The structure for this session is as follows:

1. Warmup (Ages 12 and under warmup should just be… playing. Let the kids play to small sided goals, have fun, get into it)

2. Technical: Technical Passing Exercise

3. Tactical: 6 x 3 Transfer Rondo (adapt the numbers to your needs)

   1. Evolution: 6 v 6 + 6 to Goal

4. Small Sided Game: Consider adding a pass restriction before going to goal to reinforce the session’s focus areas.

Technical Passing

Setup: Organize 6-8 5 x 5 Boxes with a 2-3 yard gap in between each. Groups of three, each player stands on a corner of a box (there should be one empty corner per box,

Instruction:

• Pass & Run to the empty cone opposite the direction of your pass. (Pass to the left = run to the right).

• When Coach says “Go” or blows their whistle, each box passes to the next box over (clockwise)

• After each transition, switch the direction of the passing

Coaching Points:

• Emphasize Communication

• Body Shape: Knees bent, body over the Ball, opening their bodies (drop-step) to enable them to play straight ahead within 2 touches

• First Touch: First touches MUST setup the second touch

• Hips to Target: these spaces are tight and the squares are close to each other, requiring accuracy

• Speed of Play: the pace should be quick. Developing future elite players are communicating actively, on their toes, scanning before the ball is received, and focused

• Down & play: as soon as the transition period is over, get the ball back down and moving quickly. There should be no delay between the transition to moving the ball rapidly again.

Evolution:

• Switch the direction of the transition play between boxes

• Shift from passing & running to the opposite direction to wall passes at each corner

• Switch from passing to another box to dribbling to another box

Tactical - 6 v 3 Transfer Rondo

Setup: 2 x 25yd Boxes with a 10yd gap in between

• 3 teams of six

• One team in each box

• One team in the middle (between the boxes)

• All soccer balls in the middle

Instruction:

• Coach plays a ball into one of the boxes and the team in the middle is to send 3 defenders into the box to defend

• Team in possession must complete ten passes before they can switch the point of attack to the other box

• Once 10 passes (adjust the number of passes based on age/ability) are completed along with a switch, this equals a goal

• If the ball is turned over, the team that was in possession is now defending and coach is immediately playing a ball into the other box to give the other team the chance to get going

Please see the video below for a high level example

Transfer Rondo Example

Coaching Points

• Spacing & scanning

• Supporting each other with movement

• Playing into/out of tight spaces

• Playing quickly

• Playing away from pressure

• Forcing splits through mixtures of passing length

Evolution: 6 v 6 + 6

• Remove the channel from the rondo squares

  • Add a goal

    • Full sized if you have a GK

    • or two small/pug goals approximately 20yd away from the larger playing space

• Put all three teams in the space together, two teams in possession

• The team that gives the ball away is now defending

• After 10 passes, the team(s) in possession (it’s always 12 v 6 in this exercise) can play a through ball into the space between the goal(s) and the space of play to one player and the defending team can send one defender creating a 1v1 to goal.

Small Sided Game

I try to finish every session with a game, and it’s often just that. Give them 20-30 minutes to just play the game with no restrictions.

With that said, some restrictions or focuses you can consider layering into this session may be:

• Pass restrictions before going to goal

• A player or two who’s always with the team in possession to force overloading opportunities

• Adding wide channels they can play into after 5-10 passes that aren’t defendable to maximize scoring opportunities

Have a great week of training!

The session was conducted with boys and girls in the early high school age group. (2009s, 2010s)

Ever component of the session led into gameplay with numbers up in attack at all times.

This is a 90 minute session designed to focus on three essential components: technical, tactical, competition.

The technical segment of the session involved zero contact exercises with a high volume of repetition and touches. On the ball work starts Early and in the warm-up by graduating from dynamic stretching right into getting players on the ball half with the ball half without the ball and just getting them moving in space. While they are dribbling, we as coaches call out different exercise movements like turn or takeover.

Technical: High volume of repetition on basic combination play

Setup: 20 × 20 square with one cone in the middle of the square

Positioning: All soccer balls in one corner, 2-3 players at each corner

Instruction: play a square pass to your teammate, teammate takes the ball on the dribble attacking center cone, first passer makes overlapping run, player on the dribble lays the ball off, overlapping player plays the pass straight ahead and stays at that cone. Player passing the overlapping pass continues diagonally to the next cone.

