Coaching tools › Activities › U10
Free activities · Ages 9–10U10 soccer drills
Ages 9 and 10, 7v7
The habit that matters most at U10 is Get Big: when we have the ball, stretch the field. These are the free rondos, sharpen activities and small-group problems from the travel curriculum, plus the first rung of each theme in 100 Possession Activities. Each one has its own page with the setup, the coaching points and an animated video.
The game at U10
There are keepers, offside and a build-out line, and no heading. Leagues can vary, so check yours.
Field sizes and rules by age ›The 2-3-1 for 7v7 ›Rondos for 6 to 10 players ›
U10 practice plans
Three full sessions for 7v7, plus a U9 plan in the same format.
Practice plan · 90 minGet big (U10)A free 90-minute U10 soccer practice plan, minute by minute.
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Practice plan · 90 minPass and move (U10)Angles, support and moving after the pass, drawn for 7v7.
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Practice plan · 90 minFind the free player (U10)2v1 and 3v2 to goal: make them choose, then finish early.
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Practice plan · 90 minPlay out of the back (U9)Every ball starts with the keeper, using the build-out line.
Open the plan ›U10 rondos
4v1 · 10 minFour-Line RondoA 10x10 with one attacker on each side line and one defender inside. Attackers may slide along their own line but not leave it.
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4v1 + helper · 10 minColor-Call Rondo4v1 in a 10x10 with a helper walking the outside holding up a colored cone. The receiver has to call the color before the first touch.
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4v2 + goals · 10 minRondo and Go4v2 in a 10x10 with two mini goals fifteen yards away.
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3v1 · 8 min3v1 SquareThe first rondo. Three attackers on three sides of a small square, one defender inside, two touches and five passes for a point.
Open the activity ›U10 possession and passing drills
Pairs · 20 minWide GatesCone gates scattered 12 to 15 yards apart across a 30x30. In pairs, pass through a gate to your partner, then both run to a new gate.
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4v4 · 25 minChannel Game4v4 to mini goals on a 35x30 with a five-yard channel down each side. One attacker at a time may be in a channel and nobody may tackle them there.
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Pattern · 20 minAround the ShapeCones laid out in your team shape on half a field, one player per cone.
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5v5 + GKs · 25 minHome Zones5v5 plus keepers on a 40x30 split into back, middle and front bands.
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Threes · 20 minShoulder-Check LinesThrees in a line, ten yards apart.
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4v2 · 8 minSplit the GateFour attackers around a 12x12 with two defenders standing as a gate in the middle, three yards apart.
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4v1 · 8 minPass and Move SquareA 4v1 rondo with one rule that changes everything: after you pass, you must move to a different side of the square before you can receive again.
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4v2 · 8 minTwo-Side RondoA long, narrow rondo. Two attackers on each short end of a 16x8, two defenders inside.
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1v1 + 2 servers · 8 minCheck and ReceiveTwo servers twelve yards apart, a receiver in the middle with a shadow defender behind.
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2 + mini goal · 8 minRun on the TouchA passer and a runner on a 20x15 with a mini goal.
Open the activity ›U10 playing out of the back
GK + 3 v 2 · 25 minBeat the First PressHalf a field with a goal. Keeper, two backs and a center mid build against two pressers, with three cone gates on the halfway line.
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1v1 + server · 20 minBounce or TurnA server twelve yards from a receiver with a shadow defender behind, either tight or loose.
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GK + 5 v 4 · 25 minOut and OverA 45x35 with a halfway line.
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GK + 2 v 1 · 8 minKeeper and TwoThe simplest build-up picture: a goal, a keeper and two backs on the edge of the box against one presser, with two gates on the far line.
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U10 pressing and transition
4v4 + targets · 25 minLock the Middle4v4 on a 35x30 with a target player on each end line and three gates across the middle: a wide center gate and two wide ones.
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4v2 · 10 minFive-Second Rondo4v2 in a 12x12 where the defenders try to keep the ball when they win it, and the four have five seconds, counted out loud, to win it back.
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3v3 · 8 minWin and Go3v3 on a 20x15 with a mini goal at each end.
Open the activity ›U10 warm-ups
Questions coaches ask about U10
What format do U10 players play?
U10 players play 7v7 on a field 55 to 65 yards long and 35 to 45 yards wide, with 6.5 ft by 18.5 ft goals and a size 4 ball. There are keepers, offside and a build-out line, and no heading. Leagues can vary, so check yours.
How long should practice be for a U10 team?
Ninety minutes. Every session in the travel book runs the same five blocks: rondo, sharpen, solve, play and a set piece. Shorter session? Sharpen is what goes. Never cut Play.
What formation should a U10 team play?
A 2-3-1: a keeper, two backs, three midfielders and a striker. The 7v7 guide explains how it works.
The possession activities on this page come from 100 Possession Activities: ten themes of ten rungs each, every one on video.
Twenty-four sessions, twelve match days, one habit at a time
The Full Season Travel Curriculum for ages 9 to 12 is twelve weeks built around six team habits, every game drawn at 7v7 and 9v9, with a match-day page every week, the 30-minute game-day warm-up and an animated video of every activity.

