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Free activities · Ages 10–11

U11 soccer drills
Ages 10 and 11, 9v9

9v9 is a plan, not just a shape. There is enough field to switch the play and enough players to press as a unit. The build-out line goes away, so playing out of the back has to be a habit by now, not a rule. These are the free travel curriculum activities plus the early rungs of 100 Possession Activities.

The game at U11

Format9v9
BallSize 4
Field70–80 × 45–55 yd
Game2 × 30 min

There are keepers and offside, but no build-out line and no heading. Leagues can vary, so check yours.

Field sizes and rules by age ›The 2-3-3 for 9v9 ›Rondos for 6 to 10 players ›

U11 possession and passing drills

Wide Gates diagramPairs · 20 minWide Gates

Cone 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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Channel Game diagram4v4 · 25 minChannel Game

4v4 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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Around the Shape diagramPattern · 20 minAround the Shape

Cones laid out in your team shape on half a field, one player per cone.

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Home Zones diagram5v5 + GKs · 25 minHome Zones

5v5 plus keepers on a 40x30 split into back, middle and front bands.

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Shoulder-Check Lines diagramThrees · 20 minShoulder-Check Lines

Threes in a line, ten yards apart.

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Split the Gate diagram4v2 · 8 minSplit the Gate

Four attackers around a 12x12 with two defenders standing as a gate in the middle, three yards apart.

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Pocket Rondo diagram4+1 v 3 · 10 minPocket Rondo

Three lines of cones split a 15x12 into thirds. Four attackers on the ends, one in the middle third with three defenders.

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Pass and Move Square diagram4v1 · 8 minPass and Move Square

A 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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Traveling Triangle diagram3v1 · 10 minTraveling Triangle

Three attackers with one ball travel down a 10x30 channel against a defender who may only walk, keeping a triangle around the defender the whole way.

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Two-Side Rondo diagram4v2 · 8 minTwo-Side Rondo

A long, narrow rondo. Two attackers on each short end of a 16x8, two defenders inside.

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Switch Through the Middle diagram6v3 · 10 minSwitch Through the Middle

Two attackers on each side line of a 20x14, two in the middle, three defenders.

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Check and Receive diagram1v1 + 2 servers · 8 minCheck and Receive

Two servers twelve yards apart, a receiver in the middle with a shadow defender behind.

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Vacate and Fill diagram4v1 · 8 minVacate and Fill

A rondo that rotates: leave a space so a teammate can arrive in it.

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Run on the Touch diagram2 + mini goal · 8 minRun on the Touch

A passer and a runner on a 20x15 with a mini goal.

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Run and Through diagram3v1 · 8 minRun and Through

Pass into the target, run on the pass, finish the lay-off.

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All possession and passing ›

Questions coaches ask about U11

What format do U11 players play?

U11 players play 9v9 on a field 70 to 80 yards long and 45 to 55 yards wide, with 7 ft by 21 ft goals and a size 4 ball. There are keepers and offside, but no build-out line and no heading. Leagues can vary, so check yours.

How long should practice be for a U11 team?

Ninety minutes. Every session in the travel book runs the same five blocks: rondo, sharpen, solve, play and a set piece.

Is there a build-out line at U11?

No. The build-out line goes away at 9v9, so playing out of the back has to be a habit by now, not a rule.

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.

$150Buy the curriculumSee what’s inside ›45-page PDF + 73 MP4 videos · Week 1 free as a sample