Soccer Possession Drills
Soccer possession drills, exercises, and training sessions to effortlessly move the ball around the pitch and away from your opponent.
Soccer Possession Drills
Possession is a key aspect of soccer that allows teams to control the game and create scoring opportunities. This page features drills designed to improve passing, movement, and decision-making to help players maintain and regain possession effectively.
4v4 + Keeper to Full-Size Goals
This drill simulates real match conditions by developing players' ability to attack, defend, and transition in small-sided play. It encourages quick decision-making, team communication, and finishing with the added challenge of goalkeepers.
3v3 Plus Keepers to Full-Size Goals
This drill improves small-group attacking and defending, finishing under pressure, and goalkeeper distribution. It simulates game-like conditions in a compact space, encouraging quick decisions and dynamic play.
2v1 with Keepers
Develops attacking players' ability to exploit numerical advantages in a 2v1 situation. Encourages defenders to delay and disrupt play while improving goalkeeper distribution and decision-making.
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.
4v4+1 Corner Support Rondo
This drill improves quick passing, spatial awareness, and teamwork by encouraging players to use both central and corner support players to maintain possession. Players develop composure under pressure and transition awareness.
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.
4v4+4 Continuous Transition Rondo
This drill enhances quick decision-making, possession retention, and defensive pressing. Players develop composure under pressure, transition speed, and teamwork through a continuous cycle of possession and defending.
4v4+3 Continuous Transition Rondo
This drill develops quick decision-making, first-touch passing, defensive pressing, and transition play. Players learn to maintain possession under pressure while reacting instantly to role changes when possession shifts.
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.
4-Goal Game
The 4-Goal Game drill simulates match conditions, encouraging players to switch the point of attack while maintaining team shape. This drill focuses on quick ball circulation to retain possession and balance the field to prevent counterattacks. The objective is to develop players' spatial awareness, movement, and strategic positioning under game-like pressure.
3v1 Transition Rondo
The 3v1 Transition Rondo drill emphasizes quick combination passing to unbalance the defender and shift the point of attack to an adjacent grid. This exercise challenges the defender to transition rapidly between areas, enhancing their ability to react under pressure. The focus is on sharp passing and strategic movement to exploit defensive weaknesses.
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.
2v2 + 1 to Two Goals
This is a 2v2 + 1 attacking soccer game is played to two goals with a free attacker on the end line between the two goals. This game focuses on playing the ball forward to your target player before going to goal.
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.
2v2 with Target Players to Small Goals
This 2v2 drill focuses on penetrating passes to a target player to stretch the field and finish on goal.
4v1 Rondo
This rondo variation is geared for younger player or players you are just introducing to the rondo training.
Rondo Soccer Drill
This rondo soccer drill is the rondo at its simplest. This rondo game is great as a warm-up drill to a game, or a drill for your practice session.
Circle Rondo Soccer Drill
This circle rondo soccer drill is a great warm-up drill before a game, or a drill for your practice session.
4v2 Soccer Game to Goal
This 4v2 game will focus on building an attack near the penalty area and getting shots on goal. Forwards will have to make a decision to turn and score or lay the ball off to the mid-fielder. The focus of this drill is score, score, score!
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.
Clean Your Room
This soccer game is a great drill for U5 through U8 players. The clean your room soccer drill will focus on dribbling under pressure while also working on defensive pressure as an individual or a small group.
Center Mid Passing Combination 1
This is a great combination passing drill that will help focus on combination play and playing diagonal balls.
Center Mid Passing Combination 2
This combination passing drill focuses on center mid play and playing diagonal balls in the direction they are facing.
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.
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.
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.
2v2+4 Passing, Possession, Combination
This 2v2+4 soccer drill will focus on passing, possession, and combination play. This is a great small-sided soccer game when you want to perfect composure of players in tight spaces.
Triangle Goal Game
The Triangle Goal Soccer Game will focus on all aspects of the game such as passing, moving, and finishing. The players will have to work together as a team to quickly off-balance the defender and catch the goalkeeper off guard.
5 Pass Possession Game
This passing drill focuses on holding possession and completing a series of passes. This possession passing drill will work on awareness, speed of play, support, and movement to maintain possession.
4v2 Angle of Support
This 4v2 soccer game will help perfect early support, movement without the ball, and good angle and support distance.
3v1 Early Support
This 3v1 soccer drill focuses on supporting the player with the ball, early support, moving without the ball, proper supporting angle, and good distance of support.
Circle Keep-Away Passing Game
This keep-away game is a fun passing exercise for younger players that focuses on the passing game while playing keep away.
