motor skills U17 soccer drills

motor skills U17 drills that you can apply to help your players progress on the motor skills aspect. Sign up to receive our latest drills.

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Endurance capacity circuit with ball and motor skills work

Endurance capacity circuit with ball and motor skills work

15 min
6-22 joueurs
Conditioning
U17 - U16
Excellent athletic circuit that will allow your players to work on endurance capacity (aerobic) while incorporating ball work in the form of dribbling....
Pass, dribble, cross, and near-post off-the-ball run

Pass, dribble, cross, and near-post off-the-ball run

14 min
8-14 joueurs
Technical
U17 - U20
Pass into the run, dribbling, cross, and off-the-ball run to the near post... All the elements are combined in this drill to train your players under the best conditions!...
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What does the U17 category in soccer consist of?


The U17 category includes players aged 16-17 and is often very important in the progression of your players. It's the age where most major clubs send their scouts to the sidelines to discover new talents who may have emerged later. The U17 category is a decisive turning point for young aspiring professional soccer players. At this stage, players already possess a solid technical foundation and enter a phase where tactical finesse, physical strength, and mental maturity become crucial to becoming a standout player. This age generally marks the starting point of a more professional soccer journey, or conversely, a more amateur one. 

As a coach, many new challenges will arise when coaching a U17 team to maximize the personal development of each player while considering the locker room and collective results. The U17 training sessions must above all be dynamic. It's an age where you can start emphasizing the athletic aspect of your exercises while maintaining a good dose of technical and tactical drills. Here is a detailed sheet to help you prepare your U17 training sessions and better choose the exercises to offer.

Objectives with your U17 players


The main objective at this age is to prepare players for the challenges of senior soccer. This involves advanced technical refinement, a deep understanding of game tactics, and rigorous and more advanced physical preparation. 

Simultaneously, psychological aspects, such as pressure management, resilience, and team spirit, become increasingly important. 

Some tips for coaching a U17 team


To coach a U17 team, certain principles should be kept in mind as a soccer coach. Here is a non-exhaustive list: 
  1. Strategic planning: sessions must be carefully planned with clear objectives, focused on specific skills to develop (set pieces, dribbles, build-up play from defense, counterattack, tactical positioning…).
  2. Intensity and specificity : at this age, training should be intense and focused on specific elements for each session, with exercises simulating real match situations.
  3. The importance of individual and collective development: it is crucial to find a balance between individual improvement and team cohesion.
  4. Psychological support: provide mental support to help players manage stress and stay motivated before, during, and after each match. Indeed, this age also marks the beginning of more official competitions at different levels (regional, national…).

Integrating recovery periods is also essential to prevent injuries and promote healthy growth.

What training exercises for U17s?


To best help you build your U17 training sessions, here are some relevant exercise ideas:
  1. Positional play exercises: Develop tactical understanding by setting up various game situations.
  2. Shooting drills: Focus on improving shooting skills in different situations, under pressure.
  3. Specific physical training: sessions dedicated to improving a specific element like strength, speed, and endurance.
  4. Tactical sessions: representation of real match conditions, testing new strategies and formations…
  5. Shooting exercises: varied drills to sharpen effectiveness in front of goal under different pressures and angles.
  6. Build-up play from the goalkeeper and alternating short passing game, direct play: this exercise primarily focuses on goalkeeper development, highlighting how players should position themselves and move when the goalkeeper has the ball.
  7. Match simulations: generally conducted at the end of the match to develop quick decision-making and tactical adaptability in match conditions.
  8. Offensive combination work between the lines of Pep Guardiola: inspired by Manchester City training, this exercise is perfect for developing a precise offensive sequence, encouraging playing between the lines through a targeted passing sequence.

Other sub-theme U17 soccer drills

U17 Agility soccer drills

  1. Athletic work in groups of 3 with the ball
  2. Fast-paced 3v1 play with speed and agility work
  3. Athletic circuit with ball: passing and agility work
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U17 Attacking transition soccer drills

  1. Possession with 3 teams and quick transition play
  2. Possession game and defensive-attacking transition in a 6v6 (+ 2)
  3. Pep Guardiola: Small-sided high-intensity play from 1v1 to 5v5
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U17 Build-up play soccer drills

  1. Build-up play and shooting in 9v9 with passing gates
  2. Fast forward play with a 7v7 in 3 zones
  3. Possession game from one goalkeeper to the other in 4v4 (+2)
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U17 Circuit soccer drills

  1. Warm-up Circuit: Speed and Agility Work
  2. Speed work with varied movements over 25 meters
  3. Pep Guardiola's triple one-two pass with give-and-go and directional control
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U17 Cognitive soccer drills

  1. Possession and Recovery in 2v2
  2. Double square: combinations and sequences of short passing game
  3. Possession play and defensive-attacking transition with players providing support
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U17 Counterattack soccer drills

