Share the post "6 Player Soccer Drills (Awesome Selection)"
Have we got some drills for you on this list! This is a collection of fun drills that are great for 6 players. There’s a combination of solo play, pairs, and teams.
If more players join you, you can easily add on an extra one, or play knock-out and rotate the players. One crazy drill that I love is 4 goal 3 v 3 and if you don’t have four goals you can make some from cones.
6 Player Soccer Drills
Musical Balls: Soccer Drill
- Age Range: 4-6
- Length of Session: 10 mins
- Number of Players: any
- Skills to Learn: awareness, speed, coordination
- Equipment: balls and cones
- Description: The number of balls decreases by one each round
Drill Set-up:
- Create a large square based on the number of players you have.
- Give each player a ball.
- Optional: set up a small side activity for kids to do once they are out of musical balls.
Drill Instructions:
- Give each player a ball at first.
- Instruct players to dribble around the area using different techniques.
- When you stop playing music or blow your whistle, each kid must leave their ball and find a new one.
- Take away one ball.
- Repeat the steps, this time one player won’t have a ball in the end.
- The player without a ball must perform a simple action, like 5 jumping jacks, or they are out.
- You can repeat the activity this way or take away one more ball each time the same way you would with musical chairs.
Hungry Hippos: Soccer Drill
- Age Range: 4-6
- Length of Session: 10 mins
- Number of Players: up to 20
- Skills to Learn: dribbling at speed, keeping head up
- Equipment: a lot of soccer balls, pinnies, and small goals are optional
- Description: Two teams compete to see who can bring the most balls back to their area.
Drill Set-up:
- Split the kids into two even teams.
- Give each team pinnies to distinguish.
- Create a large rectangle with a small zone on each end.
- Place all of the balls in the center of the space.
Drill Instructions:
- Place each team at either end of the rectangle.
- Each team can send one player at a time to go retrieve a ball and dribble it back.
- Optional: add a mini goal. The player must shoot the ball into the small goal to earn it for their team.
- If a player goes out of bounds, they must put the ball back in the middle and go back to their team for a new player to go.
- Perform as a race until all the balls are gone.
Sharks and Minnows: Soccer Drill
- Age Range: 4-8
- Length of Session: 10 mins
- Number of Players: 6+
- Skills to Learn: dribbling, keeping head up, ball control
- Equipment: balls for each player, cones, pinnies optional.
Description: Kids try to dribble from one side to the other without getting tagged by the shark. Anyone tagged becomes a shark.
Drill Set-up:
- Create a large rectangle suitable for the number and age of players. For example, 35 meters long by 20 meters wide for 12-15 6-year-olds.
- Give each player a ball and line them up on the starting line.
- Select a “shark” to start.
Drill Instructions
- Line up all of the “minnows” with their balls.
- Choose 1-2 sharks and place them in the middle of the space.
- When you say go, have the minnows try to dribble across the other side without getting tagged by a shark.
- Anyone who is tagged must become a shark for the next round.
- Challenge players to see who can be the last minnow standing.
- Younger kids, 4-6, can focus on just tagging the player. For kids 6-8, change the rules so they must knock the ball away from the minnow to count. For kids 8-10 or with advanced skills, you can require them to take full possession of the ball.
- Another way to make the drill more challenging is to make the space smaller.
- You can also add specific dribbling challenges within the game (weak foot only, must complete 2 moves before crossing, etc.
Freeze Tag: Soccer Drill
- Age Range: 6-10
- Length of Session: 10 mins
- Number of Players: 6+
- Skills to Learn: dribbling, keeping head up, ball control
- Equipment: ball for each player, cones, pinnies
Description: One or two taggers try to tag the players dribbling around with the ball. Once tagged, a player is frozen until another player passes the ball between their legs to unfreeze them.
Drill Set-up:
- Create a large square roughly 30 m X 30 m. Adjust the size based on the number of players.
- Put all players in the square.
- Select 1-3 taggers (depending on the size of the group).
- Give the taggers a pinny to differentiate them.
