Ten-year-olds can juggle a ball 15 times, then lose focus the moment a drill feels repetitive. At this age, players are ready for structured skill work, but only if the structure stays fast, competitive, and varied. The challenge for coaches is building real technique (dribbling with both feet, passing to space, finishing under pressure) without turning practice into a lecture.
Start with a blank practice plan template you can print or copy, then pick from drills organized by skill (dribbling, passing, shooting, and small-sided games). A 12-drill reference library and a pre-filled 60-minute session are included at the end. Every drill works for U10, and most scale up to U11 and U12 with minor adjustments to field size or touch limits. US Soccer's coaching education guidelines(opens in new tab) emphasize that U10 players learn best through game-like activities with high ball contact, which is the approach these drills follow. For a broader skill-focused library that spans all age groups, the soccer drills pillar covers 50+ drills across dribbling, passing, shooting, defending, conditioning, and small-sided games.
This blank template covers the standard U10 practice structure: warm-up with ball mastery, technical skill blocks, a small-sided game, and a cool-down. Fill in the drills column with your choices for the day, print it, and bring it to the field.
| # | Segment | Time | Min | Drills / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dynamic Warm-Up & Ball Mastery | |||
| 2 | Dribbling | |||
| 3 | Passing & Receiving | |||
| 4 | Shooting / Finishing | |||
| 5 | Small-Sided Game | |||
| 6 | Cool-Down & Review |
Notes:
This pre-filled plan puts the drills below into a 60-minute session with timed blocks and clear progressions. Print it or copy it to your clipboard for spreadsheet use. Adjust the drills based on what your team needs most, but keep the structure (warm-up, skill blocks, game, cool-down) consistent from week to week.
| # | Segment | Time | Min | Focus / Drills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dynamic Warm-Up & Ball Mastery | 0:00 - 0:10 | 10 min | Toe taps, inside-outside touches, pull-backs in a grid. Add tag game with balls at feet for the last 3 minutes |
| 2 | Dribbling | 0:10 - 0:20 | 10 min | Cone weave with inside/outside of both feet. Progress to 1v1 channel (attacker vs defender in a narrow lane) |
| 3 | Passing & Receiving | 0:20 - 0:30 | 10 min | Partner passing (2-touch, then 1-touch). Progress to triangle passing with movement off the ball |
| 4 | Shooting / Finishing | 0:30 - 0:38 | 8 min | Dribble from 20 yards, shoot with laces. Add a passive defender after 4 minutes to create game pressure |
| 5 | Small-Sided Game | 0:38 - 0:55 | 17 min | 4v4 with small goals (no goalkeepers). Coach freezes play to highlight spacing, support, and when to dribble vs pass |
| 6 | Cool-Down & Review | 0:55 - 1:00 | 5 min | Light juggling or partner volleys while walking. Quick recap: name one thing you learned today |
The 3 D's of soccer are Drive, Decide, and Deliver. They describe the three things a player does every time they receive the ball: drive (dribble) to create space, decide what to do next (pass, shoot, or keep dribbling), and deliver the ball with the right technique. At U10, every drill should reinforce at least one of these three actions. Together, they form the foundation that separates players who react from players who play with purpose.
Driving means moving with the ball under control to change the situation on the field. At U10, this starts with comfort on both feet using all surfaces: inside, outside, sole, and laces. Every warm-up should include 5-8 minutes of ball mastery (toe taps, sole rolls, inside-inside, pull-backs). Players who can control the ball under no pressure will eventually control it under game pressure. The dribbling drills below build this foundation. For older players ready to add 1v1 mastery, speed work, and advanced moves like the scissor or Cruyff turn, see our soccer dribbling drills library.
Deciding means reading the situation and picking the right action. Should I dribble past this defender, pass to the open player, or shoot? At 10, most players default to dribbling because it is the most natural instinct. Small-sided games (3v3, 4v4) are the best way to develop decision-making because they create constant choices without a coach needing to explain tactics from the sideline. Let the game be the teacher.
Delivering means executing the decision with accuracy. A pass that arrives at the right speed, a shot placed in the corner, a through ball into space. At U10, focus on two-touch passing (receive, then play) before progressing to one-touch. For shooting, build the habit of striking with laces for power and inside of the foot for placement. The passing and shooting drills below create the repetition needed to make good technique automatic.
