Soccer Training Drills and Strategies for Kids 8 years and below

Marbles(6 Years And Below)

This game is considered as a great warm-up session.

To be a bit more effective, soccer drills should be more realistic (i.e. to incorporate a real match situation into the game). Prior to taking on the opposite side, one must also earn the mechanics of the game.

This game is ideal for kids who are 6 and below. The game "marbles" is really simple - the team is split into two sides and are lined-up facing each other. Now each player must have a ball and there has to be a different color ball in the center. This unique ball is called as the “marble”. The aim of the game is to move the ball into the other side's line by striking with the ball that they have been given. Once the game picks up tempo, the players can use any ball they find and not necessarily the ball that they have been provided. Should by chance, any of the players kick the marble, a time out is called and the marble is put back into its place.

There is also a variation to this game, where it is played inside a circle. Once the marble exits the circle, a new game starts. Playing this soccer drill in a small circle teaches kids on controlling their passes and shots.

DRIBBLE AND SHOOT(8 Years And Below)

Before kids really learn to handle defenders, they should master the mechanics of dribbling. There are no fixed rules on how to dribble - it can be done by the sole of the feet or any other method that comes natural to the kid. Basically, the kids should know how to keep control of the ball while running, take sudden-turns, or change directions while keeping the ball under control.

However, this game is designed in such a way that the kids can absorb it easily. It should also be noted that their natural skills should be honed and not to be changed. Both dribble and shooting are one of the few skills that come easy to a kid. Kids' pick-up these movements easily when they are watching a television or a real match, and the skills that they observe and learn should be honed by the coach.

This is a game for kids who are 8 and below. Place a number of balls in the field and line up the kids at one end of the cones. As the coach says go, the child should run in and collect the ball with their feet and dribble across the cones (without dropping a cone) and shoot into the goal which is located at the other end. Timings should be monitored and the player with the quickest time would be declared the winner.

This drill also improves the child's dribble and shooting skills.