U7 Curriculum (7-Year-Olds)

Building Confidence & Technique. Click any card to open it full screen or download for the field.

🔥 WARMUP TRAINING

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Combination Passing (Left Foot)

Warmup focusing on first touch into space.

💡 Coaching Point: Open your body up before the ball arrives. Take your first touch with the left foot across your body.

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Combination Passing (Right Foot)

Warmup focusing on first touch into space.

💡 Coaching Point: Same as the left, but reverse it. Use the right foot to push the ball into the open space.

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Passing & Receiving (Inside Turn)

Warmup focusing on receiving and turning.

💡 Coaching Point: Keep your center of gravity low. Use the inside of the foot to turn away from the defender.

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Dribbling at Defender (Inside/Outside)

Attacking the defender with dribble moves.

💡 Coaching Point: Don’t stop your momentum. Sell the move with a body fake, then explode past them.

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Dribbling By Defender

Escaping pressure from a defender.

💡 Coaching Point: Keep the ball on the foot furthest away from the defender. Shield it with your body.

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Passing & First Touch

Exercise focusing on improving the first touch.

💡 Coaching Point: Treat your first touch like a pass to yourself. Cushion the ball softly into the space you want to go.

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Inside & Outside Move

Refining the inside and outside dribble move.

💡 Coaching Point: Keep the ball tight to your foot during the move, then take a big touch to accelerate away.

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Receiving & Turning

Mastering the inside turn under pressure.

💡 Coaching Point: Scan your shoulders before the pass arrives so you know where the pressure is coming from.

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First Touch Mastery

Advanced passing drill to perfect the touch.

💡 Coaching Point: Stay on your toes. A heavy first touch loses the ball; a soft touch keeps it.

⚽ TECHNICAL TRAINING

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Double Pass & Shooting

Shooting exercise incorporating first touch and combos.

💡 Coaching Point: Use your first touch to set up your shooting foot. Don’t break stride before striking.

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Overlapping Crosses & Finishing

Training the overlap run and finishing.

💡 Coaching Point: The overlapping runner must time their run to stay onside and meet the pass in stride.

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Penetrating Pass & Shooting

Breaking lines with a pass followed by a shot.

💡 Coaching Point: Weight the penetrating pass perfectly—too soft and it’s intercepted, too heavy and the keeper gets it.

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1v1 Training Exercise

Attacking and defending in a 1v1 scenario.

💡 Coaching Point: Attackers: Be brave, take on the defender. Defenders: Stay on your toes and show them one way.

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2v2 Transition to 2v1

Attacking in numbers and quick transitions.

💡 Coaching Point: When transitioning to a 2v1, attack the space quickly before the defender can recover.

🧠 TACTICAL & GAMES

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3v1 Possession (Rondo)

Classic rondo to teach passing angles and movement.

💡 Coaching Point: The player without the ball must constantly move to create a passing angle for the player with the ball.

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2v2 Attacking & Defending

Fast-paced transition game.

💡 Coaching Point: Defensively, the closest player pressures the ball while the second player drops to cover.

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2v2 Possession Game

Keeping the ball under pressure.

💡 Coaching Point: Use the whole grid. If it’s crowded on one side, switch the ball to the open space.

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2-Team Possession (Corner Zones)

Possession game utilizing corner targets.

💡 Coaching Point: Look for the switch. If the corners are open, a quick lofted or driven pass can catch the defense out.

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3v3 Possession Game

Small-sided game focusing on teamwork.

💡 Coaching Point: Communication is key. Talk to your teammates, tell them if they have time or if they are under pressure.

📋 RESOURCES & PLANNERS

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PDF DOCUMENT

U7 Developmental Goals

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💡 Coaching Point: Focus on individual ball mastery and confidence. At this age, fun and touches on the ball are the priority.

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U7 60-Minute Training Plan

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💡 Coaching Point: Keep water breaks frequent. U7 attention spans are short, so transition between drills quickly.