Focus on touches, not tactics. A 10-year-old who gets 200 ball contacts per practice improves faster than one who spends 30 minutes listening to explanations about formations. Use small-sided games and drills that keep the ball at every player's feet. Encourage both feet from the start. And keep sessions between 60 and 75 minutes: after 75 minutes, concentration drops and the quality of touches declines. A focused 60-minute session with quick transitions between drills beats a 90-minute session where the last 20 minutes are low energy.
Dribbling is the most important individual skill at U10. Players who can keep the ball close while moving in any direction will succeed in every small-sided game you run. These drills progress from controlled repetition to game pressure, and the ball-mastery circuit underneath them is the warm-up foundation every session should start with. Add the ones that fit your team to the session as you read.
Builds: Change direction with every touch
Set 6 cones in a zigzag, 3 yards apart. Players dribble through using the inside and outside of both feet, then pass to the next player in line. The relay format keeps energy high while the zigzag forces a change of direction on every touch.
Keep your head up, not just fast feet
Builds: Close control and shielding under pressure
Every player dribbles inside a 20x20 yard grid. Two sharks (players without a ball) try to kick balls out of the grid. If your ball leaves the grid, do 5 toe taps on the sideline and return. Keeps every player active while building close control and awareness of space.
Shield the ball with your body · Scan for open space
Builds: Quick changes of direction and finishing under pressure
The attacker starts 15 yards from a small goal with the ball; the defender starts 3 yards behind. On the whistle the attacker tries to score before the defender closes down the space.
Reps: Rotate roles every 2 attempts
Shoot early or beat the defender with a move first
Builds: Foot speed and comfort on both feet
Six stations in a circle: toe taps, inside-inside, sole rolls, pull-back turns, Cruyff turns, and step-overs. Players work at their own ball at each station, building foot speed and comfort on both feet.
Reps: 45s per station, 15s to rotate
At U10, passing is a transition skill. Players are moving from "I want the ball and I will dribble it," the dribble-first stage at the heart of our U8 soccer drills guide, to "I can pass and move to get it back in a better position." These drills introduce that shift without removing the ball from their feet for too long. As players progress to U12, high school, and adult rec leagues, the same habits scale up through harder reps in our soccer passing drills library. Coaching adults who are brand new to the game instead of kids? The beginner soccer drills guide runs the same fundamentals at an adult pace.
Builds: The habit of moving after you pass
Three players form a triangle, 8-10 yards apart. Pass and follow your pass to the next cone. Start with 2-touch (receive, then pass) and progress to 1-touch when the rhythm is consistent. Add a second ball for advanced groups.
Move to the next cone after every pass
Builds: Quick passing and body positioning under pressure
Four players on the outside of a 10x10 yard square keep the ball away from two defenders in the middle. Limit outside players to 2 touches. The defender who wins the ball swaps with the passer who lost it.
Reps: 90s rounds to keep intensity high
Open your body to receive · Find the support angle
Builds: Scanning and communication between partners
Scatter 8-10 cone gates (2 yards wide) across a 30x30 yard area. Pairs pass through as many gates as possible in 2 minutes; the ball must travel through a gate to count. Add a second pair competing in the same grid to increase difficulty.
Scan for the next open gate · Talk to your partner
Shooting at U10 is about building the habit of striking with the laces (for power) and the inside of the foot (for placement). Most 10-year-olds default to toe-poking the ball, so these drills create enough repetition that proper technique becomes automatic. Both work best with goals 3-4 yards wide and no goalkeeper; add a keeper only when players can consistently hit the target from 12-15 yards. When tryout season arrives, the same shooting technique becomes one of the skills coaches evaluate, and our soccer tryout evaluation form includes rating rubrics for shooting alongside dribbling, passing, and game awareness.
Builds: Finishing from different angles with 1-2 touches
Set up 3 stations around the penalty area: left side, center, and right side. A server at each station plays a pass and the shooter finishes with 1-2 touches. Players rotate through all three stations so shots come from different angles, and quick rotation keeps reps high.
Laces for power, inside of the foot for placement
Builds: Aggressive movement toward the ball under competition
Each player picks a country name. The coach serves balls into the box from the wing and players compete to finish. With more than 10 players, split into two groups with separate goals.
Reps: First to 3 goals wins the World Cup
Attack the ball, do not wait for it
Small-sided games are where everything comes together. The drills above isolate skills; the games below force players to combine those skills under pressure, with opponents, and in real time. A systematic review in Sports Medicine(opens in new tab) shows that small-sided games (3v3, 4v4) produce more ball contacts, more 1v1 situations, and higher physical intensity per player than full-sided matches.
