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Soccer drills for 5 players
15 free, with video

By Gabe Ramos · U.S. Soccer Coach Educator · Updated November 2026

Five is an awkward number until you stop trying to split it evenly. Give the defense one fewer and it turns into a strength: 4v1 for rondos, 3v2 for games, and an extra attacker who teaches everyone what a spare player is for.

4 players5 players6 players7 players8 players9 players10 players12 players14 players

How to split 5 players

  • 4v1: Four around a square, one defender inside. It is the best start for any small group. Swap the defender on every win. Try 4v1 With a Call.
  • 3v2: The natural game for five. Three attack, two defend, and the roles change after every goal. 3v2 to Two Goals gives the attackers a decision on every ball.
  • 2v2 plus a neutral: The neutral plays for whichever pair has the ball. Everyone plays, and you get a 3v2 that flips on every turnover.

Two 60-minute sessions for 5 players

Ages 6 to 8

Ages 11 and up

Drills for 5 players, ages 4 to 8

Dribbling Gates diagramEveryone, ball each · 10 minDribbling Gates

Seven or eight three-yard gates around the island.

Open the activity ›Knockout diagramEveryone, ball each · 10 minKnockout

Everyone dribbles on the island; on KNOCKOUT, protect your own ball while trying to kick everyone else’s off.

Open the activity ›3 Speeds diagramEveryone, ball each · 7 min3 Speeds

Turtle, dog, cheetah. Players dribble around while you call out speeds, switching often.

Open the activity ›Body Brakes diagramEveryone, ball each · 7 minBody Brakes

Everyone dribbles. Call a speed, then a body part, and players stop the ball with it: foot, knee, elbow, head.

Open the activity ›Cone Colors diagramEveryone, ball each · 7 minCone Colors

Cones in two colors scattered around the grid.

Open the activity ›Cone Monster diagramEveryone v the monster · 7 minCone Monster

The coach is the Cone Monster and carries a cone.

Open the activity ›See Ya Later, Coach! diagramEveryone v the coach · 8 minSee Ya Later, Coach!

Players dribble at you, drag the ball back with the sole just before they reach you, shout “See ya later, Coach!” and speed away into space.

Open the activity ›Sharks & Minnows diagramMinnows v sharks · 11 minSharks & Minnows

The coach starts as the shark in the middle.

Open the activity ›Soccer Island diagramEveryone, ball each · 7 minSoccer Island

Everyone dribbles inside the island while the sharks wait in the water outside the cones to steal any ball that floats away.

Open the activity ›Space Man diagramEveryone, ball each · 7 minSpace Man

Players dribble anywhere in the grid and freeze with a foot on the ball when you shout.

Open the activity ›

A full season for this age: the Intramural Curriculum ›

Questions about coaching 5 players

What is the best game for 5 players?

3v2. Change the defending pair after every goal or every two minutes. With three against two there is always a free player, so the attackers learn to find one.

How do you make fair teams with 5 players?

Don’t try to make them even. Use a neutral who plays for the team with the ball, or let the team that loses the last point defend next.

Can 5 players do a rondo?

Yes. 4v1 is made for five. Start with 4v1 With a Call, then add a rule with Pass and Move Square or Vacate and Fill.

All 100 activities, sorted by how many players you have

100 Possession Activities ends with an index by numbers: 4 to 7 players, 8 to 10, 11 to 13, and 14 or more. Count who showed up, go to the column, run the page. 115 pages and 100 animated videos, with a score and two progressions on every activity.

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