Soccer Drills & Games For 7-Year-Olds (u7) (2024)

October 10, 2023June 26, 2023 by Joel Powel

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Your guide as a coach or parent to help your 7-year-old become the next soccer star. This article will answer your questions and give you some fun games and drills to practice.

7-year-old soccer players come packed with personality and laughter.It doesn’t hurt that many of them have at least some soccer experience as well!

Coaching this age group requires fun, fast-paced training sessions that hide soccer fundamentals in common games. These young kids need great energy and encouragement, with a dash of constructive criticism.

Coaches can make a huge impact on this impressionable age group with patience and lightheartedness!

Before we look at the soccer drills, let’s take a look at some common questions coaches and parents have about 7-year-old soccer players…

How should 7-year-old practice soccer?

Compared to a 5-year-old, a 7-year-old may seem much older. However, kids this age are still only in 1st or 2nd grade. At this age, the focus should still be on fun games and activities that “hide” the skills.

However, you may start to increase the complexity of the rules or add variations that make a game a bit harder.

By this age, you can also start to incorporate a bit of instruction into the games, correcting techniques during the game.

How do I coach my 7-year-old soccer?

You can coach your 7-year-old soccer by practicing with them. Use a variety of drills and have cones, pinnies, goals, and a few balls.

7-year-olds like to have fun and they also love to be competitive. Taking part with them at this age really encourages them.

If it’s just the two of you, you can do the simple thing (which matters) – games of passing. Three-touch, then two-touch, then onto one-touch.

A variety in games will keep you and them interested, whilst it also builds their skill-set. Take this passing warm-up session further will the soccer drills listed later on in this article.

What size soccer ball does a 7-year-old use?

7-year-olds use a size 3 soccer ball.

How long should 7-year-olds practice soccer?

7 year-olds should have fairly short practices. Keep practices between 45 and 60 minutes long twice a week.

What soccer skills should a 7-year-old have?

By age 7, many kids have some soccer experience. Yet, you may still have a handful of beginners. Many clubs begin “academy” soccer at U7.

Most often, academy kids have some experience, but the academy is a pay-for-play model so that’s not necessarily true.

Ultimately, you will still have a wide variety of soccer skills in 7-year-olds. Ideally, kids this age should have the following skills:

• Understanding the no-hands rule and knowing when you are permitted to handle the ball.
• Basic passing.
• Basic dribbling at least with a dominant foot.
• Names and responsibilities for basic positions.

What soccer skills should a 7-year-old learn?

7-year-olds often still need a lot of work on soccer basics. Here are some of the top soccer skills to focus on with this age group:

• Spreading out on the field, not crowding to the ball.
• Passing technique with both feet.
• Basic shooting technique.
• Communication on and off the field. How to communicate effectively with teammates and coaches.
• Dribbling with both feet, starting to learn simple moves.

Soccer Drills and Games for 7-Year-Olds

Sharks and Minnows: Soccer Drill

• Age Range: 4-8
• Length of Session: 10 mins
• Number of Players: 6+
• Skills to Learn: dribbling, keeping head up, ball control
• Equipment: balls for each player, cones, pinnies optional.

Description: Kids try to dribble from one side to the other without getting tagged by the shark. Anyone tagged becomes a shark.

Drill Set-up:

• Create a large rectangle suitable for the number and age of players. For example, 35 meters long by 20 meters wide for 12-15 6-year-olds.
• Give each player a ball and line them up on the starting line.
• Select a “shark” to start.

Drill Instructions

1. Line up all of the “minnows” with their balls.
2. Choose 1-2 sharks and place them in the middle of the space.
3. When you say go, have the minnows try to dribble across the other side without getting tagged by a shark.
4. Anyone who is tagged must become a shark for the next round.
5. Challenge players to see who can be the last minnow standing.
6. Younger kids, 4-6, can focus on just tagging the player. For kids 6-8, change the rules so they must knock the ball away from the minnow to count. For kids 8-10 or with advanced skills, you can require them to take full possession of the ball.
7. Another way to make the drill more challenging is to make the space smaller.
8. You can also add specific dribbling challenges within the game (weak foot only, must complete 2 moves before crossing, etc.