- Give all non-taggers a ball.
Drill Instructions:
- When you say go, the taggers will run around trying to tag those who are dribbling.
- If a player is tagged, they “freeze.” The frozen player stands with their feet a bit wider than shoulder-width apart. They should raise their ball above their head.
- A teammate can “unfreeze” a player by passing their ball between that player’s legs.
- Once unfrozen, the player puts the ball down and begins dribbling again.
- Play until the taggers freeze everyone, or for up to 2 minutes.
- Switch taggers each round.
- For younger kids, you can start without the ball as a warmup.
- Older, more advanced kids, require the tagger to steal the ball instead of just tag.
Pass Through the Gates: Soccer Drill
- Age Range: 6-10
- Length of Session: 10 mins
- Number of Players: any
- Skills to Learn: passing, communication
- Equipment: balls and cones, optional pinnies
Description: Players must pass the ball through a gate to their teammate to earn a point.
Drill Set-up:
- Set up a large space based on the number of players you have and their ages.
- Randomly place gates using cones. Gates should be about 3 meters.
- Give each player a partner.
- Optional: use pinnies to distinguish groups.
- Each group of 2 gets 1 ball.
Drill Instructions:
- Kids must dribble around the area and pass through the gates to their partners.
- Each successful pass through the gate earns one point.
- Kids cannot go through the same gate twice in a row.
- Challenge your players to see who gets the most passes in a set time or who can complete all gates first.
- Keep each round to 60 seconds or less.
- Challenge older players to use their weaker foot or complete the drill with smaller gates.
Knock Out: Soccer Drill
- Age Range: 7-10
- Length of Session: 10-15 mins
- Number of Players: 10-12
- Skills to Learn: dribbling, keeping head up, defending, decision making
- Equipment: cones and a ball for each player
Description: Players all dribble around the space while trying to knock out the others’ balls. See who the last one standing is.
Drill Set-up:
- Create a large circle with cones.
- Give each player a ball inside the circle.
- Make multiple games if you have a large team.
Drill Instructions:
- Each player needs a ball inside the circle.
- Players must dribble around while trying to kick other players’ balls out of the circle.
- If your ball gets kicked out, you must do some small action to get back in (2 jiggles, 10 toe taps, etc).
- When the knock-out round begins, there’s no re-entry. Players who are knocked out should work on a skill you provide while watching.
- As the number of players decreases, use the players who are out to block areas of the circle to shrink the space.
- To increase difficulty, shrink the size of the circle or add specific dribbling challenges within the game.
Windows: Soccer Drill
- Age Range: 8-10
- Length of Session: 10 mins
- Number of Players: Minimum 6
- Skills to Learn: dribbling, passing, first touch, turning, trapping
- Equipment: balls, cones
Description: Half of the players are on the outside of the circle and half inside. The players in the circle run to a player on the outside to complete a skill before running back to the center and finding a new player.
Drill Set-up:
- Create a large circle. You can use the center circle painted on a field or create your own. Base the size of the circle on the number of players and age group.
- Half of the players start in the center of the circle, and half on the outside.
- Each player on the outside of the circle should start with a ball.
Drill Instructions:
- When you say “go”, the central players will each check to a player on the outside.
- The player on the outside passes the ball to the central player.
- The central player passes the ball back.
- The central player heads back into the middle of the circle.
- The central player finds a new outside player to repeat the technique.
- Each round should be no more than 60 seconds.
- After the first round, switch the central and external players.
- Change the skill each round. You can have players use different feet, play in 1 touch, receive the ball out of the air, volley the ball back, perform a wall pass to switch places, etc.
2 v 2 Possession Squares: Soccer Drill
Drill Outline
- Ages: 12 to 18+
- Drill Name: 2 v 2 Possession Squares
- Session Length: 5 to 8 minutes
- Number of players: minimum of 4 players, broken into groups of 2
- Skills learned: Agility, first touch, quick passing, tackling, and pressing
- Equipment: 4 cones, 1 ball per pair
Drill Setup
- Position 4 cones 10 to 15 yards apart to form a square.