I found an excellent and short video that is a perfect representation of this exercise. During our session, I evolved this exercise using the same set up to focus on giving go.

Overlapping Drill

Tactical

Setup: Half of half field long ways with two goals. Soccer balls at midfield with coach

Positioning: three attackers who will stay on, two defenders on either side

Instruction: coach will play the ball into the attacking group attacking group attacks one goal when the ball goes out or there’s a goal scored. They immediately look for a ball from Coach and turn and attack the other side the defenders who are just on step off and once the ball is dead on the other side, the attackers turn and attack the other goal and the other defenders rotate. I recommend 5 to 10 repetitions depending on the intensity level at age before rotating the midfielders out.

One specific thing I added to this session was the requirement of a combination play like a given go or an overlap before they were permitted to go to goal. I also purposefully did not have goalkeepers in this portion of the session because the emphasis was on attacking with numbers and combining more than anything else.

Here is a helpful resource to illustrate this exercise:

3 v 2 Attacking Drill

Competition

Set up: half field with goalkeepers goals at midfield in the end line.

Positioning: retain the same teams from the previous exercise. Identify two players who are always in attack so that the attacking team is always in a numerical advantage to bring the session home and get as many opportunities to attack with numbers as possible in a competitive setting.

Instruction: use the extra player or two who are always in attack to support creating combination place to goal with a numerical advantage in attack over defense. Coach to spacing and off the ball running and emphasize the use of these midfielders in transition.

In every session, I try to do as much as we can with the ball. From warmup to conditioning/fitness, I want to maximize the number of touches the player is getting across a wide variety of exercises. 

Consider how your sessions evolve when you’re working with individuals or small groups. Take a pillar of the game (passing, dribbling, shooting, etc.) and build on it by increasing the technical and physical difficulty throughout the session, reaching a peak of intensity. This session’s intensity peaked in the middle of the session with on-the-ball conditioning, then the intensity tapered back down to refocus on developing skill without the physical intensity. 

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Let’s get into it:  

Warmup — Gentle Running & Dynamic stretching (10 min)

Followed by: 

Play with the ball, show me your moves! (no structure, just mess with the ball, have fun with it, knock it around)

Pass with coach: passing, moving, checking in on the player 

Dribbling: Cone Line (20 min)

• Touch Every Single Step: touch every step alternating feet through the whole line of cones. We’re coaching to 2-3 touches each cone, cones spaced about a foot and a half apart (should be a very tight space). You’re looking for their body over the ball (knees bent, lowering their center of gravity), under control, gentle tight touches, and you’re not worried about speed here. 

  • 2-3 repetitions each foot, 10-15 cones 

• One Cut Each Cone, Single Foot: Either inside of the foot to outside or outside of the foot to inside, guide your athlete to use one cut to navigate the line. In this exercise we’re transitioning from the softest touches imaginable to one touch to move past the target (cone) and the next touch past the next target in the opposite direction. 

  • 2-3 repetitions each foot, 10-15 cones. 

• Both Feet — Inside to Outside: Now we want to see some rhythm and balance. You’re looking for a touch with the inside of the foot followed by a touch with the outside of the foot. Then, with the opposite foot, do the same in the opposite direction through the line of cones. 

Break — Water and Rest — At the beginning of the session, I inform the player(s) where the hard work is. Take this moment to remind them that it’s time to work and we’re moving into the meat of the session. We are expecting a strong effort with a focus on conditioning with the ball at your feet. 

• Slalom (3-4 yards between cones) alternating feet (tight touches under control).

  • Looking for lateral/diagonal speed then control and tight touches around the cone and explosive transitions away from the cone. This is hard work. The space between the cones should be covered as fast as possible with the ball on their feet then slowing down enough to be able to make clean turns around the cone.

• Gate dribbling: aka sprinting with the ball

  • Using the same setup as the slaloms, ask your player(s) to picture a breakaway moment or a moment with lots of space and push the ball forward and cover the distance, under control as fast as possible.

  • I demand a walk/very light jog back with the ball on the return. The recovery should be the recovery.

• Gate dribbling: touching every step alternating feet each rep (80-90% effort).

  • If the perceived effort from the last drill was a 10 or all out, this should be 80% to 90% of their maximum effort.

