DRILL ARCHITECT

Session design

Drill library

Written sessions you can run tonight. For a custom sheet, use the generator.

U11–U14 · Defending · 18 min
Channel Trap, Cover, Restack
Train U14 forwards and midfielders to jump only on a clear trigger, lock the near channel, and restack if the ball is played around the press.
High school · Set pieces · 25 min
Near-Post Flick, Zonal Six
Rehearse one attacking corner (near-post flick) and one defending structure (zonal six-yard plus two markers) so Friday’s walk-through is the same as Saturday.
All ages · Possession · 12 min
5v3 Grid, Two-Touch, Exit Pass
With eight players, train scanning, the bounce pass, and the pass that breaks a line — not a keep-away that dies on the first heavy touch.
U8–U10 · Defending · 14 min
Channel Delay, Then Steal
Teach U10 defenders to slow the attacker, show one side, and tackle only when the ball is out of the foot — not the first time they get close.
High school · Possession · 20 min
Split, Check, Break the First Line
Train the GK and back four to play out against a high press: split, find the spare man, and break the first line with a pass — not a hoof.
All ages · Set pieces · 16 min
Short, Flick, or Third Man
Own the throw-in. One short option that is always on, one flick around the first marker, one third-man run in behind — then play, don’t freeze.
High school · Transitions · 18 min
Five Seconds, Then Restack
Train the first pass after a regain: go if the 9 is on, restack if not. The press after a loss lasts five seconds — then the block reforms.
All ages · Possession · 10 min
4v2, Two-Touch, Far Foot
Set the standard in the first ten minutes: scan, receive on the far foot, and split the pair — not a keep-away that dies on the first heavy touch.
U11–U13 · Attacking · 16 min
Change Speed, Then Finish
Train U12 attackers to beat a defender with a change of speed, then finish in two touches. The 1v1 ends with a shot, not a tour of the channel.
U11–U13 · Possession · 18 min
Split, Check, Break One Line
Get U12s comfortable playing out: CBs split, 6 checks, and the first line of the press is broken with a pass — not a hoof from panic.
High school · Team shape · 20 min
Travel, Tuck, Jump the Square
Set a 4-4-2 mid-block that travels with the ball, stays 8–12 yards between lines, and jumps only on a square pass or a poor touch.
U14–HS · Attacking · 18 min
Carry Inside, Overlap Outside
Create a 2v1 on the touchline. The ball-carrier holds, the runner overlaps, and the cutback hits the penalty-spot zone — not the keeper.
U14–HS · Goalkeeping · 16 min
See It, Then Send It
Train the keeper to pick the right restart: roll to the split CB, throw to the fullback, or a driven ball into the 9 if the press is set.
U14–HS · Defending · 16 min
Own the Six, Own the Second Ball
Defend the cross as a unit: near-post runner, six-yard zone, far-post, and the 6 on the D for the cutback and the second ball.
All ages · Technical · 14 min
Receive, Direct, Play
The first touch is a preparation, not a stop. Receive on the far foot, direct it away from the nearest defender, and play the next pass in two touches.
High school · Set pieces · 16 min
Wall, Dummy, Lay-Off
Rehearse one direct strike and one laid-off pattern so Friday’s walk-through is Saturday. Defending: wall of four, one on the runner, GK owns the near post.
U8–U10 · Technical · 8 min
3v1, Big Grid, Keep It
Get U8s touching the ball in the first eight minutes. One defender, three keepers of the ball, a grid big enough that success is normal.
U11–U13 · Team shape · 20 min
2-3-1, Compact, Travel
Play 7v7 in a 2-3-1 that stays 25 yards from back to front. The spare man is always the 6 or a CB. The 9 does not defend in their own six.
High school · Physical · 22 min
Score, Sprint, Rejoin
Get preseason legs without a whistle-lap. Every goal sends the scoring team to a cone and back. The game never stops.
U14–HS · Defending · 16 min
Beaten, Then the Line
When you lose the 1v1, the next action is a recovery run onto the goal side — not a second dive, not a walk.
U14–U16 · Defending · 18 min
Trigger, Then Cover
The front three only jump a real trigger. The 8 and the far winger cover inside so a bounce doesn’t split the press.
U11–U14 · Attacking · 16 min
Two, Then the Goal
2v2 in a channel that ends with a combination, not two 1v1s. Wall pass or overlap, then finish in two touches.
High school · Team shape · 18 min
Three Stay, Seven Go
When we attack, three stay: two CBs and the 6. They win the first ball after a miss so the counter dies in our half, not theirs.

Staff kit

Sideline gear. Opens the Amazon product page.