Practice Plans
U6 Soccer Practice Plan
U6 players learn through movement, imagination, and repetition. Keep explanations extremely short, give nearly every player a ball, and use games with clear pictures such as rivers, treasure, gates, and castles.
A 45-minute U6 session
5 minutes: free arrival game
Players dribble in a safe grid while the coach greets families and uses names.
10 minutes: red light, green light
Add colors for slow dribbling, a turn, or stopping with the sole. Avoid eliminating players.
10 minutes: treasure hunt
Players collect one marker at a time while controlling their ball and returning to a home corner.
20 minutes: 2v2 or 3v3
Use two small fields, no goalkeepers, short rounds, and fast restarts.
Common mistakes
- Long demonstrations
- Full-team passing patterns
- Players standing in lines
- Elimination after losing the ball
Coach’s checklist
- One ball per child
- Bright flat cones
- Several small goals or gates
- Water breaks
- One backup story game
Questions new coaches ask
How many activities should a U6 practice have?
Three activities plus a game are enough. Familiar repetition is more valuable than constant novelty.
Should U6 players learn positions?
Use simple ideas such as spreading out and finding space. Avoid rigid positional instructions that limit exploration.