Week 7 · U10
First touch & receiving
Objectives — what the players will do
- 1Cushion the ball with a soft first touch instead of letting it bounce away
- 2Take the first touch out of the feet, toward space
- 3Open the body when receiving so they can see the field, not just the ball
Play 1 — starts when the second player arrives
Keep-Away Box (4v1)
Groups of five as players arrive: four in a square keep the ball away from one in the middle. Middle player swaps out whenever they win it or every minute. Keep it light and fun — this is about touches, not perfection. About 10-15 minutes.
Practice — the one taught activity of the night
Receive and Go Gates
Pairs, one ball, cone gates spread around the area. Pass through a gate to your partner; their first touch must take the ball OUT of their feet toward a new gate, then they pass through that one. Keep score: 10 clean touch-and-pass reps wins the round. Progress: receiver must let the ball run across their body so they finish facing a new gate. Roughly 25-30 minutes.
Bigger gates, shorter passes, and let them stop the ball dead before moving it.
Two-touch maximum, or add a wandering defender who can steal any heavy first touch.
Play 2 — always finish playing the real game
4v4 — First-Touch Bonus
Normal small-sided game to goals, but any goal that comes after a clean first touch away from pressure counts double. Announce the double-goals loudly — the kids will start hunting for good touches. Last 20-25 minutes.
Key coaching points — in your own words
- ·Can you catch the ball like an egg — soft foot, relaxed ankle?
- ·Did your first touch take you away from the defender or straight into them?
- ·What can you see before the ball arrives?
- ·Can you open your body like a door so you see the whole field?
Add defenders or a touch limit so every first touch happens under real pressure.
Take defenders out and slow the passes down until the touch is soft and clean.
Game-day focus — watch for this on Saturday
Watch first touches, especially from your keeper and two defenders — do they calmly cushion and play, or panic-kick? Praise the calm touch near our own goal louder than any goal we score.
Message to forward to your parents
We worked on first touch this week — the skill that makes everything else possible. It can be practiced anywhere: even passing against a wall for five minutes builds a softer, smarter touch.
This week's two videos
Prep the night before; copy the activity on the field.
Passing Circles | Tactics Board Session On Passing | Pete Augustine | England Football Learning
Watch the night before to understand the idea
A tactics-board walkthrough of a passing session you can lift wholesale, with clear progressions. A good planning watch early in the month while you build your session cards.
Watch on YouTubeSoccer Drills: Passing & Receiving (U9)
A drill you can copy on the field
A tight U9 passing-and-receiving practice you can drop straight into your Week 1-2 Practice phase. Watch for the receiving detail — open body, first touch forward — because a wall pass dies without it. Coach 'See it, Solve it, Show it' as players decide when to bounce it first-time.
Watch on YouTube