Here’s a good example of the setup and drill flow:

Wall Work: High Volume of Touches, Dial Back the Intensity

• Starting close to the wall:

  • 2 x 20 touches inside of the foot on the left, then on the right

  • 2 x 20 touches outside of the foot on the left, then on the right

  • 2 x 20 touches with the laces

• Backing up a few feet but staying on the wall: passing accuracy

  • Directional wall/put three cones together: receive and pass the ball off the wall behind the cones and receive the ball on the opposite side of the cone wall receive anyway you like and play it back any way you like and repeat. Stay in this for 5-10 minutes

  • Evolving the First Drill — Turn & pass: convert the cone wall to a cone gate. Now we are playing into the wall, ball back through the gate, receive it on turn & pass with two touches

    • Shift the pass from a pass on the ground, short, to a longer pass in the air where the player follows the ball and checks in to receive back on the ground to turn and accelerate to the wall and play into the wall back through the cone gate and repeating

In supplement, here is a good reference for what this work can look like and the basic cone wall setup when using a wall:

Have a great week everyone! Please reach out with any questions or suggestions!

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Why Fartlek Running is a Game-Changer for Soccer Players

Fartlek is one of the best training methods to achieve the highest levels of cardiovascular fitness. This Swedish training technique, which means "speed play," is a perfect fit for soccer players due to the unpredictable pace and need for bursts of speed players face in every soccer game. Fartlek training is also a key training strategy for the world’s greatest distance runners. In some cases, they will embark on a long run and pick random landmarks to run faster to, then slow down (not stop) afterwards. The on-again/off-again nature of Fartlek mirrors game-like conditions nicely. Plus: it’s not just more sprints. Here is an example of the world’s best marathoner working his way through a Fartlek session (from Sweat Elite): :

What is Fartlek Running?

Fartlek training involves alternating between different speeds during a run. Unlike traditional interval training, which has set rest periods, Fartlek running is more fluid—players transition between sprinting, jogging, and steady-paced running based on feel or structured cues. During a soccer practice, Fartlek training can be combined with strength circuits to diversify the workload and get more bang for our buck during a conditioning session.

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Why is Fartlek Running Ideal for Soccer?

1. Simulates Game Conditions

Soccer is far from a steady-state endurance sport. Players constantly shift between walking, jogging, stopping, jumping, running hard, running harder and all-out sprinting. Fartlek running mimics this variability, preparing players for real-game scenarios.

2. Improves Speed and Acceleration

Short, high-intensity bursts within a Fartlek session help players develop explosive speed, a crucial component for breaking past defenders and winning duels.

3. Boosts Stamina and Endurance

By alternating intensities, players build the endurance needed to sustain high performance for a full 90 minutes.

4. Enhances Recovery Time

The ability to recover quickly between sprints is essential. Fartlek training teaches players to manage fatigue and maintain performance throughout a match.

5. Develops Mental Toughness

Since Fartlek running lacks strict structure, it challenges players to push themselves based on effort rather than time or distance, improving mental resilience.

How to Implement Fartlek Training in Soccer Practice

Here’s a simple yet effective Fartlek routine tailored for soccer players:

1. Warm-Up (10 minutes)

- Light jogging, dynamic stretching, and mobility drills.

2. Fartlek Session (20-30 minutes)

- 0-5 min: Steady jogging at relative effort. The easiest way to gauge ease is whether or not the players can talk at this pace. If they aren’t talking while running with ease it is too fast.

- 5-7 min: Sprint for 10 seconds, jog for 30 seconds, repeat

- 7-10 min: Moderate pace with occasional acceleration bursts

- 10-12 min: Sprint for 15 seconds, jog for 45 seconds, repeat

- 12-15 min: Return to a steady pace

- Repeat the cycle as needed

3. Cool Down (10 minutes)

- Light jogging followed by slow dynamic stretching into static stretching.

Other Examples: Incorporating HIIT

This example from FourFourTwo is an excellent session to work on pre-season/offseason fitness. It is also effective in-season but the efforts mid-week require more delicate management to ensure match-day fitness.

