Week 8 · U6
Dribbling and 1v1 attacking
Objectives — what the players will do
- 1Keep the ball glued close with little touches on both feet
- 2Try a trick to dribble past a defender
- 3Change speed after the trick — slow, slow, FAST
Play 1 — starts when the second player arrives
Red Light, Green Light
Every player grabs a ball the moment they arrive and joins in. Green light means dribble, red light means stop the ball with the bottom of your foot — squash it like a bug! Add yellow light for slow-motion dribbling and purple light for turning around. Let the kids take turns being the traffic light. No waiting, no lines — the game starts when the second player gets there.
Practice — the one taught activity of the night
Escape the Den
A square den with all the attackers and their balls inside, plus one or two gentle bears (defenders without balls). Escape by dribbling OUT of the den over any line with the ball under control — try your favorite trick, then zoom: slow, slow, FAST! Run back in and escape again. Count your escapes in 90 seconds, then swap the bears.
Send the bears home — pure dribbling escapes with little touches, both feet, and a red-light stop on every line.
Add a bear, or escapes only count through narrow cone doors on each side — trick first, then burst through the door.
Play 2 — always finish playing the real game
4v4 — Beat One, Score Big
Normal games, but a goal counts DOUBLE if the scorer dribbled past someone on the way. Cheer every brave try at a trick, even the ones that get tackled.
Key coaching points — in your own words
- ·Little touches, little touches — like the ball is glued to your shoe.
- ·Slow... slow... FAST! Zoom away after your trick.
- ·Which way is empty? Go there!
- ·Keep your body between the bear and the ball.
- ·I love it when you try your move — win or lose, try it again!
Livelier defenders in every game — the tricks now have to work for real.
Bears walk everywhere, spaces grow, and every escape earns a team cheer.
Game-day focus — watch for this on Saturday
Give every player one "brave dribble" moment to try a trick — and cheer it whatever happens. Diamond stays big, everyone defends and attacks, rotate positions, no booting.
Message to forward to your parents
This week was all about brave dribbling — keeping the ball close, trying a trick, and escaping bears! Being brave enough to try matters more than whether it works. Ask them to show you their favorite escape move.
This week's two videos
Every session is Play-Practice-Play: kids play from the moment they arrive, you teach ONE thing in the middle, then they play again. Watch the prep video the night before — the activity video is that middle PRACTICE part.
10 Best Soccer Dribbling Drills U6–U10
Watch the night before to understand the idea
The dribble-out skill bank. At 4v4 a player who can turn out of a crowd IS building out of the back — this is the core technical curriculum of the month.
Watch on YouTubeSoccerCoachTV - 1v1 to 1v2 to 2v2 Attacking & Defending Game.
Your PRACTICE part — the one thing you teach mid-session
A progression game that flips 1v1 into 1v2 and 2v2, so duel winners immediately face a harder problem. Run it in Week 3 when duels need stretching, and keep score to feed the fire — Win your duel starts here.
Watch on YouTube