All sessions About, safety and notes Goalside Plus Account
U5 · Me and my ball block · Week 3 of 6 · Twist it
Change direction
Stop It Dead to start, change direction with little touches, roll and go, line to line, chase and copy, bib islands with a twist, then Free Play Corner.
- 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
ArriveStop It Dead. Stop each time you pass someone. (7 min)
Change directionLittle touches round the bends. (7 min)
Roll and goRoll once under the sole, then go. (7 min)
Line to lineStop on the line. How many in a row? (7 min)
Chase and copyFollow the coach and copy the touches. (7 min)
IslandsPark on a bib with your weaker foot. (7 min)
Little matchLittle match · learn kick-off (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. BibsTwo colours for the two teams.
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
Stop It Dead while you set up
7 min
KitA ball each4 lines or 8 cones
As each child arrives, they take a ball and dribble anywhere. Each time you pass another child, stop your ball dead under the sole, then go again.
While the children play, the second adult sets out the four-cone area beside the pitch for the next game.
Ask: How many times did you stop?
2Change direction
Technical · little touches round the bends
7 min
Little touchesTurnGo on
Kit4 cones for the corners of the areaA ball each
Children dribble with little touches and keep changing direction, like a car going round bends. Both feet. Show it once and let them play.
Keep calling the same three points: little touches, both feet, sole on top.
Ask: Which foot turned the ball better?
3Roll and go
Technical · roll once, then go
7 min
RollGo
Kit4 cones for the corners of the areaA ball each
Roll the ball once under the sole, then dribble away with little touches. Roll, go. Roll, go. Do not rush, and keep the ball close.
Ask: Where did the ball go after the roll?
4Line to line
Challenge · stop on the line, how many in a row?
7 min
DribbleStop on the line
Kit2 lines or 4 conesA ball each
Dribble from one line to the other and stop the ball dead on the line under the sole. Turn and go back. Count how many lines you stop on in a row without the ball going over. There is no timer.
Easier: stop within a stride of the line. Harder: weaker foot only.
Ask: Who got three in a row?
5Chase and copy
Chase game · copy the coach
7 min
FollowCopy meFreeze
Kit4 cones for the corners of the areaA ball eachA bib for the adult
The adult dribbles round and the children follow. Every so often the adult does a new touch, such as a sole roll, a touch with the inside of the foot or one with the outside, and the children copy it. When the adult stops and says Stop, everyone stops under the sole.
Keep calling the same three points: little touches, both feet, sole on top.
Ask: Which touch did you like copying?
6Bib islands
Game · weaker foot
7 min
DribblePark
KitBibs flat on the groundA ball each
Same game as week 1: bibs flat on the ground, dribble to an island and park the ball on it. Today, stop with the weaker foot.
Ask: Which foot do you stop with best?
7Rule: kick-off
Little match · learn kick-off
12 min
Kit2 small goalsA ballBibs, two colours
Little match, 2v2, a small goal at each end and no goalkeepers. The rule today: kick-off. After a goal, the team that was scored on starts again from the middle. Everyone starts in their own half.
You are the referee. Show the rule once, then let them play. When it happens, stop play for a few seconds, say what happened and restart. Nobody keeps a score. With more than four children, run a second small pitch next to it so nobody waits.
Ask: What was the rule today?
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.