endurance U11 soccer drills
endurance U11 drills that you can apply to help your players progress on the endurance aspect. Sign up to receive our latest drills.
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3v3 with a neutral player and central support – stop-ball and overlaps
15 min
8-16 joueurs
Small-sided games
U10 - U15
3v3 game with a neutral player and two central supports to work on overlaps, the support play, and shooting on a stop-ball....
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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
- Mobility and agility training with the "Around the World" drill
- Collecting Cones: Feints and agility in youth academy
- Tic-Tac-Toe possession game with overload
U11 Attacking transition soccer drills
- 2v1 Rondo in two zones
- 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
U11 Circuit soccer drills
- Information Gathering on a Sequence of Passes in 4v4
- Positioning in a "Y", creating space, and shooting
- Diamond drill: high-intensity give-and-go with groups of 5
U11 Cognitive soccer drills
- 3 ways to score in a reduced 3v3v3 game
- Creating space through movement in 5v5
- Head, Shoulder, Knee, and Ball in Soccer School
U11 Defensive recovery / Tracking back soccer drills
- 1v1 Duels and Defensive Positioning
- 2v1 Rondo in two zones
- Collective replacement and management of offensive and defensive space
U11 Defensive transition soccer drills
- Dynamic 360° Opposition with 3 Teams of 3
- Continuation of 1v1 duels with back to goal and mini-goals on opposite ends
- Rondo in 3+2 vs 3+2: managing the overload and quick transitions
U11 Dribbling soccer drills
- Warm-up: sequence, control, dribbling, and passing
- Dribbling as a team to fill your "bucket" (youth academy)
- The River Goalkeepers: dribbling and duels in youth academy
U11 Duels soccer drills
- Finishing After a 1v1 with a Through Ball Using Different Trajectories
- Give-and-go, dribble, and shooting from different angles
- Mastery of footwork, balance, and body control - without the ball
U11 Explosive strength soccer drills
- 1v1 with goalkeeper – back-to-goal duel and chasing defense
- Small-sided games in 2v2 with goalkeeper in promotion relegation format
- Finishing After a 1v1 with a Through Ball Using Different Trajectories
U11 Fun Game soccer drills
- 4vs4+1: corner-to-corner possession with fixed support players
- Cognitive work with a passing game on 4 squares
- The 4-Step Clock: Passing and Dribbling
U11 Gaps soccer drills
- 3v3 with a neutral player and central support – stop-ball and overlaps
- Rondo in 3+2 vs 3+2: managing the overload and quick transitions
- Using Width in a 4v4 with 6 Mini-Goals
U11 Motor skills soccer drills
- Dribbling then cross: right foot, left foot
- Mastery of footwork, balance, and body control - without the ball
- Youth Academy: Working on dribbling with the four colors game
U11 Overload soccer drills
- Rondo in 4v2 and pressing with a numerical disadvantage
- 4v3 back to goal with build-up play for the defenders
- Tic-Tac-Toe possession game with overload
U11 Passes soccer drills
- Off-the-ball run with a change of direction in a passing circuit with a shot on goal
- Information gathering and cognitive work in Youth academy
- Pass into the run and shooting work
U11 Positional play soccer drills
- 7v7 Oppositions with 1v1 Duels on the Flanks
- Free Play: Positioning and Space Occupation
- 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
- Possession game with support at the 4 corners
U11 Pressing soccer drills
- Possession game with support at the 4 corners
- 4vs4+1: corner-to-corner possession with fixed support players
- Possession game in two zones with 5v3 and 3 gates
U11 Rondos soccer drills
- Tiki Taka: passing game with 2 central players
- 5v5 opposition with "4 corner jokers"
- Double rondo with game awareness and information gathering
U11 Scanning soccer drills
- Possession game in two zones with 5v3 and 3 gates
- Dynamic 360° Opposition with 3 Teams of 3
- Possession game with support at the 4 corners
U11 Shooting soccer drills
- 1v1 duels with neutral support and quick finishing on close goals
- Slalom, give-and-go and shooting
- Dribbling then cross: right foot, left foot
U11 Support soccer drills
- Possession game with support at the 4 corners
- Diamond: layoff, switch of play, and through ball
- 1v1 Duels with Shooting and Use of Support