U6 soccer practice plan: kicking and shooting
A 45-minute practice that lets 5 and 6 year olds do what they like best: kick the ball and score. Small goals, no goalkeepers, lots of balls and no lines.
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 | U6 (ages 5 and 6) |
| Length | 45 minutes (guidance for U6: 45 minutes) |
| Players | 6 to 12 |
| Goal for the day | Kick with the laces and score |
| Final game | 4v4 with no goalkeepers, on about 30 x 20 yards |
The 45-minute plan
| Time | Activity | Stage | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00 to 0:06 | 2v2 games as children arrive | Play | Wide cone goals so there are lots of goals. |
| 0:06 to 0:14 | Clean Your Room | Practice | Striking the ball with the laces, low, and finding the next ball. |
| 0:14 to 0:16 | Water break | Break | Drink. Show the laces: “toe down”. |
| 0:16 to 0:25 | Dribble and shoot | Practice | Dribble through a gate and shoot at a small goal. Three lanes, no goalkeeper. |
| 0:25 to 0:31 | Red Light, Green Light, with a shot | Practice | Dribble on green. On “goal light”, shoot at any small goal. |
| 0:31 to 0:33 | Water break | Break | Drink. |
| 0:33 to 0:43 | 3v3 game | Play | Let them play. Celebrate every shot, in or out. |
| 0:43 to 0:45 | Team cheer | Finish | “Which part of your foot did you kick with?” |
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
- As many extra balls as you can bring
- 6 small goals, or 12 extra cones
Coach notes
- Balls stay below knee height in every game.
- Nobody collects balls behind a goal while others shoot.
- Praise the technique, laces and a low ball, more than the goal.
If it is going badly
Dribble and shoot has turned into a line.
Add more goals at once, or switch to Pirates and Treasure where the “ship” is a small goal and each ball must be shot into it.
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
- Clean Your RoomIt trains striking a ball with the laces or the inside of the foot, and running to the next ball. U6 to U8.
- Dribble and shootIt trains striking a moving ball with the laces and looking at the goal before the shot. U6 to U10.
- Red Light, Green LightIt trains keeping the ball close enough to stop it with the sole of the foot. U6 to U8.
- 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.
Questions about this U6 practice
How do you teach a 5-year-old to kick a soccer ball?
Show the laces with the toe pointing down, put the other foot beside the ball, and give them dozens of tries in a game such as Clean Your Room.
Should U6 shooting drills have a goalkeeper?
No. Under-8 games have no goalkeepers. Small goals teach children to aim, and nobody gets hit by a ball.
How many balls do I need?
One for every child at least. For shooting games, extra balls keep the game moving while others are fetched.
Lessons to share with your players
Keep reading
- U6 soccer practice plan: first practice of the season45 minutes: meet the ball, meet each other
- U6 soccer practice plan: dribbling45 minutes: keep the ball close and go where the space is
- U6 soccer drills: fun games for 5 and 6 year oldsNine games for 5 and 6 year olds, a ball each, with what to avoid
- Soccer age groups explainedWhat U6, U8, U10 and U12 mean
- Soccer ball size by ageSize 3, 4 or 5 for each age group
- Soccer field size by ageField, goal and game length for each age group
- 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.