Coaching tools › Activities › U8
Free activities · Ages 7–8U8 soccer drills and games
Ages 7 and 8, 4v4
First and second grade is where me-and-my-ball becomes me-against-you. These activities add one defender, then one teammate, then space to think about, never more than one at a time. Each page has the setup, a fix for when it turns to chaos, and the animated clip.
The game at U8
There is no keeper, no offside and no heading. Leagues can vary, so check yours.
Field sizes and rules by age ›What age group is my child in? ›
U8 practice plans
Three full sessions, sixty minutes each. Start with Dribble and Protect, then add passing and 1v1.
Practice plan · 60 minDribble and protect (U8)A free 60-minute U8 soccer practice plan, minute by minute.
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Practice plan · 60 minPass, move, get open (U8)A first rondo and 4v1 World Cup: pass, move and get open.
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Practice plan · 60 minBeat the levels (U8)From Beat the Levels to the End Zone Game: when it is 1v1, go.
Open the plan ›U8 dribbling and 1v1 games
Everyone, ball each · 10 minDribbling GatesSeven or eight three-yard gates around the island.
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Everyone, ball each · 10 minKnockoutEveryone dribbles on the island; on KNOCKOUT, protect your own ball while trying to kick everyone else’s off.
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1v1 · 8 min1v1 to ConesPairs face each other across a line neither can cross, a cone at each end.
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1v1 · 8 min1v1 Four-Goal GameOne attacking line and one defending line, each starting between two small goals.
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3v3, two balls · 8 minGates GameTwo teams of three with two balls in play and small gates around the area. Score by dribbling through any gate past a defender.
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1v1 + GKs · 8 min1v1 to Goal + KeeperA short field with a goal and keeper at each end and teams of four at most.
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4v4 · 10 min4v4 Four-Goal Game4v4 with two mini goals at each end, so each team attacks two goals. If one goal is crowded, turn and go to the other.
Open the activity ›1v1, two levels · 10 minBeat the LevelsTwo fields side by side, each split into two grids with a goal at the end.
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3v3 or 4v4 · 10 minEnd Zone Game3v3 or 4v4 on a field with an end zone at each end.
Open the activity ›U8 rondos
Questions coaches ask about U8
What format do U8 players play?
U8 players play 4v4 on a field 25 to 35 yards long and 15 to 25 yards wide, with 4 ft by 6 ft goals and a size 3 ball. There is no keeper, no offside and no heading. Leagues can vary, so check yours.
How long should practice be for a U8 team?
Sixty minutes. The free U8 plans run sixty, with eight to twelve players.
Do U8 teams use a goalkeeper?
No. U8 is the last year of 4v4 with no keeper. Keepers arrive with 7v7 at U9.
Thirty-six sessions like this one, Pre-K to 2nd grade
The Full Season Intramural Curriculum is one page per session for four grades, eight weeks each, with an easier and a harder version of every activity, a fix for when it turns to chaos, and an animated video of all 112 activities. Built so a professional trainer and a parent who volunteered last week run the same session.