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Soccer practice plan

U8 Soccer Practice Plan (7 and 8 Year Olds)

60 minutes · 4 activities · Play, Practice, Play

This U8 practice runs 60 minutes for 7 and 8 year olds and teaches one thing: find space where a teammate can see you. It follows the Play-Practice-Play shape: start with a game, practice the idea, finish with a bigger game. Every activity is in the Coachworthy library.

Time
60 minutes
Game format
4v4, no goalkeepers (U.S. Soccer's small-sided standard for U8)
Players
works from 8 to 14
Bring
balls, 30 cones, 4 small goals, pinnies, a pole or spare pinnie for the moving goal

The plan (60 minutes)

  1. Play15 min

    Where's the Goal?

    Two players hold a pole or stretched pinnie and walk around the field as a moving goal. Teams score by passing under it. Swap the goal holders every five minutes.

    Say this: Move so the passer can see you.

  2. Practice15 min

    Lose Your Marker

    In pairs, attackers try to lose their defender like a game of tag. On the whistle, everyone freezes. Who got free?

    Say this: Get away, then show.

  3. Practice10 min

    Four Corners: No Keepers

    Regular soccer on a small field with a goal in each corner and no goalkeepers. Four goals means there's always open space somewhere.

    Say this: Find the open goal.

  4. Play20 min

    3v3 Line Soccer

    Teams score by dribbling across the other team's end line under control. The whole line counts, so kids learn to spread out.

    Say this: Spread out, use the whole line.

Coaching tip

Freeze play once per activity to point at one good example of a kid in space. Then let them play.

What to skip at this age

  • Heading. U.S. Soccer bars heading for players 10 and under.
  • Goalkeepers. Not at 4v4. Every player plays the field.
  • Long talks. Keep stoppages under 30 seconds.

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 U8 soccer practice be?
About 60 minutes. Split it into three or four blocks of 10 to 20 minutes so energy stays up.
What is Play-Practice-Play?
U.S. Soccer's session shape: a game to start, a practice activity that isolates one idea, and a bigger game at the end. It keeps kids playing most of the hour.
How many players does this plan need?
It works best with 8 to 14. With 6, play 3v3 in the last two activities and pair up for Lose Your Marker.