Receiving the Ball with Back to Goal
This soccer receiving drill will focus on chest, thigh, and fast traps and control. This receiving exercise teaches players to turn, shield, or play the way they face when their back is to the goal.
2v1, Receiving while Facing the Defender
This soccer ball control drill aims to work on trapping and control with the foot, thigh, and chest while facing an opponent.
World Cup Soccer Drill
The World Cup Soccer Drill is a great shooting game for kids of all ages. The World Cup Soccer game is a great drill to work on game-like situations while numbers down.
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.
Speed of Play Warm-up
This soccer drill is a great warm-up to sessions relating to the speed of play in a soccer game. Players must have a good grasp of necessary passing and receiving skills to execute this soccer drill successfully.
1v1, 1v2, 2v2 - 4 goal game
This 1v1, 2v2 to multiple goals soccer drill puts soccer players in 1v1 and 2v2 situations with multiple goals. 1v1 soccer helps players focus on penetration by forcing the player to dribble to beat their opponent and allows players to make the attack unpredictable through creativity. Your kids will love this soccer drill!
Lane Spacing and Separation Soccer Game
This soccer game uses lanes to divide the soccer field into three equal areas to teach spacing and separation to young soccer players.
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.
Improving Combination Play
The Improving Combination Play drill will help improve combination play as well as switching the point of attack. Use this soccer drill when you are organizing a soccer practice around passing and moving.
Improving Speed of Play - Passing Drill
This soccer drill is designed to improve the speed of play, decision making, and passing accuracy under pressure.
Soccer End Zone Game
The soccer end zone game is a great soccer drill that will help coaches focus on all aspects of attacking and defending in soccer. With incorporating end zones into the game, it gives players a chance to learn to attack space behind the defense and allows defenders to learn how to deny space behind them.
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.
Finding the Target Player
The Finding the Target Player possession passing drill is designed to encourage midfield and defensive players to look up the field to find the "Target Player" and play into that Target player.
Angle of Support Soccer Possession Drill
The Angle of Support Soccer Possession Drill is a soccer passing drill for teaching young players angle of support and spacing.
Split the Defenders Passing Game
The split the defenders passing game, soccer passing drill is excellent for a little more advanced player from 10 years old to 14 years and focuses on passing to split two defenders.
Four Corners Passing Game
The Four Corners Passing Game is a great soccer passing drill to focus on changing the point of the attack, and timing of runs and passes.
Guard the Castle
The Guard the Castle drill is a great small-sided game that focuses on passing in numbers up situations. This soccer passing game is a fun drill the kids will love it!
5v2 Angle of Support Passing Drill
The purpose of this soccer passing drill is to focus on players angle of support, the weight of passes and the quality of 1st touch.
Knock Out
This drill is a great warm-up drill for dribbling sessions as it focuses on dribbling and ball control, keeping the head up, change of direction and change of pace.
2v2 Challenge
This 2v2 soccer drill focuses on putting players in 2 vs. 2 situations while attacking the goal. The dynamics of the games works on transitioning, and fitness demands on the players can be intense at times.
4v4 Playing Wide Out of the Back
This drill is designed to get players to play balls wide when playing from the back, the defensive third of the field. Players recognize that they find more time and space on the outsides of the field and they are relieving the center of the pitch from dangerous play.
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.
4v4 Zone Game
This 4v4 possession soccer drill helps players keep possession for a purpose with short and long passing combinations. This drill also allows one to focus on defensive transition by quickly close down space and eliminate passing lanes.
4v2 and 3v1 Rondo; Finding Target Players
This 4v2 and 3v1 rondo soccer drill focuses on playing the target players from the attacking third of the field.
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.
2v1 ATTACKING RONDO
This drill focuses on attacking in a number’s up situation and opening up and finding the attacker in a 1v1 situation. This drill puts much emphasis on good passing, receiving and general possession.
Attacking from the Midfield
This attacking soccer drill focuses on building an attack from the midfield and focuses on the midfield players getting forward into the attacking third.
3v1 - Attacking the Goal
This attacking soccer drill focus on the attacking movement and composure in front of the goal. Players will become comfortable in front of the goal and will be able to recognize situational play.
Attacking the End Line Crossing Game
This drill focuses on attacking from the end line from the flanks and serving a ball in. This is a great crossing game to isolate the flank players and getting them to serve the ball in front of the goal.
3v2 Flying Changes
This drill is designed to focus on all aspects of the game in a 3v2 situation. Mainly runs of attackers, angle of support, passing vs. shooting decisions, defensive shape, and recovery runs, along with working on mental attentiveness.
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.
5v2 Rotating Defenders
This 5v2 drill will focus on keeping possession by making good passes as well as good passing decisions, moving to open space, and good communication.
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.