build-up play U11 soccer drills
build-up play U11 drills that you can apply to help your players progress on the build-up play aspect. Sign up to receive our latest drills.
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Switch of play using the central midfielder
15 min
10-20 joueurs
Technical
U13 - U12
Ideal passing circuit to work on switching play through the central midfielder, who will drop back to offer a solution to teammates....
4v3 back to goal with build-up play for the defenders
15 min
8-16 joueurs
Tactical
U10 - U13
Ideal exercise for a soccer school, it will allow your players to work on playing with their back to the goal as well as build-up play in a 4v3 setup that is quite simple to implement....
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What is the U11 category?
The U11 category corresponds to children aged 10-11 years, who generally play on the equivalent of half an 11-a-side field. At this age, the coach's goal is primarily to develop coordination, motor skills, and the technical skills of young players. An initial introduction to some tactical elements can also be offered. When preparing your U11 training sessions, be sure to keep these different aspects in mind. Remember that fun is a fundamental concept at this age, so be mindful of how you conduct your U11 exercises.
A U11 player is still at the early stages of their soccer journey. The goal as a coach is to awaken the different qualities and profile of each player by offering training and types of sessions that are fun yet constructive.
Are you coaching a U11 team and looking for advice on how to structure your training sessions or the different exercises to offer your players? You are in the right place! To best help you prepare a training session suitable for U11, here is a detailed and easy-to-implement guide for your sessions.
The objectives of the U11 category in soccer
U11 players, aged 10 to 11 years, still play on a half-field. At this age, the focus for each coach is generally on developing team spirit, motor skills, and ball control while gradually introducing technical elements (dribbling, juggling, etc.). An introduction to basic tactical concepts, such as positioning and decision-making, can also be offered progressively at this age.
Your number one goal as a coach? Maintain a pedagogical approach in your U11 training to stimulate learning while keeping each child's interest and the fun aspect. At this age, sessions should still be centered around mini-games built around soccer, in teams, and preferably offered at the end of training to finish on a more enjoyable note.
Some tips for coaching a U11 team
Training U11s should be intelligently built around several key elements: discovery, the basics of soccer, and creativity. The goal is to understand each young player, their preferences in terms of position, exercises, style of play, personality, etc. The choice of U11 exercises is then crucial to promote the development and highlighting of these different elements.
What training exercises for U11s?
The exercises should be designed to improve both the individual skills of each player while emphasizing team play. Activities like agility courses, dribbling workshops, and small-sided games are excellent for developing technique and tactical understanding. It is also beneficial to integrate games that encourage quick decision-making and game vision, such as themed matches, for example.
Here is a list of exercises to help you organize your training sessions:
Here is a list of exercises to help you organize your training sessions:
- Passing and oriented control square: Improvement of passing and control technique.
- Defensive techniques and interceptions: Focus on improving passes for attackers and interceptions for defenders.
- Defending a zone: Duel exercises to strengthen the defense of a designated area.
- Motor skills and ball handling: Strengthening balance, coordination, and ball control.
- Agility course with ball: To develop coordination and ball control.
- Dribbling workshops: Slaloms between cones to improve ball mastery.
- Small-sided games (3 vs 3 or 4 vs 4): Encourage team play and quick decision-making.
- Shooting exercises in front of goal: To improve shooting accuracy
Other sub-theme U11 soccer drills
U11 Agility soccer drills
- Tic-Tac-Toe possession game with overload
- Mastery of footwork, balance, and body control - without the ball
- Agility and game awareness: The cone drill in youth academy
U11 Attacking transition soccer drills
- Rondo in 3+2 vs 3+2: managing the overload and quick transitions
- Continuation of 1v1 duels with back to goal and mini-goals on opposite ends
- Rondo in 4v2 and pressing with a numerical disadvantage
U11 Circuit soccer drills
- Switch of play using the central midfielder
- Positioning in a "Y", creating space, and shooting
- Diamond drill: high-intensity give-and-go with groups of 5
U11 Cognitive soccer drills
- 4v4 Game with Colored Gates and Mini Goals
- Juggling, retrieving pinnies, and shooting run
- Mobility and agility training with the "Around the World" drill
U11 Defensive recovery / Tracking back soccer drills
- 2v1 Rondo in two zones
- 3v3 high-intensity with shooting on 6 mini goals
- Defensive recovery activity in 2v2
U11 Defensive transition soccer drills
- Dynamic 360° Opposition with 3 Teams of 3
- 2v1 Rondo in two zones
- 3v3 high-intensity with shooting on 6 mini goals
U11 Dribbling soccer drills
- Head, Shoulder, Knee, and Ball in Soccer School
- The River Goalkeepers: dribbling and duels in youth academy
- The 4-Step Clock: Passing and Dribbling
U11 Duels soccer drills
- Dribbling in figure 8 then 1v1 duel
- Working on Duels: Offensive and Defensive Techniques (Version 2)
- 1v1 Duels and Defensive Positioning
U11 Explosive strength soccer drills
- Tic-Tac-Toe possession game with overload
- Mastery of footwork, balance, and body control - without the ball
- Heading practice in double circle (warm-up with ball)
U11 Fun Game soccer drills
- Youth Academy: Working on dribbling with the four colors game
- Head, Shoulder, Knee, and Ball in Soccer School
- Mobility and agility training with the "Around the World" drill
U11 Gaps soccer drills
- Rondo in 3+2 vs 3+2: managing the overload and quick transitions
- Using Width in a 4v4 with 6 Mini-Goals
- 3v3 with a neutral player and central support – stop-ball and overlaps
U11 Motor skills soccer drills
- Youth Academy: Working on dribbling with the four colors game
- Team relay with dribbling and acceleration
- The pickpocket game: dribbling and decision-making
U11 Overload soccer drills
- Tic-Tac-Toe possession game with overload
- Possession game with support at the 4 corners
- Small-sided 2v2 games in 3 "drawer" zones
U11 Passes soccer drills
- Give-and-go, dribble, and shooting from different angles
- Precision and speed of ball movement (1)
- 3v3 high-intensity with shooting on 6 mini goals
U11 Positional play soccer drills
- Free Play: Positioning and Space Occupation
- Short passing game, direct play on a passing sequence with switch of play
- Collective ball retention through the short passing game
U11 Possession soccer drills
- Possession game in two zones with 5v3 and 3 gates
- 4v4 Possession Game with Central Square
- 4v4 Possession Game with 2 Final Third Zones
U11 Pressing soccer drills
- Possession game in two zones with 5v3 and 3 gates
- Possession game with support at the 4 corners
- 4vs4+1: corner-to-corner possession with fixed support players
U11 Rondos soccer drills
- Tiki Taka: passing game with 2 central players
- 5v5 opposition with "4 corner jokers"
- 4v4 Possession Game with 2 Final Third Zones
U11 Scanning soccer drills
- Possession game in two zones with 5v3 and 3 gates
- Collecting Cones: Feints and agility in youth academy
- Half-field play: keep your head up and gather information
U11 Shooting soccer drills
- Agility and Shooting
- 1v1 Duel with Chasing Defender
- 4v4 Numerical Equality Game and Shooting Situation
U11 Support soccer drills
- Diamond: layoff, switch of play, and through ball
- 4vs4+1: corner-to-corner possession with fixed support players
- Possession game with support at the 4 corners