (Corner kicks, Calling the ball)

Practice 1

Practice 2

  • Overlap circuit
  • 3v3 corner kicks, introduced ball from corner
  • 3v3 mini tournament

Week 10 (Finishing)

Practice 1

Practice 2

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