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Soccer practice plan

U12 Soccer Practice Plan (11 and 12 Year Olds)

75 minutes · 4 activities · Play, Practice, Play

At U12 the field gets bigger and teams start to crowd one side. This 75-minute plan for 11 and 12 year olds teaches one idea: change the point of attack. It builds width first, then the switch, and opens and closes with the same game so you can see whether the idea stuck. Every activity is in the Coachworthy library.

Time
75 minutes
Game format
9v9 (U.S. Soccer's small-sided standard for U11 and U12)
Players
works from 10 to 16
Bring
balls, 40 cones, 4 small goals, 4 tall cones or poles, pinnies

The plan (75 minutes)

  1. Play20 min

    Four Goals, One Gate

    4v4 in a square with a small goal on each side and a gate in the middle. A pass through the gate unlocks scoring, then attack whichever goal is least protected.

    Say this: Where's the open goal?

  2. Practice15 min

    Rondo: Corner Support

    Two teams of four plus a neutral in a 15 by 15 grid, with each team keeping two players in opposite corners. The corners give width, so the ball can always go wide and come back inside.

    Say this: Use your corners.

  3. Practice20 min

    Rondo: Four Grid Switch

    Four quadrants, one player per team in each, plus two neutrals. The team in possession keeps the ball and looks to move it to the quadrant the defense left open.

    Say this: Crowded? Switch it.

  4. Play20 min

    Four Goals, One Gate

    Same game as the start. Watch for the difference: fewer forced passes into the crowd, more balls moved to the open side.

    Say this: See the far side first.

Coaching tip

Repeating the opening game is the point. If the switch shows up in the last 20 minutes that it didn't in the first 20, the session worked.

What to skip at this age

  • Heading. U.S. Soccer limits heading practice for 11 to 13 year olds. This plan keeps the ball on the ground.
  • Long balls for their own sake. The switch should be the right pass, not the only pass.
  • Laps as punishment. Fitness comes from the games.

A plan like this every week

Coachworthy builds a season of practices for your team from the same library, around the days you practice.

Build a season

Questions coaches ask

How long should a U12 soccer practice be?
75 to 90 minutes. This plan runs 75 so you have room for a water break and a short talk at the end.
Why play the same game twice?
It's a built-in test. The first round shows what the team does now; the last round shows whether the practice changed it.
What does 'change the point of attack' mean?
Moving the ball from the crowded side of the field to the open side, so the attack starts where the defense isn't.