Drill library
24 drills
Soccer Zoo
Soccer · K–1st grade
No balls. Call elephant arm swings, bunny hops, frog jumps, crab walks, bear crawls, and giraffe reaches. Finish with a short cheetah sprint to a cone and back. Keep transitions quick. Earlier routines also included monkey high knees and horse butt kickers. This is a 2–3 minute warm-up.
Free Movement Warm-Up
Soccer · K–1st grade
From the original kindergarten station plan. Spread out without balls. Lead hopping, skipping, sidesteps, backward movement, turns, jogging, and jumping jacks. Use Simon Says or follow-the-leader as an optional format. Keep movements short and controlled.
Driving My Car
Soccer · K–1st grade
From the original station plan. Give each player a ball in a 25 x 20 area with four cone towns. Call first gear (slow), second gear (faster), third gear (fast), TURN, and HIT THE BRAKES. Players visit towns without crashing. Progression: make the middle a lake to cross quickly, or point to a town for players to visit.
Free Movement and Freeze
Soccer · K–1st grade
From the original station plan. Each player dribbles freely in a 15 x 20 yard grid. On STOP, stop the ball and freeze in a goofy pose. Restart and repeat. Use as the first part of the Free Movement Progression, followed by Body Part Dribbling.
Body Part Dribbling
Soccer · K–1st grade
Second part of the original Free Movement Progression. Every player dribbles in a 15 x 20 yard grid. Call a body part and have players stop the ball with it. Give time to balance and reset before dribbling again. The full station, including explanation, was capped at 10 minutes.
Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light
Soccer · K–1st grade
Each player has a ball. Green means dribble, yellow means tiny touches, and red means stop with the sole. Add U-turn to reverse direction and pothole to move around an obstacle with the outside of the foot. Repeat the commands in different orders.
Passing Gates / Partner Passing Challenge
Soccer · K–1st grade
Set six wide gates using 12 cones for 12 players. One ball per pair. Start partners about 4–5 feet apart on opposite sides of a gate. Pass through the gate, stop the ball, and return it. Progress by increasing distance, narrowing the gate, or trying the other foot. Also used as an untimed arrival activity with players or helpers.
Treasure Hunt
Soccer · K–1st grade
Spread cone treasures around the playing area. Each player dribbles to a treasure, touches it, then finds a different treasure. Keep the ball under control while looking for the next destination. Continue moving rather than lining up.
Trick-or-Treat
Soccer · K–1st grade
Set out cone houses and give every player a ball. On Trick-or-treat, visit a house for a treat. Pumpkin means sole stop, Witch means U-turn, and Ghost means toe touches. Earlier version: dribble to the cones, park the ball, collect one cone treat, and return. Use one version at a time.
Find Your House
Soccer · K–1st grade
Included in the September pass-and-move planning. Make small cone houses. Players dribble into an empty house, then leave to find another. Progress by asking for a change of direction or no repeat visits to the same house. A later challenge adds two defenders.
Feed the Lion / Pass-and-Move Shooting
Soccer · K–1st grade
Use two small groups and two goals. Player A dribbles and passes to B, then immediately moves forward into space. B returns the pass. A receives and shoots to feed the lion, retrieves the ball, and rotates roles. Earlier versions included dribble-pass-receive-shoot; the Pass & Go proposal uses the same pass-and-move sequence. Cue: pass, move, receive, shoot.
Chase the Cheetah / Cheetah Chase
Soccer · K–1st grade
An attacker starts with the ball and a defender behind. The attacker dribbles toward goal and finishes with a shot. Start with the defender chasing without stealing, then allow a true 1v1. Rotate roles. September 19 progression: use two attackers against one defender and choose whether to pass or dribble; allow about 5 minutes for that progression within the block.
Steal the Bacon
Soccer · K–1st grade
Split players into two teams on opposite sides and give matching numbers. Put or roll a ball in the center and call a number. The matching players race for possession; the winner dribbles home while the other defends. Original station version finishes at goals and can call multiple numbers for 2v2 or 3v3. Cue teammates to find open space.
Throw-In Mini-Teach
Soccer · K–1st grade
Demonstrate two hands on the ball, bringing it behind and over the head, and keeping both feet on the ground at release. Partners take turns throwing and receiving. After throwing, step back onto the field to support the next play. Practice briefly, then reinforce during the scrimmage.
Boston Bulldogs
Soccer · K–1st grade
Mark two end lines and a narrow middle dog pound. All players start with a ball. Two helpers stay in the pound as catchers. On Who let the dogs out?, dribble across without being gently tagged. Turn around and repeat; nobody sits out. After two trips, cross continuously. Cue: little touches near a catcher, big touch into an opening.
Hunting the Coaches / Hunting the Coach
Soccer · K–1st grade
Each player has a ball. Two or three helpers walk as moving targets. Players dribble close, look up, and kick to hit a helper below the knee. Helpers say Ouch; players retrieve the ball and try again. Use eight rounds of 40 seconds of play and 20 seconds to rest/reset. Helpers move closer to players needing an easier target.
Doggy Goal Combat
Soccer · K–1st grade
Place two goals on the same end line. Split players into two lines and assign one goal to each line. Roll a ball out and send one player from each line. Each tries to win the ball, turn toward their own goal, and score. End on a goal or out-of-bounds, then start the next pair quickly. Cue: turn and find your goal.
Small-Sided Scrimmage / Mini Scrimmages
Soccer · K–1st grade
For 12 players, make two small fields and four teams of three. One helper manages each field. Play without goalkeepers and roll in a fresh ball when one goes far out. Switch opponents halfway through. Give brief cues about finding space and going to goal. Reinforce passing and throw-ins when relevant. Original station plan also permits 4v4 when numbers require it.
Drive Around Town
Soccer · K–1st grade
September 19 preferred dribbling option. Every player dribbles a ball. Call speed limit for tiny touches, highway for bigger touches, stop sign or park for a sole stop, U-turn or wrong way to reverse, roundabout to circle the ball, traffic to avoid others, gas to accelerate, and traffic jam to freeze. Time is a planning estimate.
Partner Passing Challenge — Five Passes
Soccer · K–1st grade
September 26 arrival option. Partners start about five steps apart with one ball. Pass with the inside of the foot, stop the incoming ball, and pass back. Work together to complete five passes, then increase distance. This version does not require cone gates. Time is a planning estimate; arrival length varies.
Chase the Cheetah — 2v1
Soccer · K–1st grade
September 19 progression. Two attackers face one defender and try to reach goal. The ball carrier chooses to dribble or pass while the teammate moves into space. Defender tries to win possession. Rotate roles after each attempt. This is a separate progression from the 1v1 chase.
Trick-or-Treat — Collect the Treats
Soccer · K–1st grade
September 11 version. Spread cone treats around the area. Each player dribbles to the cones, leaves the ball, collects one cone, returns, and repeats. This differs from the September 19 Pumpkin/Witch/Ghost command version. Ten minutes was the original full activity block.
Steal the Bacon — 2v2 or 3v3
Soccer · K–1st grade
Original station-plan variant. Two numbered teams wait on opposite sides, one in pinnies. Coach tosses a ball and calls two or three numbers so matching players form 2v2 or 3v3. Attack the goal area. Players without the ball find an open receiving spot. Time is a planning estimate within the original 10-minute station cap.
Driving My Car — Cross the Lake
Soccer · K–1st grade
Original station-plan progression. Keep the four corner towns, but make the middle a lake. Players dribble quickly through the lake so their car does not sink, then regain control as they enter a town. Coach points to a destination town. Time is a planning estimate; use within the Driving My Car station.