Builds: Frequent touches and real decisions every few seconds
Two small goals (3-4 yards wide) on a 30x25 yard pitch, no goalkeepers. Every player attacks and defends. Freeze play once or twice per game to highlight one concept, such as where the open space is or who a player could pass to.
One coaching point per freeze
Builds: Width and depth instead of clustering around the ball
Each team defends a 15-yard end line instead of a goal. You score by dribbling across the opponent's line with the ball under control. Because the whole end line is the target, players learn to spread out and find space rather than cluster around the ball.
Use the full width of the line
Builds: High-intensity 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 transitions
Two teams sit behind opposite end lines. The coach calls a number (1, 2, or 3) and that many players from each team sprint onto the field, playing until someone scores or the ball goes out. Players stay engaged because they never know when their number is called.
Sprint on the moment your number is called
Most U10 coaches avoid teaching positions because 10-year-olds cluster around the ball regardless of what you tell them. Positioning drills work best when they use the game itself to show players why spreading out helps, rather than placing cones and hoping players stay on them.
Divide a 30x25 yard pitch into three horizontal zones. Each team must have at least one player in each zone at all times. If a zone is empty, the referee stops play and the other team gets the ball. Players quickly learn to check over their shoulder and fill space because breaking the rule costs possession. After 5 minutes, remove the zone restriction and watch whether the spacing habits carry over.
Four or five players move the ball around the field without opposition, following a simple pattern: pass and move to the next position. The goal is to get players comfortable with basic shape (for example, a 2-1 formation in 4v4) without the pressure of a defender. Run it for 3-4 minutes as a warm-up before scrimmages. When you add defenders, players already know where to go.
At U10, keep positions simple: "left side, right side, middle" is enough. Avoid locking players into defender or forward roles. Everyone should attack and defend. If you play 7v7 formations, rotate players through all positions across the season so they develop a complete understanding of the game.
If players are not having fun, they stop showing up. At 10 years old, the competition for attention is strong: video games, swimming, basketball, and every other after-school option. The drills that stick are the ones players ask to do again next week. Motivation at this age comes from three things: competition, variety, and feeling like they are getting better.
Turn any drill into a race, a point system, or a challenge. Cone Weave becomes a relay race. Triangle Passing becomes "how many clean passes in 60 seconds." Shooting becomes World Cup. Competition raises effort naturally. Keep score out loud so players know where they stand, and reset the score frequently so losing teams stay motivated.
The fastest way to lose a 10-year-old is to put them in a line. If you want to work on dribbling, play Shark Attack instead of running cone drills for 15 minutes. If you want passing reps, play a rondo instead of a static passing line. The skill development is the same, but the context is a game, which means players concentrate longer and try harder. Design every drill so that players are active at least 80% of the time. Use small groups (3-4 players per station) instead of one big line.
Ten-year-olds respond to visible improvement. "Last month you could juggle 8 times, now you can do 15" is more motivating than "good job." Track a few simple benchmarks (juggling record, passing accuracy in a gate drill, 1v1 wins) and share progress with players every few weeks. When players see their own numbers going up, practice feels like it matters. If you coach large groups, our session planning framework guide explains how to structure station rotations so every player stays active while you track progress across the season.
A U10 session has a shape worth keeping: a short skill block, then the small-sided game that ties those skills together and is the part the players remember. The drills you picked from the sections above gather here in that order, ready to reuse next week instead of rebuilt from scratch.
Your Soccer practice plan
Add drills from the sections above to build a session you can export, print, or copy
Over time, your best drills become a personal library that you reuse and refine. For programs that run multiple teams or age groups, keeping those drills organized in one place saves setup time every week. Explore how Striveon's drill library lets you tag drills by skill, age group, and equipment. If you coach multiple age groups, our general soccer practice plan covers session templates from U6 through high school.
When your practice plans connect to session tracking that records which drills you ran and who attended, you can look back at the season and see exactly what you covered. That visibility helps you plan the next week based on gaps, not guesses. See how Striveon's structured training approach connects drills, sessions, and athlete development.
Organize drills by skill, age group, and equipment. Build reusable practice blocks your whole coaching staff can access.
Structure your training sessions with timed blocks, station rotations, and progressive skill development across the season.
Connect practice plans to athlete evaluations, goals, and development pathways in one platform.
Formation diagrams and lineup templates for 7v7 soccer. Covers 2-3-1, 3-2-1, and 3-1-2 with player roles and field positioning.
Free evaluation form with rating rubrics for dribbling, passing, shooting, and game awareness at youth soccer tryouts.