U6–U10 · Spacing · 25 min
Spread Out, Find the Open Gate
Turn bunch ball into spacing for U6–U10: a four-gate game where the kid who moves away from the crowd is the one who gets the ball and scores.
- Space
- 25×20 yards (U6–U8) or 30×25 (U9–U10), four corner gates
- Equipment
- 16–20 disc cones · 2 colors of pinnies · 1 ball per player · spare balls by each area
Organization
Whiteboard
Diagram notes
Coaching points
- Help from a different spot. When a teammate has the ball, don't stand next to them — go where they can see you.
- Where's the empty gate? Take one look at both gates before you dribble.
- Make the field big. When we have the ball, someone should be near each sideline.
- Get tight to win it back. When we lose the ball, closing in together is fine — spacing is for when we have it.
Phrases to use
- “Help from a different spot.”
- “Where's the empty gate?”
- “Make the field big.”
- “Move away to help.”
Progressions
- Two-touch limit inside a 5-yard circle in the middle.
- Shrink the gates to 1 yard.
- A goal only counts if it is passed through the gate to a teammate.
- One player per team must stay in a 3-yard channel by a sideline; rotate every game.
Regressions
- Lanes: a cone line down the middle, each player is a left or right player and stays on that side.
- Give the attacking team an extra player (3v1 or 4v2).
- Make the gates 3–4 yards wide.
- Coach plays as a neutral for the team with the ball and stands wide.
Common mistakes
Coach stops play every 20 seconds.
Kids need repetitions more than speeches. Freeze once per game at most, and only to point at an open gate.
The area is too big.
Long passes fail, so kids go back to dribbling in a crowd. Start small and grow it.
Too many players in one grid.
6v6 in one area brings the swarm back. Run two areas side by side.
Punishing the bunch with laps.
That makes kids anxious, not spread out. Praise the kid who moved away to help.
Expecting positions at U6.
Look for one or two moments a game where a player moves away to help, and celebrate those.
Why kids bunch (and why "spread out" doesn't fix it)
Every U6–U10 coach has watched it: one ball, nine kids, a cloud of shin guards drifting up and down the field. Telling them to "spread out" rarely works for more than ten seconds, because nothing in the game rewards it. The fix is to change the game so the kid who moves away from the crowd is the one who gets the ball and scores.
- The ball is the only interesting thing. Young players track the ball, not space. If you don't have it, the closest way to get it is to run at it.
- One goal pulls everyone into one lane. On a narrow field with one goal at each end, the shortest path for everybody is the same path.
- Standing away feels like doing nothing. If no pass ever arrives, the kid who spreads out learns it was pointless.
- Instructions don't survive the game. A rule shouted from the sideline loses to instinct within seconds.
A quick reality check: some bunching at U6 and U7 is normal and even healthy. Young players are drawn to the ball, and a crowd means they are brave and want it. The goal is not to make 6-year-olds hold positions. It is to plant the first idea: when a teammate has the ball, help from a different spot.
Two lead-ins before the game
Busy Bees (5 minutes)
Every player has a ball inside the area. On "go," they dribble, and every time you call "Hive!" they must find a cone gate nobody else is using and dribble through it. If two players head for the same gate, both have to find another one. It teaches looking up and picking the empty spot, not the busy one.
Pass Through a Free Gate (5 minutes)
Pairs, one ball. Scatter 6–8 gates around the area. Pairs score a point every time they pass through a gate to each other. They cannot use the same gate twice in a row, and a gate with another pair at it is "closed." The receiver has to move away from the ball and away from traffic to get a pass.
Why the four-gate game works
When the defending team crowds toward one gate, the other gate is open. The bunch tends to pile up on one side, and the first kid who notices the empty gate scores easily. After two or three of those goals, players start drifting wide on their own because it works. The switch bonus (double points for the far gate) speeds this up. Even 7-year-olds will count that.
Keep cues to one or two words during play. Save questions for the water break: "Which gate was open most? Why?"
Age adjustments
- U6: Mostly Busy Bees and a simple 2v2 or 3v3 with four gates. No positions. Keep game rules to one sentence. Fun first.
- U8: The four-gate game at 3v3 or 4v4, with the switch bonus. Add the lanes regression if the swarm wins.
- U9–U10: 4v4 or 5v5. Add the pass-only goal and the two-touch zone. Talk about width and depth: one wide, one behind, one ahead.
- U11–U12: Use this as a warm-up, then move to directional possession games like the 4v2 rondo.
Sample 25-minute block
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0–5 | Busy Bees |
| 5–10 | Pass Through a Free Gate |
| 10–23 | Spread Out, Find the Open Gate (3-minute games) |
| 23–25 | Two-question huddle |
Want this adjusted to your exact numbers? Enter your age group, player count, and "spacing" as the focus in the free drill generator to get a printable version with a diagram. For more ideas for young players, see the U8 arrival rondo and the full drill library. If you also coach an older team, the $12 12-week preseason pack is a complete written plan for high-school-age players: 36 sessions, a one-time payment, and the first two weeks are free to read.
FAQ
At what age should kids stop bunching?
Expect a lot of it through U7 and a fair amount at U8. Most teams spread out noticeably by U9–U10, once they play 7v7 and can pass reliably over 10–15 yards. Coach for small improvements, not perfect shape.
Should I assign positions to stop bunch ball?
At U6–U8, light structure (a left and right side, or one player who stays back) can help, but rotate everyone through every role. Fixed positions too early can stop kids from learning to dribble and defend.
How do I stop my own players stealing the ball from each other?
Use pass-through-gates games where teammates only score together. Cue "Support, don't steal": stay close enough to help if they lose it, not close enough to take it.
Does this work with a big group and one coach?
Yes. Set up two or three areas at once, give each a parent helper to restart balls, and rotate teams between areas every game.
Coaching advice is educational and is not a governing-body license. Follow your club's and league's small-sided rules for your age group. As an Amazon Associate, Drill Architect earns from qualifying purchases.