Dribble Through Gates: Soccer Drill

• Age Range: 4-8
• Length of Session: 10 mins
• Number of Players: 3-10
• Skills to Learn: Ball control, keeping the head up while dribbling
• Equipment: enough balls for each player and cones

Description; Randomly place gates that are approximately 3 meters wide. Kids will aim to dribble through each gate once or as many gates as possible in the set time.

Drill Set-up:

• Set up a large area around 30 meters by 30 meters (use a larger space for more kids)
• Randomly set up 6-10 3m wide gates using cones
• Give each kid a ball.

Drill Instructions:

1. Kids 4-6 can have more gates and larger gates to minimize collisions.
2. Give kids a set time and goal. For example, you can see who can get through the most gates in 60 seconds, or who can get through every gate first.
3. Make the drill more challenging for older players with restrictions, like right or left foot only. You could also require older kids to complete a move before dribbling through the gate.

Kick the Coach: Soccer Drill

• Age Range: 4-8
• Length of Session: 5 mins
• Number of Players: any
• Skills to Learn: passing
• Equipment: balls for each child

Description: The coach runs between two lines of kids who are all trying to hit the coach’s legs with the ball.

Drill Set-up:

• Create two lines facing each other. Place a cone for each kid.
• The lines should be 10-15 yards apart.
• Place each kid on a line and give them a ball.

Drill Instructions:

1. Kids line up facing each other.
2. The coach will run through the middle of the lines.
3. The kids try to pass (NOT shoot) their ball to hit the coach.
4. Only contact below the knee counts.
5. Ideal for younger kids just learning how to pass.

4v4 to Mini-Goals (no GK): Soccer Drill

• Age Range: 4-10
• Length of Session: 3 min games, up to 15 mins
• Number of Players: 6,8,10
• Skills to Learn: game decisions, passing vs. dribbling, 1v1 situations
• Equipment: regular cones, mini-goals/pug goals or large cones, pinnies, or different colored shirts.

Description: Allow kids to compete in 4v4 small-sided games up to 3 mins long.

Drill Set-up:

• Set up the field based on the age of players. For younger players, 4-6, make a field about 15x 20 meters. For older groups, make the field a bit larger.
• Set up multiple fields if you have a large group.
• Use cones to create the outline of the field.
• Set up either mini-goals, pugg goals, or large cones as the goals.
• Split the players into even teams of 4, and give each team a color.

Drill Instructions:

1. Play 3 min games to the mini-goals.
2. Define how players earn points. You can create unique rules to shift the focus and practice different things. For example, you could make a 1-touch finish worth 2 points for older kids.
3. Keep the simple focus for kids 4-6, emphasizing taking the ball from the other team but not your team. Also, guide them to stay spread out and communicate.
4. For older kids, emphasize decision-making between passing and dribbling.
5. You can also use larger goals and add a GK for older kids, ages 9-10.

Dribble to Pass: Soccer Drill

• Age Range: 4-10
• Length of Session: 10 mins
• Number of Players: 4+
• Skills to Learn: passing on the move, ball control, receiving
• Equipment: cones and balls

Description: Players dribble through a series of cones and then pass the ball to the next player in line.

Drill Set-up:

• Set up 10 cones in a line.
• The cones should be 1.5 to 2 meters apart.
• On each end of the line of cones, set another cone 5-7 meters away.
• Repeat this setup to create multiple groups if you have a lot of players.
• 2-3 players will line up behind the cone on each end of the line of cones.
• Give the ball to the first player in line.

Drill Instructions:

1. The first player dribbles through the line of cones.
2. Once they complete the line of cones, the player then passes the ball to the next player in line who is at the cone 5-7 yards away.
3. The second player should receive the ball and then dribble through the line of cones.
4. Create different dribbling rules (right foot, left foot, inside-outside, stepovers, etc).
5. Focus on dribbling and passing technique, picking the eyes up, and being ready in line.
6. Extend the distance of the pass for older/ advanced kids.
7. Make the game competitive by having multiple groups compete to see who can have all players go twice. If you only have one group, turn it into a race against the clock.

Freeze Tag: Soccer Drill

• Age Range: 6-10
• Length of Session: 10 mins
• Number of Players: 6+
• Skills to Learn: dribbling, keeping head up, ball control
• Equipment: ball for each player, cones, pinnies

Description: One or two taggers try to tag the players dribbling around with the ball. Once tagged, a player is frozen until another player passes the ball between their legs to unfreeze them.