- Divide the team into pairs.
- 2 teams take their place in the square while the other pairs wait outside.
Drill Instructions
- The coach selects one team to start with the ball and one team to defend.
- The game goes live once the first pass is played.
- The team in possession tries to keep the ball by passing and dribbling.
- The defending team attempts to win back possession through tackling or intercepting.
- If the defending team wins the ball back, they attempt to keep possession from their opponents.
- The first team to make 5 consecutive passes wins.
- The winning team begins the next round in possession. A new pair replaces the losing team, beginning the round as the defenders.
- If neither team wins after 60 seconds, the round is over and 2 fresh teams enter the square.
Drill Variations
- The number of players per team can be extended up to 11. The square should be made larger to accommodate additional players.
- If players are struggling to retain possession, consider changing the dynamic to a 3 v 2 or 4 v 2. The team of 3 starts in possession. As soon as they lose the ball, the round is over and a new 3 v 2 matchup is made.
Zig-Zag Passing: Soccer Drill
Drill Outline
- Drill Name: Zig-Zag Passing
- Session Length: 5 minutes
- Age Group: 10+
- Number of players: 7 to 18
- Skills learned: Short, medium, and long-distance passing
- Equipment: 1 ball (minimum), 7 cones
Drill Setup
- Use half a training field for this drill.
- Set up cones as shown in the graphic, using the lines on the field as a guide.
- The precise distance between cones isn’t important. The most important factor is that there are different distances between some of the cones to focus on different passing ranges.
- Split the team into 6 groups and line them up behind the cones. There must be at least 2 players at the P1 position to begin with.
Drill Instructions
- P1 starts by playing a low, hard pass to P2.
- P2 takes a touch and passes to P3.
- P3 takes a touch and then plays a medium distance, low, hard pass to P4.
- P4 takes a touch and then plays a medium distance, low, hard pass to P5.
- P5 takes a touch then plays a low, hard pass to P6.
- P6 takes a touch and then plays a long pass to the P1 position. P6 can put height and power on this pass as it must travel the entire width of the field.
- Each player follows their pass to the next position.
- The drill is repeated on a loop, ensuring all players practice different passing distances.
Drill Variations
- Set a timer for each round and challenge players to beat it.
- Encourage players to play first-time passes if possible.
- Focus on weak foot passing for multiple rounds.
- Instruct all players to move before receiving a pass. This simulates getting free from a marker during a game. Shoulder checks and directional feints are suitable movements.
4 Goal, 3 V 3: Soccer Drill
Drill Outline
- Drill Name: 4 Goal, 3 V 3
- Session Length: 10 to 15 minutes
- Age Group: 12+
- Number of players: 6 to 18
- Skills learned: Range of passing, movement, first touch, and interceptions
- Equipment: 4 goals, 1 ball
Drill Setup
- Use a quarter of the training field for this drill.
- Set up 2 small goals on one end of the field and 2 small goals on the other.
- Position the goals next to the sidelines.
- The goals should be approximately 5 yards wide.
- Divide the team into groups of 3.
Drill Instructions
- This drill is essentially a 3 v 3 game but each team can score 2 different goals.
- The focus of the drill is on different ranges of passing, teamwork, movement, and positioning.
- When in possession, a player has a maximum of 3 touches (including a pass).
- The defending team may not tackle. They can intercept or block passes to gain possession.
- As the goals are small, players are encouraged to get as close to the goal as possible before shooting.
- The first team to score 3 goals wins.
- The winning team stays on to compete against the next group.
Drill Variations
- Limit the number of touches to 2 or 1. If the players struggle, increase the number of permitted touches until they start to improve.
- Increase the number of players per team.
- Allow tackling.
- Introduce a minimum number of passes before a team is allowed to score.
Passing Practice in Pairs: Soccer Drill
Drill Outline
- Drill Name: Passing practice in pairs
- Session Length: 5 minutes
- Age Group: all ages
- Number of players: 2 to 18
- Skills learned: Passing, volleying, heading, and ball control
- Equipment: 1 ball, 8 cones (per group)
Drill Setup
- Divide the team into pairs.
