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⚽ Soccer · ages 12–13 · U14

Soccer practice plan for 12 and 13 year olds (60 minutes)

Checked · v0.1.0

The whole practice: Warm-up 8 · three drills 36 · water 2 · game 10 · cool-down 4 minutes, for 12 players and 6 balls. Every player is moving in every block, the game comes last, and nobody is ever out.

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This practice

⚽ Soccer · ages 12–13 (U14) · 60 minutes · 12 players · 6 balls

  1. 0:008 min

    Warm-up Warm-up

    Jog on the spot, Arm circles, Skipping, Leg swings. About a minute each, easy first, then a little bigger.

  2. 0:0812 min

    Drill Shoot for the corners

    X playerO partner or defender— run- - pass∿ dribble

    Set up. Each pair has a cone goal four steps wide and a cone inside each post: the corners. Shoot from six steps. Gear: a ball a pair, four cones a pair. With your players that is 6 groups of about 2.

    1. Shoot along the ground, laces or inside of the foot.
    2. A ball between a post and its corner cone is two points; through the middle is one.
    3. Your partner collects and shoots back the other way.
    4. No goalkeeper: it is about aim.

    Say: “Plant beside it” · “Look, then shoot” · “Follow through”

    Easier: Closer, a bigger goal, and every goal counts the same. Harder: Dribble two touches first, then shoot with your weaker foot.

  3. 0:2012 min

    Drill Roll, stop and pass

    Set up. Partners four steps apart. One rolls the ball along the ground with their hands. Gear: a ball a pair. With your players that is 6 groups of about 2.

    1. The receiver stops the rolling ball with the sole, then the inside of the foot.
    2. Then passes it back along the ground.
    3. Ten each, then swap jobs.
    4. The ball always stays on the ground: no throws in the air.

    Say: “Get behind it” · “Soft foot” · “Then pass”

    Easier: A slow roll, and a sole stop every time. Harder: Receive on the move, a touch to the side, then pass.

  4. 0:322 min

    Water Water break

    Everybody drinks, in the shade if there is some.

  5. 0:3412 min

    Drill Toe taps and sole rolls

    Set up. Everyone with a ball in a space of their own. Gear: a ball each. With your players that is 12 groups of about 1.

    1. Tap the top of the ball with one foot, then the other, like a little drum: twenty taps.
    2. Roll the ball sideways under your sole, then back the other way.
    3. Pull it back with your sole and push it forward with your laces.

    Say: “On your toes” · “Light touches” · “Look up”

    Easier: Hold a partner's shoulder or a wall while you tap. Harder: Taps while turning a full circle round the ball.

  6. 0:4610 min

    Game Small-sided game

    Set up. Games of 3v3 or 4v4 on a small field with cone goals and no goalkeepers. With more players, run two games side by side. Gear: a ball and two cone goals a game, pinnies. With your players that is 2 groups of about 8.

    1. Kick off from the middle; a goal is a ball through the cones along the ground.
    2. Out of bounds: the other team kicks it back in.
    3. Every three minutes, swap the teams round so everyone plays everyone.
    4. The score stays on the coach's paper, if it is kept at all.

    Say: “Spread out” · “Look up” · “Win it back together”

    Easier: Bigger goals, and two balls in play at once so everyone touches one. Harder: A goal only counts after three passes.

  7. 0:564 min

    Cool-down Cool-down

    Reach for your toes, Butterfly, Calf stretch. About a minute each, easy first, then a little bigger.

Every plan here has a water break, two in practices over an hour (our rule). On hot days the CDC says to drink more water than usual without waiting to be thirsty, to start slowly and build up, and to practice when it is cooler. cdc.gov: Heat and Athletes. Head knocks and concussion: read CDC HEADS UP, the CDC's page for coaches and parents. cdc.gov/heads-up

peabody.kids/sports/plan/soccer/12-13v0.1.0 · Checked 31 October 2026

Why this practice looks like this

From U13 the match is 11v11, but practice stays small: more touches, more decisions. This plan works the first touch away from pressure, then shooting along the ground for the corners, and ends in a small-sided game; for a harder one, a goal counts only after three passes.

The drills are Peabody's own, in plain words, each with a drawing, three short things to say, and an easier and a harder way so one plan fits the whole team. The warm-up and the cool-down come from the Gym, where every move has picture steps a child can follow.

What the guidelines say at 12–13

  • U.S. Soccer: from U13 the largest game is 11v11, and smaller games can be played at every age. Source: U.S. Soccer: Game formats.

More practices

Soccer at other ages:

Ages 12–13 in other sports:

Game day: make an equal-play-time lineup, or a bracket for the end-of-season tournament. All the tools are on the coaches' page.