U10 soccer practice plan: first practice of the season
A 60-minute first practice for 9 and 10 year olds starting a 7v7 season. It lets you see every player in small games, introduces the rondo you will use all season, and ends with a game where the build-out line is explained once.
Soccer is called football in most of the world. This guide is part of Futbol Island’s free football lessons for kids aged 7 to 12.
At a glance
| Detail | This plan |
|---|---|
| Age group | U10 (ages 9 and 10) |
| Length | 60 minutes (guidance for U10: 60 to 75 minutes) |
| Players | 10 to 14 |
| Goal for the day | See every player, and start the season’s habits |
| Final game | Up to 7v7 with goalkeepers; a 7v7 field is 55 to 65 yards long |
The 60-minute plan
| Time | Activity | Stage | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00 to 0:10 | 3v3 games as players arrive | Play | Two small fields. Rotate teams once. Watch for who looks up and who helps a teammate. |
| 0:10 to 0:20 | 3v1 rondo | Practice | Groups of four. Support on both sides of the ball. Everyone defends for one minute. |
| 0:20 to 0:23 | Water break | Break | Drink, and one question for the group about the last game. |
| 0:23 to 0:35 | 2v1 to goal | Practice | With a goalkeeper, taking turns. Dribble at the defender, then pass or keep going. |
| 0:35 to 0:38 | Water break | Break | Drink, and one question for the group about the last game. |
| 0:38 to 0:56 | 5v5 or 7v7 game | Play | With goalkeepers. Stop once, at the first goal kick, to show where the other team waits at the build-out line. |
| 0:56 to 1:00 | Circle up | Finish | Season habits: we start by playing, we rotate goalkeepers, we encourage each other. |
Times are minutes from the start of practice. Tap an activity for its setup diagram and coaching points.
Equipment
- A ball for every player
- About 20 cones
- Bibs in two colors
- A water bottle for every player
- A first aid kit and a ball pump
- 2 goals for the final game, plus 4 small goals
- Goalkeeper gloves to share
Coach notes
- Ask who wants to try goalkeeper and promise that everyone will get a turn this season.
- Use the size 4 ball from the first day.
- Learn names in the rondo: call the name of the player you pass to.
- Send parents the season schedule the same evening.
If it is going badly
The 2v1 to goal has a long line because the group is large.
Split into two goals, or play 2v1 across small fields to cone goals with no goalkeeper. Six players per field is the limit.
Give water breaks more often in hot weather, never use running as a punishment, and change the size of any area that is too hard or too easy.
How this plan is built
These plans follow the Play-Practice-Play structure that U.S. Soccer teaches grassroots coaches: players arrive and play small games, then practice the day’s idea in game-like activities, then finish with a game. The structure is U.S. Soccer’s; the minutes for each part are ours, so adjust them to your group.
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Drills in this plan
- 3v3 small-sided gameIt trains everything at once, dribbling, passing, shooting and defending, and gives each child far more time on the ball than a big game. U6 to U10.
- Rondo 3v1It trains quick passing, support on both sides of the ball and a first touch away from pressure. U8 to U12.
- 2v1 to goalIt trains the main decision of attacking with an extra player: dribble at the defender, then pass if they come to you or keep going if they do not. U8 to U12.
- Build-out gameIt trains playing out from the back: defenders getting wide, a midfielder showing for the ball, and the goalkeeper joining in with their feet. U10 to U12.
Questions about this U10 practice
What should a first U10 practice cover?
Small games to see the players, one passing game such as a 3v1 rondo, one attacking game such as 2v1 to goal, and a 7v7-style game to finish.
How do I explain the build-out line?
At the first goal kick in the final game: the other team waits behind the dashed line until the ball is played, so our defenders have time to receive it.
How long is a U10 practice?
60 to 75 minutes in US Youth Soccer’s coaching guidance. This plan uses 60.
Lessons to share with your players
- Goal Kick & Build-Out Line (7v7 lesson)On our goal kick, the other team waits behind the build-out line. Once the ball is kicked and moves, they can come and press.
- Meet Your Team (7v7 lesson)Recognize the goalkeeper and three lines of teammates, then adjust your midfield role as the ball changes sides.
- Step Out of the Blocked Lane (7v7 lesson)Move so the defender is no longer between you and the ball.
Keep reading
- U10 soccer practice plan: passing and first touch60 minutes: open up, receive on the back foot and play forward
- U10 soccer practice plan: 1v1 attacking and defending60 minutes: win your 1v1, with and without the ball
- U10 soccer drills for 9 and 10 year oldsTen drills for 9 and 10 year olds: rondos, first touch, 2v1 and first goalkeeping
- 7v7 soccer formationsShapes for U9 and U10 teams
- The build-out line in 7v7Why the other team backs off on a goal kick
- Goalkeeper in soccerThe job, the skills and where to stand
- All soccer practice plans12 ready-to-use soccer practice plans for U6, U8, U10 and U12, each with a clock table, equipment list and linked drills
- All soccer drills for kids46 soccer drills and practice games for U6 to U12, each with a setup diagram, coaching points and the lesson it trains
Futbol Island is a free football (soccer) learning game for kids aged 7 to 12. Every idea on this page is taught on a pitch with moving players, then checked with a quick quiz.