cognitive U13 soccer drills

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Creating space through movement in 5v5

This exercise will help your players position themselves well in space to offer support to the ball carrier. Many variations are possible with additional cognitive aspects.

Mark out an area of about 30x35m and then place 9 small squares of 2 different colors within the area (see diagram for more details). Then form 2 teams of 5 players. If you have more than 10 players at practice, you can enlarge the area or create a second area for the additional players.

The exercise will proceed as follows:

The team in possession of the ball must keep the ball as long as possible while scoring points by making a pass into a square of the color of their team.
The defending team must win back the ball by pressing the opposing team and minimizing passing angles.
Once the ball is recovered, the roles reverse.
It is important for players to position themselves well in space to constantly offer options to the ball carrier, while keeping an eye on the finishing squares.

Here are some variations you can implement during this exercise:

Reverse the colors: the blues score in the yellow squares, and vice versa. This will add an additional cognitive aspect to this exercise.
A point is scored when a player crosses a square.
The central square earns double points.

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What is the U13 category?

The U13 category represents children aged 12 to 13 years, and it is at this time that soccer concepts and training intensity increase a notch. At this age, children face significant physical changes, requiring training adaptation to support their growth, muscle development, and coordination improvement. Sessions must therefore be designed to meet these needs while continuing to develop their technical and tactical skills.

Objectives of the U13 category

The objectives for U13 expand to include not only technical development and coordination but also the integration of more complex and technical exercises. The focus will be more on developing game awareness both individually and collectively, decision-making in match situations, and improving more specific qualities like passing, shooting, set pieces or even dribbling.

Some tips for coaching a U13 team

For U13 players, it is advisable to avoid overly physical training and to favor activities that promote agility, endurance, and mastery of fundamental soccer qualities. Sessions should be simple yet dynamic, allowing players to improve through exercises that stimulate both their psychomotor development and tactical understanding. The integration of recovery periods is also essential to prevent injuries and promote healthy growth.

To summarize, here are our tips regarding your U13 training sessions:

Avoid "physical" training as you are used to practicing. Favor exercises for agility, endurance, and flexibility to promote psychomotor development.
Conduct simple exercises for your players. Simplicity is crucial as it allows for better learning. It is your animation that will give rhythm to your U13 workshops, not the complexity of your training sessions.
Remember to integrate recovery periods.

What training exercises for U13?

Exercises for U13 should include games and workshops that emphasize individual technique while integrating more advanced tactical elements. Small group play exercises, shooting sessions, and sessions focused on developing team strategy should be prioritized for your training.

Here are some additional ideas to help you:

Possession game: In small groups to improve game awareness and maintaining possession.
Shooting workshops: With various scenarios to work on shooting under pressure, from different angles, with both strong and weak foot…
Quick transition exercises: Attack-defense exercises, and vice versa to develop reactivity and team strategy.
Dribbling sessions: With technical challenges to improve agility and control in match situations.
Small-sided games with specific conditions: For example, limiting the number of touches to encourage quick play and decision-making. Also consider implementing different tactics to teach players the importance of positioning and understanding what works best for your U13 team.