  1. Warm-up: pressing, constrained play and counter
  2. Exploiting spaces in counterattack in the opponent's half
  3. Defensive interventions and quick attacks through the winger
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U17 Counter-pressing soccer drills

  1. Counter-pressing work by J. Nagelsmann in 10v10 with 4 goals
  2. 3v3 (+1) Build-up with mini-goals and first line pressing
  3. José Mourinho's Counter-pressing Upon Losing Possession in 4v4 (+4)
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U17 Defensive recovery / Tracking back soccer drills

  1. Attacking-defensive transition of Mikel Arteta in a 4v2
  2. Goalkeeper build-up into 1v2 duels with defensive recovery
  3. Offensive Combinations and Numerical Advantage in 2v1
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U17 Defensive transition soccer drills

  1. Offensive Combinations and Numerical Advantage in 2v1
  2. Xavi: using width in a 6v6 with 4 support players
  3. Ralf Rangnick's Possession Game to Work on Transitions
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U17 Dribbling soccer drills

  1. Warm-up with Bayern Munich Relay
  2. Athletic work in 30-15 with the ball on 4 stations
  3. Drill: Dribbling and 1v1 Duels with Direct Opponent
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U17 Duels soccer drills

  1. Working on Heading
  2. Pep Guardiola: Small-sided high-intensity play from 1v1 to 5v5
  3. Circuit in groups of 3 with duels and shooting work
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U17 Endurance soccer drills

  1. 6v6 with central no-go zone – switches of play and attacks using width
  2. Alternating small-sided games and intermittent training
  3. Athletic circuit with ball: passing and agility work
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U17 Explosive strength soccer drills

  1. Circuit training: aerobic endurance and explosiveness
  2. Athletic training: slalom and ball control in 2 columns
  3. Anaerobic with interval work in 10/20/30
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U17 Fun Game soccer drills

  1. Rondo 8v3 and Passing Accuracy Under Pressure
  2. Shooting practice on 3 consecutive phases of play
  3. Luis Enrique: Switch of play in a dynamic 3v3 with a neutral player
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U17 Gaps soccer drills

  1. Effectively utilizing the spaces between the lines
  2. 3-Team Possession Game (6v6 + 3 neutral players)
  3. Playing between the lines and following up the action
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U17 Offensive combinations soccer drills

  1. Build-up play and shooting in 9v9 with passing gates
  2. Offensive Combinations and Shooting with 4 Players
  3. Build-up and transition in 5v3
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U17 Overload soccer drills

  1. Luis Enrique: Switch of play in a dynamic 3v3 with a neutral player
  2. Warm-up: working on play with support
  3. Small-sided game in 4v4 with 4 players providing support in the defensive third
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U17 Passes soccer drills

  1. 3v1 Exchange, layoff and shooting on small goal
  2. Double square: combinations and sequences of short passing game
  3. Dribbling, passing, and diagonal run
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U17 Positional play soccer drills

  1. Rondo and Switch of Play in 4 Zones by Rafael Benitez
  2. "Juego de Posición" in possession 3v3 + 2 at high intensity
  3. Speed of play and quickness in 6v6 with support
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U17 Possession soccer drills

  1. 6v6 possession game with 2 neutral players and shooting on small goals
  2. Creating a numerical advantage in a possession game across 3 zones
  3. Ralf Rangnick's Possession Game to Work on Transitions
See all

U17 Pressing soccer drills

  1. Recovery and Switch of Play in an 8v8 on 2 Zones
  2. José Mourinho's 3v3 with two external zones and passes between the lines
  3. Build-up Play and Through Ball in Jurgen Klopp's 4-3-3
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U17 Rondos soccer drills

  1. Rondo 8v3 and Passing Accuracy Under Pressure
  2. 5v5 attacking game with 4 support players in tight spaces
  3. Short possession with switch of play and support sprints
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U17 Scanning soccer drills

  1. Information gathering, ball control, and passing in groups of 3
  2. Finishing Exercise from 4 Different Angles
  3. Possession game in 4 zones with mandatory switch of play
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U17 Shooting soccer drills

  1. First touch and shooting within the box
  2. Small-sided game in 4v4 with 4 players providing support in the defensive third
  3. Shooting practice on 3 consecutive phases of play
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U17 Support soccer drills

  1. Quick ball movement in 6v6 with deep support
  2. Pass sequence with layoff, support runs, and through ball play
  3. Support around the attacker to create 2v1 situations
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U17 Transition soccer drills

  1. Small-sided game in 4v4 with 4 players providing support in the defensive third
  2. Exploiting a Numerical Advantage with 3v2 Duels
  3. Attacking transition and game awareness
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U17 Using width soccer drills

  1. 3-Team Possession Game (6v6 + 3 neutral players)
  2. Small-sided game in 7v7 + 2 floaters and wide players
  3. Restricted zone: Using the wide areas in 5v5
See all