Week 2 · U6
Defending basics: chase and steal
Objectives — what the players will do
- 1Chase back the moment the other team gets the ball
- 2Get close, get low, and watch the ball
- 3Poke the ball away at the right moment
Play 1 — starts when the second player arrives
Knockout
Everyone dribbles in a square, protecting their own ball while trying to gently kick a friend's ball out. Ball knocked out? Race after it, do three toe taps, and jump straight back in — nobody is ever out for long.
Practice — the one taught activity of the night
Sharks and Minnows
Minnows dribble across the square; one or two sharks (no ball) try to kick the balls out. Lose your ball and you become a shark too — last minnow wins! Coach the sharks as much as the minnows: get close, get low, watch the ball, poke it away with your toe.
One walking shark, and minnows who lose a ball get a free re-entry that round.
Play 1v1 doors: a defender guards two cone doors while an attacker tries to dribble through either one. Swap jobs every go.
Play 2 — always finish playing the real game
4v4 — Everyone Defends
Normal games with one loud rule: when the other team has the ball, all four run back to help. Cheer steals as loudly as goals — a great poke-away gets the full celebration.
Key coaching points — in your own words
- ·Chase back right away — be a superhero, not a statue!
- ·Get close, get low, watch the ball.
- ·Poke it away with your toe when it rolls far from their feet.
- ·Stealing the ball is just as cool as scoring.
More sharks, smaller squares — protecting the ball gets harder everywhere.
Sharks walk, spaces grow, and every minnow escape gets a cheer.
Game-day focus — watch for this on Saturday
Count the chase-backs, not the goals. All four players defend and all four attack in our diamond — no standing and watching. Rotate spots and celebrate every steal.
Message to forward to your parents
Defending week — we learned to chase, get low, and poke the ball away like friendly sharks. Cheer for steals as loudly as goals this Saturday and watch them beam.
This week's two videos
Prep the night before; copy the activity on the field.
10 Best Soccer Defending Drills for Kids | Youth Soccer Defense Drills | Fun Soccer Drills by MOJO
Watch the night before to understand the idea
Sixteen minutes of ready-to-run defending games built for young kids — lift the chasing and stealing games straight into your Play phases. Watch before Week 1 and pick two games you can repeat all month with no setup changes. Everything here keeps SEAL playful: get low, get close, steal it.
Watch on YouTubeSoccerCoachTV - Try this Rapid 1v1 and 2v2 Drill with your players.
A drill you can copy on the field
A rapid-fire 1v1-into-2v2 duel game with constant repetitions and no standing in lines — a perfect Practice-phase engine for Weeks 2–3. Use it to hammer get-low-and-chop-your-steps while the kids just think they're racing.
Watch on YouTube