Soccer Fitness Drills
Soccer fitness and conditioning drills to ensure your players are match-fit.
Soccer Fitness Drills
Soccer fitness is crucial for maintaining high performance throughout the game by improving endurance, speed, and agility. This page offers a variety of drills designed to build strength, stamina, and quickness to help players stay sharp on the field.
Y Passing Drill - Variation 1
Develops players' ability to receive with an open body position, execute accurate passes, and transition quickly between roles. Encourages movement, decision-making, and proper body positioning when receiving the ball.
1v1 to Tall Cones
This drill develops individual attacking and defending skills by challenging players to dribble under pressure, protect the ball, and accurately pass or shoot to knock over cones for points.
3v3 to Goals
This drill develops players' ability to attack and defend in small spaces while encouraging quick decision-making, teamwork, and fitness through constant movement.
2v2 with 4 Small Goals
This drill enhances small-group play by developing combination play, defensive communication, and finishing under pressure. Players work on quick transitions between attack and defense in a game-like setting.
1v1 with 4 Small Goals
This drill improves 1v1 attacking skills, defensive positioning, and finishing under pressure. Players learn to recognize attacking opportunities while also being responsible for defending their assigned goals.
4v4+4 Corner Rondo
This drill enhances passing accuracy, spatial awareness, and teamwork by encouraging players to use the four corner players as outlets to maintain possession. It also develops defensive pressure and quick transitions.
1v1 Reaction Gate Challenge
This drill enhances 1v1 attacking and defending skills by training quick decision-making, reaction speed, and close ball control. Attackers learn to use deception, while defenders focus on anticipation and body positioning.
Funino 3v3, 4-Goal Small-Sided Game
This drill encourages players to recognize attacking opportunities by creating space, making quick decisions, and choosing the best option between two goals. Defensively, players learn to cover space effectively and transition quickly.
Hexagonal Rondo
The Hexagonal Rondo drill focuses on quick passing and movement within a six-sided grid, emphasizing control and spatial awareness. Players work to maintain possession by creating passing angles and exploiting gaps in the defensive shape. The objective is to enhance technical precision, quick decision-making, and fluid team coordination.
4v4 Scrimmage to Mini-Goals
The objective of a 4v4 soccer scrimmage to mini-goals is to replicate the dynamics of a full-sided game in a smaller, more controlled environment. This format encourages players to focus on quick decision-making, positioning, and maintaining possession under pressure, as well as improving their ability to transition between attacking and defending. The mini-goals emphasize accuracy and composure in front of the goal, helping players develop finishing skills without the presence of a goalkeeper.
Stop and Turn Dribbling Relay Race
Introduce a competitive element with the Stop and Turn Soccer Dribbling Relay Race, emphasizing stopping, turning, and directional changes. This drill reinforces quick transitions and sharpens players' ability to control the ball during directional shifts. The objective is to improve precision and speed in executing turns under pressure.
Dribbling and Passing Warm-up Drill
This dribbling and passing drill is a great start to a dribbling or passing training session and will quickly get the blood pumping and players legs warm.
Four-Cone Passing Drill
This four-cone passing drill focuses on soccer passing technique and movement after the pass. This is a great passing warm-up drill or a good start to a passing session.
Six-Cone Passing Drill
The six-cone passing drill focuses on passing, awareness, and movement after the pass. This is a great warmup or to focus on passing technique and movement after the pass.
1v1 Transition
This is a fast-paced 1v1 game that focuses on quickly transitioning from the attack to defense.
1v1 Speed and Reaction Game
This 1v1 Speed and Reaction Game is a fun addition to any practice that focuses on quick reaction and speed, ending with a 1v1 to small goals.
Soccer Tic-Tac-Toe Warm-up
Soccer Tic-Tac-Toe is a fun warmup drill that focuses on making good decisions while under pressure.
Passing Warm-up Drill
This is a passing warm-up drill that is a great start to every practice and before a game. Players will get a lot of touches on the ball and can focus on receiving and passing while getting in a good warm-up.
Soccer Shooting on the Dribble
This soccer shooting drill focuses on receiving a flighted ball, quickly dribble on the attack, and finishing with a shot on goal.
Two-Goal Soccer Shooting Training Session
This soccer shooting training session focuses on receiving a ground pass and shooting followed up with receiving a long ball and shooting on target.
1v1 Battle - Attacking and Reaction Drill
This 1v1 soccer battle drill will focus on the attacker's change of direction, change of pace, and burst of speed to the goal all while working on the defender's ability to close down the attacker quickly, reaction time, speed of recovery, and angles of defense.
