warm-up U12 soccer drills
warm-up U12 drills that you can apply to help your players progress on the warm-up aspect. Sign up to receive our latest drills.
Access more drills4-player passing sequence with scanning
Ideal for youth soccer, this exercise, seemingly very simple, will allow your players to work on their awareness and passing quality.
Discover our warm-up U12 drills
Diamond: layoff, switch of play, and through ball
10 min
5-15 joueurs
Warm-up
U10 - U15
Diamond passing sequence incorporating a short layoff, a one-two pass, a switch of play, and a pass into the run to attack the depth....
4vs4+1: corner-to-corner possession with fixed support players
10 min
8-16 joueurs
Warm-up
U10 - U13
4v4+1 possession exercise where the team in possession must connect their corner players by making a minimum number of passes in the central area....
Defensive transitions after loss in rondo games
12 min
14-20 joueurs
Warm-up
U12 - Seniors
Immediate reaction work upon losing possession through successive rondo sequences. Ideal as a warm-up for a session focused on counter-pressing....
Information Gathering on a Sequence of Passes in 4v4
15 min
8-16 joueurs
Warm-up
U10 - U13
Perfect warm-up exercise to work on information gathering before, during, and after the pass. It will require your players to be attentive to their surroundings while emphasizing the technical aspect of passing....
Cognitive work with a passing game on 4 squares
12 min
9-16 joueurs
Warm-up
U8 - U13
Ideal exercise for a soccer school, it allows for concentration and cognitive development while promoting ball use and movement in space....
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What is the U12 category?
The U12 category corresponds to children aged 11-12 years. The advice we recommend for this category is generally the same as for the U13 category. Children at this age play on half of an 11-a-side soccer field. There are certain physical and physiological aspects to consider when setting up your U12 training sessions: your players are growing, their coordination is developing, and they are slowly starting to build muscle mass.
Preparing and structuring training sessions for a U12 team requires real organization. Between choosing exercises, the relationship with the players and the team, or even physical preparation, many elements need to be considered.
Despite their young age, a U12 player gradually begins to develop their playing style and a certain vision of soccer. To promote the growth and progression of each player, training sessions must be specifically adapted and structured. This is not always simple!
Here is a detailed sheet to help you organize your soccer training for your U12 teams.
The objectives of the U12 category in soccer
The U12 category represents a pivotal period in the life of a young soccer player, marking a unique period between a soccer practice oriented more as a leisure activity and the beginning of a more serious and competitive approach to the sport. Did you know? Many players from U12 onwards start to be scouted by numerous training centers!
It is at this age that the fundamentals acquired during the early years are consolidated, while introducing players to the first tactical concepts that require not only physical skill but also a slight strategic reflection. This is where, as a coach, your role is crucial. Awaken the competitive spirit, the personality of each player while maintaining the passion for the sport and a certain playful aspect to each training session.
Some tips for coaching a U12 team
Before going into more detail on the training exercises to offer your U12 players, it is important to remember some fundamental principles to better understand your preparation. In the context of training for U12 categories, certain objectives should be kept in mind, including:
- The alternation of individual and team learning: knowing how to balance personal development and team play.
- Improvement of technical gestures: Emphasize improving the most obvious technical skills for each player.
- Teaching through play: Build sessions around fun games to develop techniques and principles of individual action.
- Reinforcement of basic concepts: Focus on possession, ball progression, and exploiting spaces on the field.
- Introduction to transition work: Start working on the changes between attack and defense, initial positioning, etc.
- Do not focus your training sessions purely on the "physical" aspect as you may be used to hearing. Favor exercises of agility, endurance, and flexibility to promote psychomotor development.
- Simplicity should be your watchword when preparing U12 training sessions. It is essential because it allows for better learning: it is then your animation that will give rhythm to your U12 drills, not the complexity of your training sessions.
- Finally, do not forget to include recovery periods.
Similarly, your role as a coach will also be to develop for each player self-confidence, team spirit, discipline, and respect for rules and opponents, thus contributing to forming accomplished players capable of shining both on and off the field, even at this young age.
What training exercises for U12s?
Structuring training and choosing the right exercises for a U12 team is not an easy task. The objective? Direct most sessions and exercises towards improving their coordination, ball control, reactivity, and positioning, as well as the different phases of play (set pieces, direct shots…).
Through fun and interactive teaching methods, coaches must succeed in keeping young players motivated and passionate, which facilitates effective learning in a positive environment. The goal is also to strengthen their love for soccer and stimulate their creativity on the field.
To assist you as best as possible, here is a list of ideal exercises for U12 categories:
- Passing exercises on the move: Encourage players to move while exchanging accurate passes to improve both their mobility and passing precision.
- Possession games: Organize games where the objective is to maintain possession of the ball in small spaces, which helps develop quick decision-making and play under pressure.
- Technical courses: Set up courses with cones to work on dribbling, changes of direction, and ball control.
- Reduced match situations: Create mini-matches (5 vs 5 or 7 vs 7) to encourage team play and the application of basic tactical concepts in a match context.
- Shooting exercises: Practice shots on goal from different positions to improve efficiency in front of the goal.
