All sessions About, safety and notes Goalside Plus Account
U5 · Me and my ball block · Week 1 of 6 · Introduce
Touches and the sole stop
Every child has a ball and nobody queues. Start with Ball Explorers, then little touches, the sole stop, a touch counter, chase the coach, bib islands and free play.
- Little touchesKeep the ball close, with a touch every step or two.
- Both feetUse the left foot as much as the right.
- Sole on topTo stop the ball, put the sole of your foot on top of it.
The session in five lines
ArriveBall Explorers. Take a ball and go. (7 min)
Little touchesBoth feet, a touch every step or two. (7 min)
The sole stopStop with the sole on top, then go. (7 min)
Touch counterCount your touches and beat your last count. (7 min)
Chase the coachFollow the coach. Stop when the coach stops. (7 min)
IslandsPark your ball on a bib. (7 min)
Free playBalls and goals out. No score. (12 min)
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Minutes per stage. The last block is the conditioned game or the closing game. The dashed block is for changeovers and water.
Kit
8 conesPlus 2 goals. Use small goals, or two cones for each goal. A ball eachOne for every child, plus a spare, from the bag.
Different numbers?
| Players | Groups | Who plays |
|---|
| 6 | 1 | One group of six with one adult. The other adult helps. |
| 7 | 2 | 4 and 3, one adult with each |
| 8 | 2 | 4 and 4 |
| 9 | 2 | 5 and 4 |
| 10 | 2 | 5 and 5 |
| 11 | 2 | 6 and 5 |
| 12 | 2 | 6 and 6 |
No more than six children per adult. Every child has a ball, so nobody waits for a turn. With one adult and more than six children, ask a parent to take the second group. Stages are short on purpose: five-year-olds change activity every six or seven minutes.
1Arrive
Ball Explorers while you set up
7 min
KitA ball each4 lines or 8 cones
As each child arrives, they take a ball from the bag and move it anywhere in the area. That is the whole game. Say one twist at the gate: use your left foot too.
While the children play, the second adult sets out the four-cone area beside the pitch for the next game.
Ask: Which foot did you use the most?
2Little touches
Technical · every child on a ball
7 min
Left footRight footCount
Kit4 cones for the corners of the areaA ball each
Children dribble anywhere in the cone area with little touches, using both feet. Show it once: a touch every step or two, left foot, right foot. Then let them play.
Keep calling the same three points: little touches, both feet, sole on top.
Ask: Which foot is your favourite? Try the other one.
3The sole stop
Technical · stop, then go
7 min
DribbleStopGo
Kit4 cones for the corners of the areaA ball each
Children dribble. Say Stop. Show the sole stop: put the sole on top of the ball and keep it still. Then say Go. Do it again and again until stopping is easy.
Do not talk for longShow it once in 30 seconds. Then the children do it, over and over.
Ask: How do you stop the ball without bending down?
4Touch counter
Challenge · beat your last count
7 min
Left footRight footCount
KitA ball each
Each child counts their own touches in a row without the ball going more than a stride away. When it escapes, stop it under the sole, say the number out loud, and start again. Beat your own last number. There is no timer.
Easier: count in fives. Harder: only the weaker foot.
Ask: Who beat their last number? What helped?
5Chase the coach
Chase game · stay close, stop when the coach stops
7 min
FollowFreezeGo
Kit4 cones for the corners of the areaA ball eachA bib for the adult
The adult dribbles slowly round the area with a ball. The children follow with their own balls and try to stay close behind. When the adult stops and says Stop, everyone stops their ball under the sole. Then the adult sets off again, a little faster, or in a new direction. Each adult leads a group of up to six.
Keep calling the same three points: little touches, both feet, sole on top.
Ask: Who stopped first? How did you do it?
6Bib islands
Game · park your ball
7 min
DribblePark
KitBibs flat on the groundA ball each
Lay the bibs flat on the ground, spread out, like islands. Each child dribbles to an island, parks the ball on it with the sole on top, then goes on to another. There is no count. Just stop on every island.
Ask: Which island was the hardest to stop on?
7Free play
Balls and goals out · no score
12 min
KitA ball each2 goals
Put the balls out and let the children play: dribble, shoot, invent a game. No teams, no score and nobody counts. Step in only to praise a good stop or a left-foot touch.
Look for the three points from today, and say them out loud when you see them.
Ask: Show me your best stop.
Go deeper
Optional. The detail behind the three coaching points, for when you want more. Draft 1: starting points for a coach to adjust, not rules.
Dribbling: close and head up
Keep the ball within a stride and look up between touches.
Most useful in stages 2, 3, 4.
What good looks like
- The ball stays close, with a touch every step or two.
- The head comes up between touches to find space.
- Both feet get used, and different parts of the foot.
If you see this, try this
- Big kicks and the ball runs awayAsk for tiny touches, like tickling the ball.
- Eyes stuck on the ballCall "heads up", hold up some fingers and ask how many.
- Only the strong foot is usedPlay a round with the weaker foot only.
More detail
- Start with the inside of the foot and the sole. Add the outside and the laces later.
- Stopping and starting matter as much as running with the ball.
Ask the players
- Where is the biggest space?
- Which part of your foot kept it closest?
Change it
Easier: Walk first. Use a bigger area, or fewer players moving at once.
Harder: Smaller area, a weaker-foot round, or a defender who only shadows.
Stopping and receiving
Take the ball under control so the next action is easy.
Most useful in stages 3, 4, 5.
What good looks like
- Sole on top of the ball, toes up, and the ball is stopped.
- Knees soft, body ready, eyes on the ball.
If you see this, try this
- The ball bounces off the footAsk for a softer pass, and "give" with the foot like catching an egg.
- A stiff leg reaches for the ballBend the knee and take a small step to it.
More detail
- Sole stop first. As players grow steady, move on to receiving with the inside of the foot.
- Stopping the ball is how a player makes it theirs.
Ask the players
- Was the ball under your foot or did it get away?
Change it
Easier: Roll the ball very slowly, from close.
Harder: Add a second ball to the next player, or receive while walking.