Drill Set-up:

• Create a large square roughly 30 m X 30 m. Adjust the size based on the number of players.
• Put all players in the square.
• Select 1-3 taggers (depending on the size of the group).
• Give the taggers a pinny to differentiate them.
• Give all non-taggers a ball.

Drill Instructions:

1. When you say go, the taggers will run around trying to tag those who are dribbling.
2. If a player is tagged, they “freeze.” The frozen player stands with their feet a bit wider than shoulder-width apart. They should raise their ball above their head.
3. A teammate can “unfreeze” a player by passing their ball between that player’s legs.
4. Once unfrozen, the player puts the ball down and begins dribbling again.
5. Play until the taggers freeze everyone, or for up to 2 minutes.
6. Switch taggers each round.
7. For younger kids, you can start without the ball as a warmup.
8. Older, more advanced kids, require the tagger to steal the ball instead of just tag.

Pass Through the Gates: Soccer Drill

• Age Range: 6-10
• Length of Session: 10 mins
• Number of Players: any
• Skills to Learn: passing, communication
• Equipment: balls and cones, optional pinnies

Description: Players must pass the ball through a gate to their teammate to earn a point.

Drill Set-up:

• Set up a large space based on the number of players you have and their ages.
• Randomly place gates using cones. Gates should be about 3 meters.
• Give each player a partner.
• Optional: use pinnies to distinguish groups.
• Each group of 2 gets 1 ball.

Drill Instructions:

1. Kids must dribble around the area and pass through the gates to their partners.
2. Each successful pass through the gate earns one point.
3. Kids cannot go through the same gate twice in a row.
4. Challenge your players to see who gets the most passes in a set time or who can complete all gates first.
5. Keep each round to 60 seconds or less.
6. Challenge older players to use their weaker foot or complete the drill with smaller gates.

1v1 Shooting: Soccer Drill

• Age Range: 6-10
• Length of Session:10 mins
• Number of Players: 2+
• Skills to Learn: dribbling, 1v1 attacking and defending, finishing
• Equipment: balls, cones, a goal

Description: Both players face the goal and engage in a race to the ball and goal. Who can finish first? This fun game is a combination of 1v1 and shooting.

Drill Set-up:

• Place a cone about 25 meters away from the goal.
• Bring all of the balls to the cone.
• If you do not have a goal available, create one with cones or use a mini goal.
• Split players into two even teams.
• Have each team line up on one side of the cone.

Drill Instructions:

1. Have the goalkeeper (s) head to the goal. They can switch off every few times.
2. Stand at the cone with the balls.
3. Pass the ball forward toward the goal.
4. The first player in each line should react to the pass and race to the ball.
5. The players should compete to see who can win the ball and finish first.
6. If the players are unable to finish right away and engage in a 1v1, keep the game at under 20 seconds.
7. Play the first team to 10 goals and then switch sides. Keep the entire activity around 10 minutes or less.
8. Have players start in different positions. At first, they can face forward. Then have them face sideways and backward, or start kneeling or in a push-up position. Different starting positions help them work on power and reaction time.

Knock Out: Soccer Drill

• Age Range: 7-10
• Length of Session: 10-15 mins
• Number of Players: 10-12
• Skills to Learn: dribbling, keeping head up, defending, decision making
• Equipment: cones and a ball for each player

Description: Players all dribble around the space while trying to knock out the others’ balls. See who the last one standing is.

Drill Set-up:

• Create a large circle with cones.
• Give each player a ball inside the circle.
• Make multiple games if you have a large team.

Drill Instructions:

• Each player needs a ball inside the circle.
• Players must dribble around while trying to kick other players’ balls out of the circle.
• If your ball gets kicked out, you must do some small action to get back in (2 jiggles, 10 toe taps, etc).
• When the knock-out round begins, there’s no re-entry. Players who are knocked out should work on a skill you provide while watching.
• As the number of players decreases, use the players who are out to block areas of the circle to shrink the space.
• To increase difficulty, shrink the size of the circle or add specific dribbling challenges within the game.

Here is some high-quality training equipment for the soccer drills later. If you’re on a budget, get the set of balls – if not, I highly recommend getting multiple individual balls for the best enjoyment and longevity.

You might have some of the gear already. If not, I highly recommend these;