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Soccer practice plan

U6 Soccer Practice Plan (5 and 6 Year Olds)

45 minutes · 4 activities · Play, Practice, Play

A U6 practice works when every kid has a ball and nobody waits in line. This plan runs 45 minutes for 5 and 6 year olds, built on one idea: dribble with your head up. Every activity comes from the Coachworthy library and runs with one coach and a bag of cones.

Time
45 minutes
Game format
4v4 or smaller, no goalkeepers (U.S. Soccer's small-sided standard for the youngest ages)
Players
works from 6 to 12
Bring
a ball per player, 20 cones, 4 small goals or cone goals, pinnies

The plan (45 minutes)

  1. Play10 min

    Sharks and Minnows

    Minnows dribble across the square while two or three sharks try to knock their balls out. Knocked out? You're a shark now. Shrink the square each round.

    Say this: Look up, find the gap.

  2. Practice10 min

    Ball Lab: Free Dribble

    Everyone dribbles freely around a crowded grid of cones, using every part of the foot, turning often and speeding up in bursts.

    Say this: Little touches, lots of turns.

  3. Practice10 min

    Numbers Game: 1v1

    Two teams wait on the sides. Call a number, and one player from each team sprints on to play 1v1 into small goals.

    Say this: Go at them, then go past.

  4. Play15 min

    Funino: Four Goals

    3v3 on a small field with two small goals at each end and no goalkeepers. Short rounds, rotate players in.

    Say this: Score in the open goal.

Coaching tip

Pick one cue per activity and repeat it. Five-year-olds hear one thing at a time.

What to skip at this age

  • Heading. U.S. Soccer bars heading for players 10 and under. None of these activities need it.
  • Positions. Everyone attacks, everyone defends. Swarming the ball is normal at this age.
  • Lines and laps. If a kid is standing still, change the activity.

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 U6 soccer practice be?
About 45 minutes. Attention drops fast after that at 5 and 6, and a short practice that ends with them wanting more beats a long one.
What if only four kids show up?
Run Ball Lab and the 1v1 game as planned, then play Funino 2v2. Sharks and Minnows needs about eight to be fun.
Do U6 players need goalkeepers?
No. The small-sided standard is 4v4 or smaller without keepers, so every kid stays in the game.