U10 soccer practice plan: passing and first touch
A 60-minute practice for 9 and 10 year olds with one theme from start to finish: receive the ball so you can play forward. It moves from a first touch on the back foot, to a rondo, to a game that rewards switching sides.
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 | Open up, receive on the back foot and play forward |
| 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 | 4v4 games as players arrive | Play | No goalkeepers. Notice how players stand when they receive: facing the ball, or half turned? |
| 0:10 to 0:20 | Receive across the body | Practice | Groups of three. Back foot, open body, two touches. |
| 0:20 to 0:23 | Water break | Break | Drink, and one question for the group about the last game. |
| 0:23 to 0:35 | 3v1 rondo | Practice | Same first touch, now with a defender. Five passes is a goal. |
| 0:35 to 0:38 | Water break | Break | Drink, and one question for the group about the last game. |
| 0:38 to 0:56 | Four-goal game, then a free game | Play | Ten minutes with two goals to attack, so the open side is worth finding. Then eight minutes of a normal game with goalkeepers. |
| 0:56 to 1:00 | Circle up | Finish | “How did you know which way to take your first touch?” |
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
- 4 small goals, or 8 extra cones
- 2 goals for the last game
Coach notes
- The whole practice has one cue: “open up”.
- In the rondo, freeze play once to show a receiver hiding behind the defender, then let them fix it.
- In the four-goal game, coach only at the break.
If it is going badly
Receive across the body is slow and players look bored.
Turn it into first touch gates in pairs with a score: ten clean touches through the gate, then race another pair.
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.
- Receive across the bodyIt trains an open body shape, so the player can see the whole field and play forward with the second touch. U8 to U12.
- Rondo 3v1It trains quick passing, support on both sides of the ball and a first touch away from pressure. U8 to U12.
- Four-goal gameIt trains switching play: when one goal is crowded, the team moves the ball to the open one. U8 to U12.
Questions about this U10 practice
How do I improve first touch at U10?
Teach receiving on the back foot with an open body, then put it under light pressure in a rondo. Players need the technique and a reason to use it.
How often should we do rondos?
Ten minutes in most practices is plenty. Change the size, the touch limit or the scoring so it stays fresh.
Why two goals at each end?
So that moving the ball to the other side has an obvious reward. Players start to look across the field before they receive.
Lessons to share with your players
- Look, Then Turn or Return (7v7 lesson)Look for pressure before receiving. Turn into room or give the ball back.
- Step Out of the Blocked Lane (7v7 lesson)Move so the defender is no longer between you and the ball.
- Find the Other Side (9v9 lesson)Move the ball through support when the nearby routes close.
Keep reading
- U10 soccer practice plan: first practice of the season60 minutes: see every player, and start the season’s habits
- 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
- First touch (soccer term)The touch you take as the ball arrives
- Switching play (soccer term)Moving the ball to the empty side
- Central midfielder in soccerThe link player who receives on the turn
- 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.