Week 7 · U8
First touch & receiving
Objectives — what the players will do
- 1Cushion a rolling ball with a soft "pillow foot" first touch
- 2Take the first touch into space instead of stopping the ball dead
- 3Peek up before the ball arrives to see what is around
Play 1 — starts when the second player arrives
4v4 Free Play — Watch the First Touch
Straight into 4v4 (3v3 while players are still arriving) to small goals. Do not coach yet — just watch: when the ball reaches a player, do they control it, or does it bounce away? You are collecting examples for the practice.
Practice — the one taught activity of the night
Explorer's First Touch
A 20x15 grid with four or five small cone gates scattered inside. Players in pairs with one ball: the partner passes, and the receiver takes their FIRST touch through the nearest open gate, dribbles on, then passes back. After a few minutes, walk behind the receivers as a slow "chaser" they must take their touch away from. Swap roles often. The cue: soft ankle, firm push — the touch should travel a yard or two toward space.
Passer rolls the ball in by hand, no chaser, bigger gates.
Chase the receiver for real, or ask for the first touch with the outside of the foot.
Play 2 — always finish playing the real game
4v4 — Soft Touch Bonus
Back to the 4v4 game. Loudly shout out every first touch that takes the ball into space, and goals that started with a controlled first touch count double.
Key coaching points — in your own words
- ·Can you make a pillow with your foot so the ball lands softly?
- ·Where did your first touch take the ball — into space, or stuck under your feet?
- ·What did you see before the ball arrived?
- ·Can you peek over your shoulder before the pass comes?
Passes come in firmer and the chaser gets quicker.
Slow rolled balls and lots of repetitions — comfort first, speed later.
Game-day focus — watch for this on Saturday
Watch receiving on Saturday: cheer every player who controls the ball before doing something with it. No booting the first touch away — control it, then pass or dribble. Keep rotating the diamond.
Message to forward to your parents
This week is first touch — cushioning the ball softly so the game slows down for them. At home, roll a ball to your child and have them cushion it and pass it back. Five minutes on the porch makes a real difference.
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.
Pass And Move | Receiving Coaching Session | Ryan Davies | England Football Learning
Watch the night before to understand the idea
A real grassroots session on pass-and-move delivered to young players — the closest model to how our Play-Practice-Play nights should look and sound. Watch for how the coach frames moving after the pass without over-coaching. Lift the delivery style, not just the drill, for Weeks 1-2 and again before the Week 4 Apply session.
Watch on YouTubeBall Mastery Drills for U8, U9 & U110 | On The Move | Soccer Drills - Football Homework
Your PRACTICE part — the one thing you teach mid-session
Ball mastery on the move — the bridge from stationary reps to game touches. Send it to families as pre-season homework and mirror the patterns in your arrival activity. Perfect Develop-week material once the static baselines are set.
Watch on YouTube