2v2 Battle - Attacking and Defending Drill
This 2v2 soccer attacking and defending drill focuses on the attacker's decision to dribble, pass, or shoot. From the defensive side, they must quickly close down the attackers and deny space.
The Cristiano Ronaldo Speed Test
The Cristiano Ronaldo Speed Test is an individual assessment of ones ability to dribble the ball at pace while maintaining control.
1v1 Attacking and Reaction Drill
This 1v1 soccer attacking drill focuses on the attacker making quick faints, a change of direction, and a burst of speed while causing the defender to react quickly to the attacker's movements.
Figure Eight Dribbling Drill
The Figure Eight soccer dribbling drill is a good change to weaving in and out of cones and is great for dribbling with the inside and outside of the foot.
Zig-Zag Dribbling Drill
The Zig-Zag soccer dribbling drill focuses on dribbling with speed with the inside, the outside, and the bottom of the foot.
T-Cone Dribbling Drill
The T-Cone soccer dribbling drill is a great drill to focus on dribbling with speed, controlled touches, turns, and fitness.
Catch Me If You Can
The soccer dribbling drill is a fun and competitive exercise that focuses on dribbling with speed.
6 vs 4 Team Training Numbers
This 6 vs 4 team training drill focuses on team movement, communication, and passing. This is a great session to end on after an intense passing practice.
7v7 Scrimmage
A 7v7 scrimmage is a great way to end most of your training sessions. The 7 vs 7 allows players to focus on team tactics in realistic training situations and respond to problems presented in the full-sided game.
Line Passing Overlap Warm-up
This passing and overlapping warm-up soccer drill will help perfect the introduction of overlapping runs, playing off the pass, as well as teamwork through communication.
Line Passing Combination Warm-up
This combination passing drill is designed to work on combination play while advancing up the field. This passing drill focuses on the timing of passes, runs, combination play, and will be a great warm-up to passing practices.
Three Person Passing Combination
This passing combination drill that involves three players at a time. The combination sequence that will help perfect passing, combination play, movement off the ball, and will help improve player’s fitness level.
Circle Passing Overlap Combination
The circle passing overlap combination drill will focus on passing, combination play, overlapping, playing with speed, and playing to feet. This combination drill is an excellent passing warm-up drill that can be a great start to a passing practice that incorporates overlapping.
3v1 Rotating Defenders
This 3v1 game will focus on keeping possession in a tight space. Work on passing, decision making, movement on and off the ball as well as improve communication.
Circle Passing Combination Drill
The circle passing combination drill will focus on passing, communication, playing with speed, and playing to feet. This soccer passing drill is an excellent passing warm-up drill that can be a great start to a passing practice.
2v2 Quick Attacking Soccer Drill
This 2v2 soccer drill is a great game to work on quick attacking and defending skills. It is a very fast paced and dynamic soccer game that the kids will love.
Soccer Fitness; Improving Reaction and Acceleration
This soccer fitness exercise focuses on improving player's reaction time and acceleration.
Three Goal Shooting Drill
This soccer shooting fitness exercise is a great finishing drill for getting rapid shots on multiple goals and is also great for fitness.
Indoor Shooting Drill
This is a great indoor soccer shooting drill to use while practicing indoors. This indoor soccer shooting drill also touches on dribbling, passing, using the walls, and finally shooting on goal.
4v4 + Target Players with 2 Goals
The 4v4 + Target Players to 2 Goals is a great 4v4 soccer game that teaches players to play into their target player. This game adds a more realistic twist to the typical 4-on-4 soccer game.
Reaction, Acceleration, and Winning the Ball
This soccer drill focuses on reaction, acceleration, and winning 50-50 balls. This is a great warm-up drill when focusing on fitness, reaction time, or winning 50-50 balls.
Team Reaction Dribbling Drill
The team reaction dribbling drill is a fun soccer dribbling drill that focuses on dribbling and reacting to teammates.
Coach's Revenge
This drill is a fun soccer drill. It will focus a bit on young players' agility while dodging balls kicked at them and is a great ice breaker or a fun warm-up game at the beginning of practice.
1v1 50/50 to Goal Team Competition
This 1v1 soccer drill focuses on soccer fitness, scoring goals, shooting, goalkeeping, and winning 50-50 balls. This is a fun soccer drill for the younger soccer player.
Defensive Speed Course
This soccer fitness drill is designed to improve defensive speed and quickness in front of the goal. This exercise is intended to be more of a fitness training drill than a technical or tactical defensive soccer training drill.
