Football Drills & Trainingby Play 2 Earn Sports

Football drills for U8:130 for 6 and 7 year olds

U8 players can start working in pairs and small games. Keep it active, and keep the explanations short.

Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

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See all 130 U8 drills in the app
The sample drill Slow Pass Means Go: six players on a green pitch.
Try itSlow Pass Means Go

Drag a player, then press play. These are sample names: sign in and your real roster imports automatically. Try your own names, numbers and kit.

Drills written for under 8s, usually 6 and 7 year olds. Dribbling is still the main skill, along with first passes and small games. Here are a few to look at, and the app has all 130, each one playing in 3D.

8 of 130

Zigzag Wall Race: 12 players at the start of the drill, in 3D on a green pitch. U8

Zigzag Wall Race

10 min · 12 players

Bounce one ball back and forth across the channel from cone to cone as fast as your two lines can, beating your last time.

  • Aim for the front foot of the child opposite, about ten steps across, with the inside of your foot
  • Bounce the first wall pass back without stopping it, so your two lines get a fast start
Cone Turn Dash: 11 players at the start of the drill, in 3D on a green pitch. U8

Cone Turn Dash

8 min · 11 players

Sprint down your lane with the ball, whip around the far cone and send it back to the next racer in your line.

  • Sprint with the ball, pushing it ahead in a straight lane
  • Hook the ball round the far cone with the inside of your foot, staying close enough to touch it
Left Goal or Right Goal?: 12 players at the start of the drill, in 3D on a green pitch. U8

Left Goal or Right Goal?

8 min · 12 players

Read which goal the defender leans towards, then carry the ball through the other one to score.

  • Watch the defender's feet
  • Pick the weaker side
Pick A Goal, Any Goal: 7 players at the start of the drill, in 3D on a green pitch. U8

Pick A Goal, Any Goal

10 min · 7 players

Score in whichever little goal your team can reach first, with the floater helping the side that has the ball.

  • Look up after every touch and dribble towards the little goal with nobody near it
  • The floater stays in the middle and turns to whichever side has the most open grass
Buddy In The End Zone: 6 players at the start of the drill, in 3D on a green pitch. U8

Buddy In The End Zone

10 min · 6 players

Beat your chaser, then find the friend waiting in the far end zone to bank a point.

  • Run straight at your chaser, then drop a shoulder and go past on the open side before you give it
  • The end-zone friend slides along the line until there is a clear path for the ball
King of the Court 2v2: 6 players at the start of the drill, in 3D on a green pitch. U8

King of the Court 2v2

8 min · 6 players

Win the 2v2 and rotate quickly to the next court.

  • Pass and move
  • Attack the space
Feet Over the Line: 8 players at the start of the drill, in 3D on a green pitch. U8

Feet Over the Line

8 min · 8 players

Score a point only by carrying the ball across the far line, so look for gaps instead of long kicks.

  • Dribble when space opens
  • Sprint alongside the carrier in case a defender blocks the path
Rondo 3v1 in 10x10: 4 players at the start of the drill, in 3D on a green pitch. U8

Rondo 3v1 in 10x10

8 min · 4 players

Keep possession in a small 3v1 rondo.

  • Two touches maximum
  • Move after you pass

122 more U8 drills are in the app, each playing in 3D with the full set-up and steps.

See all 130 U8 drills in the app

What works at U8

Start with dribbling

Plenty of touches with both feet builds the control everything else needs.

First passes

Short passes in pairs start to work at this age. Keep the distances small.

Small games

Try 2v2 and 3v3 with small goals, so everyone stays close to the ball.

Questions

What age is U8?

U8 means under 8, usually 6 and 7 year olds. The exact cut-off depends on your association.

How long should a U8 drill run?

Most U8 drills in the library run for 8 to 12 minutes.

How many players do I need?

Most need 4 to 13 players. If you have more, run two grids side by side.

See all 130 U8 drills in the app

Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Get early access
About the football drills app