warm-up U9 soccer drills
warm-up U9 drills that you can apply to help your players progress on the warm-up aspect. Sign up to receive our latest drills.
Access more drillsWarm-up: Directional ball control on the ground
Comprehensive warm-up exercise to improve your players on various types of directional control and work on passing in youth soccer training.
Discover our warm-up U9 drills
Running, game awareness, and passing in a circle formation
10 min
8-16 joueurs
Warm-up
U6 - U9
Ball running exercise in a large circle, focused on game awareness, off-the-ball run by a teammate, and quick passing....
Dynamic Warm-up and Dribbling Relay
15 min
12-20 joueurs
Warm-up
U6 - U9
Progressive warm-up combining dynamic movements, dribbling, and competitive relays to prepare young players for the session....
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....
Collecting Cones: Feints and agility in youth academy
15 min
4-20 joueurs
Warm-up
U6 - U11
A small agility exercise to offer to younger players to work on their quickness and ability to deceive their opponents in small spaces. A very fun game that players enjoy!...
Shielding the King: Agility, Game Awareness, and Team Cohesion in Youth Soccer
12 min
7-21 joueurs
Warm-up
U6 - U9
Fun exercise to propose in a youth academy, which will allow your players to work on agility and information gathering. Good team cohesion will also be necessary!...
Progress with our drills
Join our community of amateur coaches and access 500+ premium drills with diagrams inspired by pro coaches. Get new drills every week.
The U9 soccer category, which corresponds to children aged 8-9 years, is one of the important categories in the development of young soccer players. U9 players evolve on fields adapted to their age of 25x35m and they begin to acquire the technical and tactical basics of the game, while continuing to boost their passion for this sport.
What is the U9 soccer category?
The U9 category includes children under 9 years old who play soccer. It is one of the pivotal periods where the foundations of the game are laid. Budding soccer players begin to discover the rules of the game, perfect their dribbling, passing, and shooting techniques. The first tactical basics can also be seen and applied during the U9 season to transition from a simple activity to a sport with stakes.
The objectives of the U9 category
The objectives of the U9 category remain to practice a sport and to expend energy for players who are still children.
From a learning perspective, the U9 category can go further than just trying to win matches. The overall goal is to promote the overall development of children, both physically and mentally, and even socially.
Among the main goals, no pun intended, of a U9 season, we find:
- Encourage active participation and fair play.
- Develop individual and collective skills of the players.
- Promote understanding and respect for the rules of the game.
- Encourage socialization and teamwork.
- Stimulate the passion for soccer by enjoying playing it.
Some tips for coaching a U9 team
You are dealing with children under 9 years old, so coaching a U9 team requires a specific approach, particularly focused on playful games and progressive learning.
Here are some tips we can give you:
- Create a positive and stimulating environment so that children feel confident and express themselves.
- Structure your training sessions to include a dynamic warm-up, small games, and technical exercises.
- Adapt instructions and exercises to the level of your group of young players so that everyone can develop their level while promoting repetition and variety of drills.
- Encourage the participation of all players and offer them constructive and individualized feedback.
- Emphasize fun and enjoyment while maintaining a certain level of expectation.
When you prepare your U9 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 U9 exercises.
What training exercises for U9s?
As previously mentioned, the exercises you propose for your U9 category should be adapted to the level of your group. Still prioritize play and technique.
Here are some examples of exercises for this category:
- Dribbling games: dribbling courses with cones to work on ball control and coordination.
- Passing and control: short passes and oriented controls to improve precision and technical quality.
- Small-sided games: small-sided matches (3 vs 3 or 4 vs 4) to encourage realistic game situations and quick decision-making.
- Finishing games: technical finishing moves (shooting, heading) through fun exercises.
- Team games: positioning and movement games to work on coordination and communication between players.
Feel free to propose drills that match the level of your players as well as the progress in the season.
In summary, the U9 category represents an important bridge between sports activity and the development of real soccer knowledge, its game, its rules, its tactics. Your training sessions will significantly mark the progression of the children and their development.
Head, Shoulder, Knee, and Ball in Soccer School
15 min
8-18 joueurs
Warm-up
U6 - U11
Fun exercise to offer in a youth academy that combines cognitive work (listening, information gathering) with technical work (dribbling and agility). It is very popular with young players!...
The game of "musical balls" in soccer school
15 min
5-15 joueurs
Warm-up
U6 - U9
This fun game is ideal in soccer school to work on spatial awareness, ball control, and the reactivity of young players. Progression and enjoyment will be on the agenda!...
Working triangle: passing angle and layoff (Youth academy)
15 min
2-20 joueurs
Warm-up
U6 - U11
A very simple drill to set up in a soccer school that allows players to work on passing from different angles with a one-touch layoff and numerous variations....
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....
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 U9 soccer drills
U9 Conditioning soccer drills
- Agility and game awareness: The cone drill in youth academy
- Mobility and agility training with the "Around the World" drill