10 Soccer Drill Task Cards to Make Coaching Easy

Soccer drills might be the very last thing on your mind. However, for many teachers, being asked to coach extracurricular sport and not knowing how and where to start is real.

Read on for 10 teacher friendly soccer drill task cards that will take your coaching to the next level. It’s time to show parents on the sidelines that you know what you are doing with these impressive soccer drills for champions.

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The Benefits of Playing Soccer

Are you lacking buzz when it comes to coaching soccer? You either love it or hate it. Read on for reasons to love soccer and standing in the cold.

Soccer is one of those all-rounder sports that just keep on giving. It is deemed to be the most popular sport in the world and most countries play it. It’s relatively easy to learn and can be played at all ages and at any level. Next time you are less than enthusiastic about standing on a cold soccer pitch, tell yourself that soccer is great because it:

• teaches coordination
• promotes teamwork
• is generally non-contact
• increases self-confidence and self-esteem
• is great for fitness
• teachers persistence and self-discipline
• requires very little equipment.

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What Are Soccer Drills?

Soccer drills are fun, quick games that teach soccer fundamentals. They are designed to teach passing skills, ball mastery and how to receive the ball. Soccer drills are also a great way to warm up before a game and brilliant for nurturing and building a team vibe.

Our new Soccer Coaching Drills – Task Cards are the perfect companion for any soccer coach. Each task card provides simple and easy to follow instructions for completing a soccer training drill. The soccer drill task cards include:

• a diagram that is easy to interpret
• a list of equipment needed
• suggested ways to vary the activity.

Read on to find out more about this brilliant Health and P.E teaching resource and how it can help to make your team a winning team…

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Player in the Middle

Does your soccer team need to improve their passing skills? If they do, Player in the Middle is the ideal soccer drill for you to include in your next training session. This soccer drill is played in groups of 3 and requires 1 ball per group and 2 markers per group.

Soccer Drill Set Up:

1. Set up two markers approximately 10 metres apart.
2. Arrange the team into groups of three. Assign each of the 3 players with a number – player 1, 2 and 3.
3. Ask player 1 and 3 to stand next to the markers and player 2 to stand somewhere in between the markers.

How to Play

1. The ball starts with one of the players (Player 1). They pass the ball to the player in the centre (Player 2). They, in turn, pass the ball to the other player at the opposite marker (Player 3). Once Player 2 has passed the ball, they move to a different spot in between the markers. Player 3 now passes back to Player 2, who then passes it back to Player 1 before moving to a new position.
2. Players repeat this process before changing positions after several passes.
3. Start the drill using two touches when passing (stop the ball = first touch, pass the ball = second touch).
4. Emphasise the correct technique for throw-ins (both feet on the ground, both hands on the ball) and encourage looking up and ball control while dribbling.

If you feel like giving your more able players a challenge, simply create wider spaces between the marker to encourage large passes.

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1, 2 Score

1, 2, Score is a firm favourite when it comes to soccer drills. The aim of this soccer drill is to practise passing and goal scoring.  This is a fun soccer drill for groups of 3 and requires one soccer ball per group and one goal per group.

Soccer Drill Set Up

Assign the following roles to each group – goalkeeper, striker and attacker. Arrange each group so that the:

• goalkeeper stands in the goal
• striker stands opposite the goal with the ball (about 20 metres away)
• attacker is positioned in between the goalkeeper and the striker.

How to Play

1. On the coach’s command, the striker passes the ball to the attacker, and then runs into a position closer to the goal.
2. The attacker then passes the ball back to the striker, who attempts a scoring shot with one touch.
3. Repeat the drill several times, rotating through the roles. Emphasise communication between passers and keeping eyes up when passing.

If your soccer players need a challenge, allow only one touch passes or add a defender to the drill.

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Soccer Coaching Drills – Task Cards

Our new Soccer Coaching Drills – Task Cards can be used by Health and Physical Education teacher, a sports coach or by a classroom teacher as a ‘brain break’, or as part of an active exercise program. Use this teaching resource in conjunction with our Sport Collection.

Download them now and make your life a whole lot easier.

Why not print them in a smaller size and keep them safe on a handy keyring?

For more information on the importance of teaching and learning ball skills read our blog 6 Fun Indoor Ball Games and Activities.

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Soccer Facts to Impress

Still not convinced that coaching soccer and teaching soccer drills is your fave thing to do?

Here are some fun soccer facts to share with your students. These fun facts are according to Associate Writer, Nathan James and may help to ignite passion next time you are teaching soccer drills.

1. Soccer is the only major world sport in which you can’t use your hands to manipulate the ball or object of play.
2. The FIFA World Cup is the most-watched sporting event in the world.
3. The earliest game resembling soccer was invented by Chinese Emperor Huang-Ti in 1697 BC. Players kicked a leather ball stuffed with cork and hair.
4. Only 20 players have ever scored at least one goal each in three different World Cups.
5. Brazilians refer to soccer as the “jogo bonito” or “beautiful game”.
6. The Romans introduced an early form of soccer to England in 43 AD. In these early games, punching and biting were allowed on the field, creating such an atmosphere of disruption that many attempted to have the game banned.

For more facts read 65 Sensational Facts about Soccer written by Nathan James.

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Improve Your Game with Soccer Drills

Which soccer drill are you and your team going to try first?

Share this article to boost soccer coaching confidence and support your tribe with #teachstarter!