- Create 2 x 4-cone grids approximately 5 yards apart for each pair.
- Each player stands inside their own 4-cone grid.
- 1 player in each pair begins with the ball.
- There are 4 rounds in this drill. Each round covers a different variation.
Drill Instructions
- Round 1: P1 starts by playing a low pass to the feet of P2. P2 then plays a return pass to P1. Players repeat the process for 10 passes.
- Round 2: P1 starts with the ball in their hands and gently lobs it toward the feet of P2. P2 volleys the ball back to P1’s hands using the inside of their foot. Players repeat the process for 5 passes then switch roles.
- Round 3: P1 starts with the ball in their hands and lobs it toward P2’s chest. P2 controls the ball with their chest, then volleys it back to P1’s hands as they did in round 2. Players repeat the process for 5 passes then switch roles.
- Round 4: P1 lobs the ball in the air. P2 heads the ball back to P1’s hands, jumping if necessary. Players repeat the process for 5 passes then switch roles.
- Players complete all 4 rounds 3 times.
Drill Variations
- Focus on using weak feet for a round.
- Increase the distance between the grids to practice different ranges of passing.
Man-On Drill: Soccer Drill
Drill Outline
- Drill Name: Man-On Drill
- Session Length: 10 minutes
- Age Group: 7+
- Number of players: 3 (minimum)
- Skills learned: First touch, turning, holding off the defender, shielding the ball, finishing
- Equipment: 1 ball (minimum), 3 cones, 1 goal (optional)
Drill Setup
- Set up a 5-yard, 2-cone gate along the edge of the penalty box.
- Place 1 cone 10 yards from the gate toward the center of the field.
- If you have a goalkeeper, consider setting up a goal to include shooting practice as a secondary aspect of the drill.
- P2 (attacker) and D1 (defender) begin at the passing gate.
- P1 and the remaining players line up behind the cone toward centerfield.
- P1 begins with the ball at their feet.
Drill Instructions
- P2 moves around the edge of the penalty box simulating an in-game scenario.
- P2 shakes off the defender, sprints through the gate, and calls for the ball.
- P1 plays a low, hard pass to P2.
- P2 takes a good first touch, holds off the defender, then spins toward the goal. If there is a goalkeeper, P2 takes a shot on goal.
- D1 doesn’t actively try to win the ball. Instead, they apply pressure, allowing P2 to practice taking a solid first touch when surrounded by defenders.
- When the round is over, P2 joins the end of the passing line, D1 takes P2’s place, and P1 takes D1’s place.
- If you have 7 or more outfield players, consider setting up 2 identical grids and running the drills concurrently.
Drill Variations
- Instruct players to focus on different types of touches in each round.
- For 1 round, focus on taking 1 touch, and spinning behind the defender toward the goal.
- For another round, focus on taking a good touch, facing up the defender, and running past them before shooting.
- For another round, instruct P2 to play a give-and-go pass with P1, before running behind the defender for a through pass from P1.
- For advanced players, encourage them to work on different skill moves, touches, flicks, and turns.
3 v 3 Overloads: Soccer Drill
Drill Outline
- Drill Name: 3 v 3 Overloads
- Session Length: 10 to 15 minutes
- Age Group: 7+
- Number of players: 6 (minimum)
- Skills learned: Teamwork, positioning, passing, marking, and tackling
- Equipment: 8 cones, 4 mini goals, 1 ball
Drill Setup
- Create a 20-yard long, 15-yard wide, cone grid as your playing field.
- Split the field into 3 even grids across the length of the field.
- Set up 2 mini goals on either end of the field.
- Divide the team into groups of 3
- 2 groups compete against each other at a time.
- Designate 1 team to start as the attackers and 1 as the defenders.
Drill Instructions
- This drill is a live 3 v 3 game. However, teams cannot score unless all of their players are inside the section of the grid nearest their opponent’s goal.
- This ruleset encourages well-managed, measured, and controlled team play.