Dribbling to Beat Defenders, Take on Defenders
The Dribbling to Beat Defenders, Take on Defenders drill is a great soccer drill to teach players to dribble at and beat defenders. It also focuses on other aspects of the game such as passing, receiving, and support. Teaches players to take on defenders.
Soccer Dribbling and Juggling Warm-up
This soccer drill is a great warm-up drill that allows players to work on touching the ball with all parts of the foot. If you want to improve players footwork and dribbling skills, this is an excellent start to each practice.
Soccer Pass and Move Drill
This soccer passing drill is a great drill to teach players movement, awareness, accuracy, timing, first touch and passing with all parts of the foot. This exercise is a good passing and moving soccer drill.
Jam-Packed Soccer Dribbling Drill
The Jam-Packed Soccer Dribbling Drill will give players confidence while dribbling through congested areas on the soccer field.
Extreme Tag Soccer Game
The Extreme Tag soccer game is a fun soccer drill that focuses on young soccer players dribbling skills and aids in player awareness. It is a great drill that causes players to change directions quickly to find space to avoid being tagged.
Quick Transition Game
This soccer drill is an excellent way to focus on attacking and defending and is ideal for teaching the basic principals of soccer. The game can be modified to illustrate many aspects of the game.
Traffic Jam Dribbling Game
This game is just out right fun! The kids will have a blast playing this game. This drill is ideal for kids who know how to dribble but just need to learn to get their heads up and dribble under the pressures of mere congestion.
1v1v1 Triangle Game
The 1v1v1 Triangle Game soccer drill focuses on attacking in a number-down situation. This game will encourage players to dribble, take players on, shield the ball from the defensive players, and the vision to find the open goal. Defensively this drill promotes players to stay aware of their defensive shape and tackling players on the dribble.
3-Minute Shooting Drill
This soccer drill allows the coach to focus on shooting, goalkeeping and clearing balls from the back. This drill is an excellent warmup to a shooting or clearing practice.
1v1 Transition Drill
This dynamic game will allow you to focus on the transition from offense to defense. This soccer transitional drill is designed to be played at a quick pace.
Combination Play - Improving 1-2 Combinations
This soccer passing drill focuses on improving 1-2 combination play. This drill focuses on short and long 1-2's and enhancing movement off the ball.
Combination Play; Improving 1-2 Combinations Part II
This soccer passing drill focuses on improving 1-2 combination play. This passing combination drill encourages good movement off the ball.
Four Corners Aggressiveness and Fitness Drill
This soccer drill focuses on aggressiveness in winning 50/50 balls and fitness. This drill will be more beneficial for players under 8 and older.
Criss-Cross Dribbling Game
The Criss-Cross dribbling drill focuses on the younger player. This dribbling drill assists players play with speed while keeping their heads up. Be warned, this drill can be dangerous for players who have a tendency of dribbling with their head down.
1v1 or 2v2 - Get Outta Here
This drill is a very fast paced 1v1 or 2v2 soccer game that focuses on aspects of the small sided game such as dribbling, passing, and scoring.
Dribbling with Speed
This dribbling exercise that works on speed dribbling and getting the ball under control while dribbling with speed.
Shooting Warmup
This shooting warm-up drill will focus on long-range passing, accuracy, and finishing. It can also be used as a fitness exercise by manipulating the numbers.
2v1 and 1v1 Possession Game
This soccer drill focuses on both possession and penetration. It helps to teach communication and switching the point of attack to keep possession and penetrate the defense.
Attacking from the Back
This soccer drill focuses on building an attack from the back starting with the keeper’s distribution. When performed on a full field this drill demands a great deal of fitness as it should be executed at top speed in a continuous fashion.
Handling Flighted Balls
This receiving soccer drill focuses on passing and receiving flighted balls during warm-up.
Accuracy Passing Under Pressure
This drill focuses on accurately passing under pressure, agility, and fitness.
3v3 Plus 3
This drill focuses on keeping possession. Passing, receiving, movement, and angle of support can be singled out. Causes players to look up and be aware of the surrounding players.
4v4 Soccer to a Small Gate
In Soccer, 4v4 is the smallest version of a full-sided game. While on the attack, to be successful in a four vs. four soccer match, players must penetrate via the pass, dribble, or shot; players must provide support to the player with the ball, and players need to create width to the field. On the defensive side, a player must pressure the ball to delay the attack, another player should cover for the player pressuring the ball, and the remaining two players balance the field of play. This 4v4 practice focuses on all aspects of the match, including attacking, defending, passing, receiving, supporting, penetrating, and spreading the field.