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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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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Three-zone build-up game
12 players · Half pitch · 20 min · medium intensity
Defenders build against a forward and look for a free midfielder between the lines, aiming to reach a target in the front zone.
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9v9 with conditions
16–18 players · 46×73 m · 27 min · high intensity
Full 9v9 match in two halves where receiving between the lines and pressing regains in the opponent's half earn bonuses.
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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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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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3v2 from the goalkeeper to an end zone
6 players · Quarter pitch · medium intensity
The goalkeeper and three players build out against two defenders and score by controlling the ball inside an end zone.
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Positional rondo 4+2 v 3
9–18 players · groups of 9 · 18×20 m · 11 min · medium intensity
Four side players and two central players keep the ball against three pressers in 20×18 m, scoring by switching sides through a central player.
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Build-up 7v5 to gates
12 players · Half pitch · 23 min · high intensity
Goalkeeper, back four and two midfielders play out against five pressers and score through one of three gates about 35 m from goal.
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The pattern of the day
7–21 players · groups of 7 · Half pitch · low intensity
Unopposed rehearsal on half a pitch of a build-up pattern: centre-back, full-back, 8 in the half-space, 6, then the far winger.
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Positional game 7v7 plus 3
17 players · 44×50 m · 26 min · medium intensity
Two teams of seven plus three neutrals in 50×44 m split into five lanes, scoring by receiving in a half-space and playing forward.
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Phase of play: overload to isolate
19 players · Half pitch · 28 min · high intensity
Ten attackers progress from halfway against a mid-block of eight and a goalkeeper, overloading one side then switching to isolate the far winger.
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.