- Since there are 2 goals on either end, teams can score quickly and efficiently with smart buildup play.
- The first team to score 3 goals is the winner.
- Mix up teams after each game.
- If you have enough players, create multiple teams and rotate them between games.
Drill Variations
- Consider running a training tournament if you have enough players.
- If teams are scoring too easily, remove a goal from either end.
- Set a minimum number of passes rule before teams can score.
- Limit individual touches to 2 or 3 per possession.
3 Grid Positional Drill: Soccer Drill
Drill Outline
- Drill Name: 3 Grid Positional Drill
- Session Length: 10 minutes
- Age Group: 10+
- Number of players: 6 (minimum)
- Skills learned: Positioning, passing, movement, marking
- Equipment: 8 cones, 2 mini goals, 1 ball
Drill Setup
- Create a 20-yard long, 15-yard wide, cone grid as your playing field.
- Split the field into 3 even grids across the length of the field.
- Set up 2 mini goals, with 1 on either end of the field.
- Divide the team into groups of 3
- 2 groups compete against each other at a time.
- Each team assigns 1 player to each section of the playing field, creating 1 v 1 situations across the field.
- Designate 1 team to start as the attackers and 1 as the defenders.
- P3 begins with the ball at their feet.
Drill Instructions
- On the coach’s signal, P3 starts the game by passing to a teammate. The defensive team allows 1 free pass to let the game begin.
- Once the game kicks off, it is a live 3 v 3 game. However, all players must stay inside their assigned grid at all times.
- If a player leaves their area, their opponents are awarded a goal.
- Players can pass the ball the entire length of the field, bypassing the center grid if they wish.
- Players can score from any position.
- The first team to score 3 goals wins.
- If you have multiple groups, rotate teams after each game.
Drill Variations
- Create a tournament if you have enough players.
- Set a minimum pass rule before teams can score.
- Limit individual touches to 2 or 3 per possession.
- Limit scoring to certain sections for a game or particular amount of time.
3 v 3 Drop-Off Drill: Soccer Drill
Drill Outline
- Drill Name: 3 v 3 Drop-Off Drill
- Session Length: 10 minutes
- Age Group: 10+
- Number of players: 6 (minimum)
- Skills learned: Positioning, passing, movement, awareness
- Equipment: 20 cones, 6 balls (minimum)
Drill Setup
- Create a 20-yard long, 15-yard wide, cone grid as your playing field.
- Set up 4 small 4-cone squares within the playing field. If you have different colored cones, use 1 color for 2 squares, and 1 color for the other 2.
- Position 2 same-colored squares next to either sideline and 2 same-colored squares next to either end line.
- Divide the team into groups of 3.
- Assign each team to a color.
- The coach stands outside the playing grid with 6 balls at their feet.
Drill Instructions
- The goal of this drill is for each team to put as many balls as possible into their assigned squares.
- Both teams begin inside the playing field, occupying whatever positions they want.
- The coach starts the drill by kicking the first ball onto the playing field. The coach can choose to play the ball into space, between 2 players, or in the air.
- The teams compete to gain possession, then try to get the ball into their colored cone squares. Once a ball has been placed into a square, it can’t be removed.
- For a team to score, the ball must come to a stop inside the square. Kicking it through the space doesn’t count.
- As soon as a ball is placed into a square or leaves the field of play (from tackling, a misplaced pass, etc.), the coach kicks the next ball onto the field and the drill continues.
- When all 6 balls have been played, the drill is over.
- The team with the most balls in their designated squares is the winner.
Drill Variations
- Add more squares to make scoring easier.
- Increase the number of balls per game.
- Play 2 balls at a time.
- Limit individual touches to 2 or 3.
- Create a tournament if you have enough players.
Share the post "6 Player Soccer Drills (Awesome Selection)"
Joel is a seasoned soccer journalist and analyst with many years of experience in the field. Joel specializes in game analysis, player profiles, transfer news, and has a keen eye for the tactical nuances of the game. He played at various levels in the game and coached teams - he is happy to share his insight with you.
