All sessions About, safety and notes Goalside Plus Account
U5 · Me and my ball block · Week 6 of 6 · Show me
Show me
Familiar games all session. The coach watches for the three things and ticks them off, with no score.
- 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. (7 min)
Little touchesBoth feet. (7 min)
The sole stopStop on the call, then go. (7 min)
Touch counterBeat your best. (7 min)
Chase the coachFollow and stop. (7 min)
IslandsPark on a bib. (7 min)
Free playWatch and tick. (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 and move it anywhere in the area. Just say the name. Today every game is one the children know, so you can watch.
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
Familiar game · watch both feet
7 min
Left footRight footCount
Kit4 cones for the corners of the areaA ball each
The first game from week 1. Watch which children use both feet without being told.
How it works: Children dribble anywhere in the cone area with little touches, using both feet. A touch every step or two, left foot, right foot.
Keep calling the same three points: little touches, both feet, sole on top.
3The sole stop
Familiar game · the week 6 check
7 min
DribbleStopGo
Kit4 cones for the corners of the areaA ball each
Dribble, then say Stop at different times. Watch who stops the ball under the sole, in one touch, every time. This is the check for the block.
Ask: How do you stop the ball?
4Touch counter
Familiar game · beat your best
7 min
Left footRight footCount
KitA ball each
Count your touches in a row. Beat your own best number from the last few weeks. There is no timer.
How it works: 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 and start again.
Ask: Who has the best number?
5Chase the coach
Familiar game · follow and stop
7 min
FollowFreezeGo
Kit4 cones for the corners of the areaA ball eachA bib for the adult
The same chase as week 1. Watch who keeps the ball close while following, and who stops when you stop.
How it works: The adult dribbles slowly round the area. The children follow with their own balls and stay close behind. When the adult says Stop, everyone stops their ball under the sole, then the adult sets off again.
Keep calling the same three points: little touches, both feet, sole on top.
6Bib islands
Familiar game · park your ball
7 min
DribblePark
KitBibs flat on the groundA ball each
Bibs flat on the ground. Dribble to an island and park the ball on it with the sole. Watch the stops.
How it works: Bibs lie 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.
7Free play
Balls and goals out · watch and tick
12 min
What did you see?
KitA ball each2 goals
Balls and goals out, as in week 1. Let the children play and watch. Tick off what you see below. Do not tell the children it is a test.
What the block is forBy week 6 most children should stop the ball under the sole on a call. If they do not, repeat block 1 for another two weeks before moving on.
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.