U8 soccer practice plan: first practice of the season
A 60-minute first practice for 7 and 8 year olds. You will learn names, see what the players can do, and set the habits for the season: we start by playing, everyone has a ball, and we finish with a game.
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 | U8 (ages 7 and 8) |
| Length | 60 minutes (guidance for U8: 45 to 60 minutes) |
| Players | 8 to 12 |
| Goal for the day | Set the habits: play first, a ball each, a game to finish |
| Final game | 4v4 with no goalkeepers, on about 30 x 20 yards |
The 60-minute plan
| Time | Activity | Stage | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00 to 0:08 | 2v2 and 3v3 games as players arrive | Play | Players join a game the moment they arrive. Watch: who is confident, who is new? |
| 0:08 to 0:15 | Busy square, with names | Practice | Dribbling with eyes up. On “swap”, tell the player whose ball you take your name. |
| 0:15 to 0:18 | Water break | Break | Drink, and one question for the group about the last game. |
| 0:18 to 0:28 | Sharks and Minnows | Practice | Dribbling under pressure. Caught minnows do five toe taps and become sharks. |
| 0:28 to 0:38 | 1v1 to end zones | Practice | Three or four small fields. Beat your defender and stop the ball in the zone. |
| 0:38 to 0:41 | Water break | Break | Drink, and one question for the group about the last game. |
| 0:41 to 0:56 | 4v4 game | Play | No goalkeepers and no positions yet. Two fields if you have more than ten players. |
| 0:56 to 1:00 | Circle up | Finish | One thing the team did well, the next practice time, and a team cheer chosen by the players. |
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
Coach notes
- Have the small fields marked before anyone arrives. It is the single best habit a volunteer coach can form.
- Tell parents the plan: play, practice, play. They will see less standing and more soccer.
- Coach one thing per activity. Today it is “keep the ball close”.
- Write down names with one note each as soon as practice ends.
If it is going badly
1v1 is too hard for new players and they lose the ball every time.
Make the fields wider and let the defender start on one knee. Or switch to gates dribbling, then come back to 1v1 next week.
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.
- Busy square dribblingIt trains dribbling with the head up, because a player who only looks at the ball will bump into someone. U6 to U10.
- Sharks and MinnowsIt trains dribbling under pressure: keeping the ball close, changing direction and using open space. U6 to U10.
- 1v1 to end zonesIt trains taking a player on with a change of speed or direction, and for the defender, staying between the attacker and the line. U6 to U12.
Questions about this U8 practice
How do I run my first U8 soccer practice?
Start with small games as players arrive, play two ball-each games, try 1v1 on small fields and finish with 4v4. Learn every name before the end.
What should I tell parents on day one?
When and how long practices are, that every child needs a ball of the right size and water, and that practices will be mostly games.
What size ball do U8 players use?
A size 3. Players move to a size 4 at U9.
Lessons to share with your players
- Carry or Pass? (7v7 lesson)Watch which route the defender leaves open.
- Meet Your Team (7v7 lesson)Recognize the goalkeeper and three lines of teammates, then adjust your midfield role as the ball changes sides.
- Make Room for Your Team (7v7 lesson)Spread into useful space so the player on the ball has another route.
Keep reading
- U8 soccer practice plan: dribbling and 1v160 minutes: beat a defender with a change of speed or direction
- U8 soccer practice plan: passing60 minutes: pass to a teammate, then move
- U8 soccer drills for 7 and 8 year oldsTen drills for 7 and 8 year olds: dribbling, 1v1, first passing and 3v3
- 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.