You’re never too young to start working on your football skills. If your little ones show an interest in the sport, you can support them in getting involved in fun, age-appropriate kids football drills that will introduce them to the basic skills in football. In football, practicing the basic skills is the first step towards becoming a better player. However, when it comes to kids football training, you have to make sure that your drills are fun and engaging in order to keep them interested. Luckily, there are an endless amount of fun drills that you can customise to meet the individual needs of young players. If you’re not sure where to start, Playform is here to help. In this article, we’ve gathered some of the best football drills for 5 year olds.
Red light Green light
You’ve probably played or at least heard of the game ‘Red light Green light”. This drill uses the basic idea of that game and incorporates football skills to create a fun, helpful U5 football drill. Players begin by spreading out along one end of the practice area, each with their own ball. The coach stands facing away from the players at the other end of the field. They shout “Green light”, signalling that the players should begin dribbling towards the end line. When the coach shouts “Red light”, they must freeze and maintain control of the ball under their foot. Any players who have not frozen have to return to the original end line and start over. The first player who reaches the end line where the coach is standing wins!
Hit the coach
This fun football drill is popular among five year olds. The goal is to dribble around a defined area and try to hit the coach with their ball. This drill is great for allowing players to practice their small touches and pay attention to their surroundings.
Body Parts
Football training for kids is made easy with this fun drill. Use cones or discs to set up a dribbling area and ensure each player has their own ball. The players begin dribbling and the coach shouts out a body part. The challenge is to stop dribbling and control the ball with the body part the coach yelled. This drill is a lot of fun, especially for younger kids, and you can get creative with the body parts you call out.
Musical Balls
If your kids enjoy the game Musical Chairs, then they’ll definitely enjoy this drill. It is based upon the same idea as Musical Chairs but it’s the football version. Start with the players dribbling their balls. When the coach yells “Switch”, the players leave the ball they’ve been dribbling and find a new one. Every round, you should remove a ball. The player that cannot find a ball is eliminated from the game until there is one winner left.
Go Shopping
Go Shopping is a fun football drill which is similar drill to Musical Balls. This fun drill allows players to go ‘shopping’ for a new ball at the Mall, which will be the dribbling area you’ve set up. The game starts with the players dribbling around the mall, then ‘buying’ a new ball when you yell “Go Shopping”. Each player must leave their own ball and claim another ball left behind by one of their teammates. For an extra challenge and to increase the fun, you can have the coaches act as Burglars who are trying to steal the balls before the players get to them.
The Flag Game
This drill is great for helping players to dribble in tight spaces. An important part of football training for kids is maintaining awareness of your surroundings at all times, and this drill is helpful for developing this skill. Start by creating a playing grid and randomly scattering flags throughout it. There should be two fewer flags than the amount of players in the drill. Each player begins the drill with their own ball. The basic goal of this drill is for players to practice their dribbling skills whilst avoiding other players and flags. When the coach yells “Stop!”, each player must quickly find a free flag. The first player to reach the flag five times in a row is the winner!
Pirate Treasure Dribbling Game
This fun football drill incorporates two things that kids love, pirates and football! This drill is a great one to incorporate into their training. Set up 10 tall cones along one side of the playing grid. This will be the treasure. Each player starts on the opposite side of the grid and have their own ball. 2-3 players will begin in the grid, wearing alternate coloured jerseys. Their job is to defend the treasure on the side of the grid. The drill begins with the pirates attempting to dribble their balls past the defenders and attempt to steal the treasure. In order to do this, they have to knock down the cone with their ball. They then take their stolen ‘treasure’ back to their starting point whilst still dribbling the ball. However, if they lose their ball on the way, they must repeat the process from their original starting point.
Conclusion
By incorporating these drills into football training for kids, you can help support the development of their football skills in a fun and engaging way. Looking for more football drills for five year olds that you could incorporate into your kids football training? The Playform app has a wide variety of U5 football drills that can be adapted for any age and purpose. Playform aims to assist players in their journey to becoming better players by providing customised workouts and specialised feedback to help them improve. Playform offers the expertise of a football coach in the convenient form of a mobile app. Improving your football skills has never been easier! Visit Playform Site & Check out what it has to offer !