Here’s another example from Aren Dobbs, while this is a classic that anyone who played the game at any level in their youth’s experienced it’s still a staple and the easiest way to incorporate the recovery period between sets of work. The players who aren’t working are incentivized to take it easy to get a longer break which is critical to get peak speed during the interval:

Challenge Your Players

Fartlek sessions can happen on the field, the track, the trail, or on the sidewalks of the road. Essentially, they can happen anywhere. Emphasize that the hard intervals should be hard, and the easy/jogs/recoveries should be easy.

We need our athletes to work harder in practice than in the game. Game day should be fun, and the only way to get players ready to compete at the highest level is by pushing the needle on physical efforts in training.

Recovery is equally important for challenging athletes physically. Balance the session or week of training accordingly.

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The Cruyff Turn is one of the most effective moves in soccer, allowing players to change direction quickly while shielding the ball from defenders. Named after Johan Cruyff, the move is a must-have in any player’s skill set. Not only is it a critical tool in any player’s tool kit, practicing the Cru…

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This week will focus on a 45-60 minute session intended for one athlete. These exercises can be scaled up to a team workout, which we will detail at the end. 

In this session, you will do everything with a ball at the athlete’s feet: everything.

For this workout you will need:

• Cones

• 1 ball, minimum

• HINT: In a pinch, you can be creative and use shoes, shirts, or other items to layout the training space (s). We have all been in situation where equipment is lacking. Also, many times using markings on a training area can be helpful in setting aside your training spaces. Don’t let lack of equipment or official markings hinder you from using your imagination and adapting.

Key takeaways for the athlete:

• Why control under pressure is critical

• How to exercise their first touch into gameplay (action) under pressure

• Converting their first touch and action into an accurate and effective pass

Flow:

• Warmup: coach’s choice

  • Recommended: 10-15 minutes of progressive jogging, running, sprinting

  • Dynamic stretching (stretching in motion)

  • Colder weather may require a longer warm-up. Also, some athletes may need more time than others. As you get to know your athletes this will become evident.

  • In the example below, note the varied motions used to prepare the athletes bodies for the types of activity the players will be performing in your sessions.

Dynamic Stretching, Example:

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Let’s transition to a technical warmup, start by creating a large box (20 steps between cones)

• If you are on a field, use the 18 yard box as a reference (or just use the 18)

Warmup Progression: Instruct the athlete to focus on quality touches and maintaining vision of the field, not speed, effort should be relatively easy. (10 minutes):

1. Dribble the ball touching every step with the instep (laces) using all of the space in the box (2 minutes)

2. Dribble the ball touching every step alternating between the inside of either foot and the outside of either foot (2 minutes)

3. Dribble the ball touching every step with the sole of their foot, rolling the ball, using the entire space (2 minutes)

4. Back to using the instep, instruct the athlete to touch every step until you say “Go” in which case they will turn with the ball and accelerate (touching every step) going as fast as they can to the line of the box furthest away from them (2 minutes, 1 rep every 30 seconds for 4 reps total)

5. Free movement for 2 minutes, any direction, touch the ball every step using any part of every step. Hold up numbers with your hand, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - 10 fingers. While the athlete is dribbling ask them to call out the numbers on your hand (s) and be in motion so they must do the exercise while seeing you. This emphasizes the importance of seeing the field ( i.e. passing, shooting target (s) at all times). The more confident the athlete is on the ball the more efficient and effective the player will be. If they see options to get out of pressure quickly they can make decisions quickly under pressure also.

The Small Box - 20 Minutes

On Soccer Training Weekly, we will come back to tight spaces a lot. Technical ability is the foundation on which our philosophy will be built. The greatest players and teams demonstrate the most comprehensive mastery of the ball. Their ability to make the ball do what they want it to do empowers them to play the game versus worrying about what the ball is going to do when they receive it.

Exercise Progression

Coach is in blue (in a group setting, training player in the box, supporting player outside of the box 10-12 yards away).

Box should be small, 1-2 feet (maximum) outside of the athlete’s feet in a natural standing position.

