Football drills
Free · No sign-up · With diagrams
The drills from the blog’s training sessions, with diagrams, on one page: filter by age group, objective, the number of players you have and the space, and open each one in the tactics board to adapt it to your session. Every three days, a new drill from the Coaching Notebooks books is added.
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Distribution under pressure
6–8 players · Quarter pitch · 15 min · medium intensity
Keeper and two centre-backs play out against two pressing forwards, aiming to pass or dribble through side gates 25 m from goal.
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Transition rondo
6–18 players · groups of 6 · 12×12 m · 8 min · medium intensity
Four keep the ball against two in a 12×12 m box; on a regain the two try to escape through a gate while the losers counter-press.
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5v5 plus 2 with a counter-press bonus
12 players · 35×36 m · 18 min · high intensity
Two teams of five plus two side neutrals in 35×36 m score by dribbling over the end line or 10 passes, with a bonus for 5-second regains.
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Partial 11v11: attack, lose, counter-press
15–18 players · Full pitch · 23 min · high intensity
Eight players, two of them centre-backs as rest defence, attack a back four, two midfielders and a goalkeeper, who counter through gates at halfway.
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8v8 transition game
18 players · Full pitch · 22 min · high intensity
An 8v8 plus goalkeepers between the penalty boxes at full width, rewarding fast goals after regains and 5-second counter-press wins.
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Hold-up and lay-off
6–10 players · 20×20 m · 10 min · medium intensity
A striker with a defender behind holds up a pass from a server and lays it off for arriving midfielders to shoot in a 20×20 m area.
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1v1 to 2v2 in a channel
5–10 players · 20×30 m · 12 min · high intensity
Defenders serve to attackers and defend a 20×30 m channel in front of a goal with a goalkeeper, progressing from 1v1 to 2v2.
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1v1 in the wide channel
5–7 players · 15×30 m · high intensity
Full-backs serve to wingers and defend a 15×30 m channel along the touchline, steering them down the line rather than inside.
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Game with wide free zones
16 players · 40×50 m · 15 min · high intensity
5v5 plus goalkeepers on a 50×40 m pitch with protected 6 m wide channels where wide players cross for runners.
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Receive, turn and shoot
4–10 players · Quarter pitch · medium intensity
A striker checks towards one of two servers 25 m out, turns with the first touch and shoots with the second against a goalkeeper.
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Rondo 5v2
7–21 players · groups of 7 · 12×12 m · 6 min · medium intensity
Five players around a grid keep the ball from two defenders inside, moving along the edge to create passing angles.
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Three-zone line-breaking game
8–9 players · 30×45 m · medium intensity
Three players beat a presser to find a midfielder marked in a middle zone, who turns and passes to targets on the end line.
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Centre-back step-in game
6–9 players · Half pitch · medium intensity
Goalkeeper, two centre-backs and a holding midfielder build out against two forwards on half a 9v9 pitch to reach targets 35 m out.
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Pass and follow square
8–12 players · 15×15 m · 5 min · low intensity
Players at the four corners of a 12–15 m square pass to the next cone and follow their pass, keeping the drill flowing.
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4v4 to four mini-goals
8 players · 25×30 m · high intensity
Two teams of four each attack two mini-goals and defend two on a 30×25 m pitch without goalkeepers, encouraging switches of play.
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3v3 end-zone game
6 players · 20×30 m · high intensity
A 3v3 on 30×20 m with 5 m end zones, where a team scores by receiving a pass in the zone after a timed run.
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Colour gate box
6 players · groups of 6 · 15×15 m · 10 min · medium intensity
Midfielder in a 15×15 m box receives from a server and turns through the colour gate called by the coach in one or two touches.
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Ball-side arrival takes the ball
6–12 players · 22×25 m · 21 min · high intensity
1v2 that becomes 2v2 to mini-goals, where the backup goes to the ball or takes the spare player depending on their side; works on called switches.
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Positional rondo 3v3+3
9–18 players · groups of 9 · 25×30 m · 18 min · medium intensity
Two teams of three plus three neutrals (one at each end, one central) in 30×25 m; losing the ball triggers a 5-second counter-press.
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4v4 with goalkeepers
10–20 players · 20×30 m · 20 min · high intensity
Short, intense 4v4 bouts with goalkeepers and portable goals, while waiting teams feed balls from the sides to keep play continuous.
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3v2 transition waves
7–20 players · Half pitch · 14 min · high intensity
Three attackers face two defenders on half a pitch; the defenders then counter against a new single defender towards a mini-goal at halfway.
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9v9 on 70×50 m
18–20 players · 50×70 m · 16 min · medium intensity
A 9v9 on 70×50 m (3-2-3 v 3-3-2) where a goal within 8 seconds of winning the ball counts double.
How to use the library
Pick the age group and the objective of the session and enter how many players you have: the list only shows the drills that fit, including those run in parallel groups. Each card shows the space, duration and intensity, and opens the full drill sheet.
From diagram to session
"Open in the tactics board" opens the diagram with the same players, cones, mini goals and zones, named after the drill. Change what you need and send the link to your coaches on WhatsApp, no account needed.
Frequently asked questions
Are the drills free?
Yes. The library, the tactics board and the blog sessions are free and need no sign-up.
Where do the drills come from?
From the training sessions on the DorsalCUP blog. Each drill sheet links to the section of the article where the drill is explained, with the context of the session.
Can I share a search or my favourites?
Yes. The filters are kept in the page address and favourites are shared with a link: whoever opens it sees the same drills, no account needed.