- Oriented control and dribbling with the “escape from prison” drill: Add a fun element with an exercise that targets improving oriented controls and ball dribbling.
Dynamic Warm-up with Passing, Slalom, and Dribbling
15 min
8-20 joueurs
Warm-up
U12 - U15
Used during a training session at FC Barcelona, this highly dynamic warm-up will allow your players to quickly increase their intensity....
Passing game work with a square of 6 players
15 min
6-18 joueurs
Warm-up
U12 - U15
This exercise allows you to work on passing from different angles. It is very easy to set up and can be used as a warm-up or a technical drill within your session....
Double rondo with game awareness and information gathering
10 min
9-18 joueurs
Warm-up
U10 - U13
This exercise is quite simple to set up but is highly appreciated by players during a warm-up in a session with a technical focus....
Passing Circuit with Triple One-Two Pass and Give-and-Go
15 min
10-20 joueurs
Warm-up
U12 - U15
Used within youth teams at Bayern Munich, this passing circuit is an ideal warm-up to work on positioning and movement before and after receiving the ball....
4-player passing sequence with scanning
12 min
12-24 joueurs
Warm-up
U10 - U15
Ideal for youth soccer, this exercise, seemingly very simple, will allow your players to work on their awareness and passing quality....
Short passing game, direct play on a passing sequence with switch of play
15 min
7-19 joueurs
Warm-up
U10 - U13
This drill, structured as a passing sequence with a double triangle, is perfect for working on alternating between short passing game and direct play. The team chemistry will be on point!...
Warm-up with neutral support in the wide areas
15 min
14-18 joueurs
Warm-up
U12 - U15
8v8 warm-up drill to work on using width with 2 neutral players in the channels. Ideal for starting a session on the theme of space occupation....
Ball control and triangle play in youth academy
12 min
8-16 joueurs
Warm-up
U6 - U13
Fun dribbling drill ideal for soccer school with triangular zones and defenders who will do everything to touch the attackers....
Warm-up with the ball: sequence of passes in groups of 3 with opening
15 min
10-20 joueurs
Warm-up
U8 - U13
A very simple drill to set up that allows you to work on a passing sequence while being attentive to the movements around you....
One-two pass game on a square of 4
12 min
4-20 joueurs
Warm-up
U9 - U13
Ideal for a warm-up or technical drill in a soccer school, this passing exercise will allow you to implement numerous variations and add your personal touch....
Triangle passing sequence and dribbling through gates
12 min
8-16 joueurs
Warm-up
U8 - U13
Drill in the form of a predetermined passing sequence and dribbling with various possible variations. Perfect for youth soccer or as a warm-up....
Fun Warm-up: Dribbling and Ball Control in Tight Spaces
10 min
5-20 joueurs
Warm-up
U8 - U13
A very simple drill to set up that will allow young players to maximize their touches on the ball in a small space and under pressure. Perfect for the start of a session....
Passing circle: ball control, dribble, pass and follow
12 min
8-18 joueurs
Warm-up
U8 - U13
Ideal warm-up that allows players to get in condition with the ball while activating different muscle groups. Players work on their first touch, dribbling, and passing....
Heading practice in double circle (warm-up with ball)
10 min
10-20 joueurs
Warm-up
U10 - U13
Ideal warm-up exercise to improve heading accuracy and overall coordination. We recommend it as a warm-up, and you can also use it during technical skill work....
Warm-up: 2v2 positioning work
15 min
6-12 joueurs
Warm-up
U12 - U15
Ideal warm-up drill for your players to improve in 2v2 situations, particularly on positioning in such scenarios....
Warm-up: team ball possession
20 min
10-12 joueurs
Warm-up
U10 - U15
Ideal warm-up drill to practice team ball retention, focusing on movement and passing accuracy....
Warm-up: Passing drills and 1v1 training
20 min
16-18 joueurs
Warm-up
U12 - U17
Warm-up drill to work your players on short passing, direct play, and ball recovery in 1v1 situations....
Warm-up: Directional ball control on the ground
15 min
4-8 joueurs
Warm-up
U9 - U13
Comprehensive warm-up exercise to improve your players on various types of directional control and work on passing in youth soccer training....
Technical warm-up: directional control and pass
12 min
3-12 joueurs
Warm-up
U9 - U13
Through a sequence of directional control and pass, this exercise, ideal for warm-up, works on ball mastery while being simple to set up....
Warm-up: sequence, control, dribbling, and passing
10 min
10-12 joueurs
Warm-up
U9 - U13
Through a simple sequence of control-dribble-pass, this exercise, ideal for warm-up, allows players to work on the basics while staying in motion....
Passing and directional control work
9 min
3-12 joueurs
Warm-up
U9 - U14
Work on passing and directional control with this simple yet incredibly effective drill!...
Other theme U12 soccer drills
U12 Conditioning soccer drills
- Mastery of footwork, balance, and body control - without the ball
- Cognitive work without the ball with 1v1v1 duels
- Agility and Shooting
U12 Small-sided games soccer drills
- 7v7 Oppositions with 1v1 Duels on the Flanks
- Rondo in 4v2 and pressing with a numerical disadvantage
- Possession game with support at the 4 corners