Under 9 Soccer Drills, Games, and Exercises

Quality age-appropriate soccer drills for kids in the U9, Under 9, 9 and Under age group.

Under 9 Soccer Drills Games and Exercises

Soccer drills for kids ages 9 and under emphasize skill development and game awareness through fun and engaging activities. This page offers drills designed to improve ball control, passing accuracy, and teamwork in a supportive learning environment.

Age-Specific Drills

3-Man Passing and Moving Warmup MEDIUM

3-Man Passing and Moving Warmup

This soccer drill sharpens short-range passing, encourages constant movement after the pass, and prepares players physically and mentally for training. It reinforces clean technique and fitness through repetition.

9+ yrs. 3+ players 10 mins. 10X10 yds. GK: no
3 6,695 Chris Johnson
Soccer Tic-Tac-Toe Warm-up EASY

Soccer Tic-Tac-Toe Warm-up

Soccer Tic-Tac-Toe is a fun warmup drill that focuses on making good decisions while under pressure.

9+ yrs. 6+ players 10 mins. 20X20 yds. GK: no
3 166,896 Chris Johnson
Y Passing Drill - Variation 3 MEDIUM

Y Passing Drill - Variation 3

Develops players' ability to execute quick one-two passes, play accurate long balls, and transition into new positions efficiently. Encourages decision-making and proper body positioning for receiving and distributing passes.

9+ yrs. 6+ players 15 mins. 20X20 yds. GK: no
2.33 7,912 Chris Johnson
Fixed Distance Passing Game EASY

Fixed Distance Passing Game

This drill helps players develop passing accuracy, weight of pass, and first-touch control. It also reinforces teamwork and focus while progressively increasing difficulty by narrowing the passing gate.

4-10 yrs. 2+ players 15 mins. 20X30 yds. GK: no
2 8,391 Chris Johnson
4v4, Thirds of the Field, Shape and Positioning MEDIUM

4v4, Thirds of the Field, Shape and Positioning

This 4v4 drill is great for improving shape and positioning. Each player has their own responsibility: 1) attacker/target player stretches the field closer to the goal they are attacking. 2) winger players stretch the width of the field. 3) defensive player gives support to wingers and target player while staying the last man.

7-14 yrs. 8+ players 20 mins. 25X40 yds. GK: no
Castle Game: Beautiful Chaos Medium

Castle Game: Beautiful Chaos

This game is chaos on purpose. Two balls are live at the same time, so players cannot lock onto one thing and switch their brain off. They have to scan, talk, and decide fast. That is the whole point. Each team guards five cones on their own end line. Each team tries to knock over the other team's cones with the ball. Knock one down, sprint it back to your castle, and it belongs to you. Simple rules, and the players get it in about thirty seconds. What you get out of it is much bigger than the rules suggest. Players learn to keep their head up because a second ball can hit them from behind. They learn to pick a pass instead of blasting it, because an accurate ball knocks a cone over and a wild one does not. They learn to shift from attack to defense in a heartbeat, since both happen at once. And the sprint rule turns this into real conditioning without a single line drill. Nobody stands around. Nobody asks how much longer. Use it as a warm-up, a mid-session energizer, or the last twenty minutes when legs are tired and you still want quality touches. It fits U6 all the way to adults. You only change the grid size and the number of balls. Coaches, resist the urge to over-coach this one. Let it get loud. Step in for a quick word, then let them play. The best learning here happens on its own, and the kids will ask for it again next week.

6+ yrs. 12 players 20 min. 35x50 yds. GK: no
4v4 Square with Four Mini Goals MEDIUM

4v4 Square with Four Mini Goals

This drill develops players' vision and awareness by forcing them to constantly scan and recognize which goals are open for attack. The requirement to pass through the center poles before scoring teaches patience in possession and rewards teams that can control the ball and pick the right moment to penetrate. Players learn to open up their body position to see the entire field, including teammates making backside runs away from pressure. The four goals create constant decision-making about which direction to attack based on where defenders are positioned. Quick transitions become essential because once a team completes the pass through the center, they must immediately identify and attack an open goal before defenders can recover. This setup mimics games in which teams must recognize when to keep possession and when to strike quickly, and it rewards players who can switch the point of attack rapidly.

8+ yrs. 8+ players 20 mins. 30X30 yds. GK: no
0 866 Sammy Robinson (BAYFA Soccer)