Goals of the exercise:

• Practicing their first touch by controlling the ball in a tight space

• Practicing their first touch with a varying types of inbound passes

• Practicing using their first touch to go somewhere and their second touch to play an accurate pass

You should be reinforcing:

• Tight control

• First touches that lead to an accurate pass on the second touch

• Heads up, eyes up under pressure/constraint (remember to gradually increase the various pressure mechanisms, i.e. limit space, limit time, introduce defenders)

You should be coaching:

• Loose control

  • WATCH: Why was the touch out of control? What mechanical errors were made, or was the error a lapse in focus? Coach both in the moment, reinforcing the why behind the laser focus on control (just be sure to give the athletes the chance to make some errors rather than stopping the exercise too often, make the majority of your coaching points while the athlete (s) are doing the exercise).

• Eyes down: coaching approach depends on the skill of your athlete. Eyes down far enough to see the ball means they’re thinking nothing ahead and are prepared for the next step; they’re only thinking about the ball and what to do with it. If your athlete is developing their technical ability, build into your coaching approach here.

1. Coach passes the ball, at a moderate and controllable pace, to their athlete inside the box. 5 minutes (if the coach has no experience passing a soccer ball, a teammate can be used)

   1. Their first touch cannot make the ball leave the box, we’re simply looking for a first touch to keep the ball within the box.

   2. Pass back to you, accurately: are their hips facing you? Is their plant leg next to the ball with their plant foot just ahead of the ball? Is their passing leg following through towards you (picture a great putt)? Did the ball arrive with pace and to you accurately?

2. Coach passes the ball with almost unreasonable levels of pace without regard to the quality of the pass: you will DELIBERATELY play “hospital balls” (aka bad passes) into the box/playing area. At this point: we’ve done a dynamic warmup and had hundreds of touches. Your athlete should be warm and in rhythm. 10 minutes.

   1. Same focus: Their first touch cannot make the ball leave the box; we’re simply looking for a first touch to keep the ball within the box.

   2. Pass back to you, accurately: are their hips facing you? Is their plant leg next to the ball with their plant foot just ahead of the ball? Is their passing leg following through towards you (picture a great putt)? Did the ball arrive with pace and to you?

   3. Now we’re LASER focused on the first touch being the preparatory touch, the second touch, a pass. The inbound passes should be much more difficult; your athlete will have their first touches exceed the barriers of the box. That’s okay. Catch them doing something great: celebrate the first touches that stick like glue.

3. Back to a normal pass: Coach passes the ball into the box, but this time we want a different behavior. Now we want our athletes to take the ball in motion and under control, followed by an accurate pass. 10 minutes

   1. Instruct your athlete to use their first touch, alternating directions, to push the ball just outside of the box.

   2. Their second touch is to play the ball back to you accurately with the same foot they controlled it with.

   3. You’re coaching for: intentional first touches, accurate passes back. Again: hips squared to the target (you), follow through to you, using great footwork to make sure that happens. (In future Soccer Training Weekly posts, we will share footwork and conditioning exercises.)

Cool Down

In a personal session (with one athlete), this can fill a full hour with more progressions that we will cover and add in future weeks. You can also evolve this into more skill work. As a personal session, cool down with gentle jogging and dynamic stretching followed by a short period of dynamic stretching.

Ask your athlete what their key takeaways were and ask them to tell you why we worked on these skills today. Share where they excelled and what they need to work on.

A master of control under pressure was Xavi. Xavi was a central midfielder for one of the greatest Barcelona teams in history, winning championships alongside Messi. In the video below, you’ll notice, in detail, that Xavi never receives the ball standing still, and his eyes are always up. Xavi knows what his options are before he receives the ball, and this clip is an excellent instructional reference for you to observe excellent behaviors in your session and celebrate them with your athlete.

Recommended Products

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Hi-Vis Disc Cones via Soccer.com

Adidas Soccer Ball Bag

Soccer Ball Options

Reference: Soccer Ball Size Guide

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Dan is a retired USSF A Licensed College Coach and former Western Region NCAA Coach of the Year. He spent his coaching career coaching kids in soccer camps, club teams, and college teams. For over 4 decades, Dan coached talented athletes at all levels and knows how to get the most out of them.

As for me, I grew up on the soccer field next to dad. My childhood was all about soccer, watching my dad (Coach Dan) coach kids and young adults in all settings. After a club soccer career, I went on to play in college and become a USSF E Licensed coach. My coaching experience is based on my playing experiences, coaching a youth team, and coaching private clients. The game is in our DNA and we’re excited to empower and equip coaches at all levels with the tools to elevate their sessions, write new sessions or give them the inspiration to create something new.

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