Week 6 · U10
Passing & link-up play
Objectives — what the players will do
- 1Pass firmly along the ground with the inside of the foot
- 2Move to a new space right after passing
- 3Play a give-and-go (wall pass) around a defender
Play 1 — starts when the second player arrives
Keep-Away (3v1)
Groups of four as players arrive: three keep the ball from one defender. Add a rule after a few minutes — say a teammate's name before you pass to them. Rotate the middle. About 10-15 minutes.
Practice — the one taught activity of the night
Give-and-Go Gates
Groups of three: passer, wall player, and a cone (the pretend defender). Pass into the wall player, sprint around the cone, and take the return pass on the run — that is a give-and-go. Rotate roles every few reps. Progress: swap the cone for a real defender who starts passive, then goes live. Finish each rep with a shot at a small goal if you have them. Roughly 25-30 minutes.
Back to the cone defender and shorten the passes until the timing clicks.
Live defender from the start, two-touch limit, or ask for two wall passes in a row.
Play 2 — always finish playing the real game
4v4 — Wall-Pass Bonus
Normal game, but any goal that includes a give-and-go on the way counts double. Watch how fast they start looking for a teammate instead of dribbling into a crowd. Last 20-25 minutes.
Key coaching points — in your own words
- ·Can you find a pass forward?
- ·Firm or soft — which pass does your teammate actually need?
- ·After you pass, where do you go next?
- ·Did you say their name before the ball left your foot?
Tighten the space and add touch limits so passes must be quicker and firmer.
Widen the area and remove defenders so every pair gets easy, repeated success.
Game-day focus — watch for this on Saturday
Count passes, not goals. Challenge the team before kickoff: can we string three passes together? Midfielders spread wide to give the passer real options — build with passes, not boots.
Message to forward to your parents
Your child is learning give-and-gos this week — the building blocks of real team soccer. Two players and a wall or fence is all it takes to practice at home.
This week's two videos
Prep the night before; copy the activity on the field.
Combinations to play forward | Coaching session on attacking skills
Watch the night before to understand the idea
The FA's combination-play session built for exactly this age band (7-11s) — this is your month in one video. Watch it fully before Week 1 and note how forward combinations are rewarded inside the game, matching our 'Find the next line' principle. Return before Week 4 to shape your Apply session around combining to play forward.
Watch on YouTubeSoccerCoachTV - Passing Combination Drill.
A drill you can copy on the field
A multi-pass combination circuit demonstrated with a real youth team, including the standard-setting and resets you will actually need. Watch how the coach keeps tempo when kids miscue — that patience is the Develop-week skill. Add passive then active defenders to carry it into Week 3.
Watch on YouTube