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Soccer Drills for 10 Year Olds That Build Real Technique

By 10, kids are ready for drills that demand real technique — not just chasing a ball, but controlling it, turning under pressure, and striking it cleanly. These six drills need only a parent, a ball, and some cones. Each one builds a skill that will show up in a real game. If your child plays in a coached team environment and you want the full group-session format, see the U10 soccer drills page. If your child isn’t quite ready for these yet, the soccer drills for 8 year olds page has simpler starting points.

1. Inside-Outside Cone Weave

Your child dribbles through a line of cones alternating between the inside and outside of the same foot — the foundational movement pattern for changing direction at pace.

Setup: Set 6 cones in a straight line, 1 yard apart. One ball per player.

  1. Start at one end of the line and dribble through, touching the ball with the inside of the foot to push it left of one cone, then the outside to pull it right of the next.
  2. Use the same foot for the whole pass through — no switching feet mid-weave.
  3. At the end, turn and come back using the other foot.
  4. Time each run. Aim to get faster over two or three weeks without losing control of the ball.

Coaching point

The common mistake at 10 is using only the toe or only the inside. Insist on the outside touch — it feels awkward at first, which means it's working on something real.

2. Receive and Turn

You play a gentle pass; your child receives the ball with their back to goal, turns past a cone "defender," and drives forward — the core skill for any player facing pressure in a real game.

Setup: One cone 2 yards behind the player as a defender marker. You stand 5 yards in front.

  1. Roll or pass the ball to your child's feet.
  2. They control it, shield it from the cone behind them, then turn with a Cruyff drag, inside hook, or shoulder drop to get past.
  3. Once past the cone, they accelerate forward 5–8 yards at full speed before pulling up.
  4. Alternate which direction they turn each rep — left and right equally.

Coaching point

Encourage them to check their shoulder before receiving — a glance back at the "defender" before the ball arrives tells them which way to turn. This habit is what separates composed players from frantic ones.

3. Laces Strike

A repeatable finishing drill where your child strikes the ball cleanly with the laces — not the toe, not the side-foot — building genuine shooting power from age 10 onward.

Setup: A pop-up goal or cone gate 10–12 yards away. Plenty of balls to avoid constant retrieval pauses.

  1. Your child approaches the ball at a slight angle, plants the non-kicking foot beside the ball, and strikes through the middle with the laces.
  2. Focus on a locked ankle and a follow-through that points the laces at the target.
  3. Try to keep the shot low — contact above the midline of the ball sends it high.
  4. After ten reps, move 2 yards farther back and try again.

Coaching point

Most 10-year-olds punch at the ball from close range instead of driving through it. Encourage a full follow-through where the kicking leg swings past the plant foot — that's what generates pace.

4. Pressure Dribble Gates

Your child dribbles through a series of small cone gates while you apply light passive pressure from behind — teaching composure and ball protection under mild stress, not chaos.

Setup: Set 4 two-cone gates randomly across a 15-yard area, each gate about 1 yard wide.

  1. Your child starts dribbling and tries to pass through all 4 gates in any order.
  2. You follow 2–3 yards behind, occasionally reaching in to poke at the ball.
  3. They use body turns, shields, and direction changes to keep possession and reach every gate.
  4. Score a point for each gate completed. Try to beat the previous total in the next round.

Coaching point

Stay genuinely passive — the point isn't to win the ball, it's to create the feeling of being followed. Too much pressure at this age shuts down creativity; just enough creates urgency without panic.

5. Two-Touch Wall Passing

Using a wall as a rebounder, your child passes and controls at pace with both feet — the fastest way to build clean first-touch receiving outside of a team training session.

Setup: A solid wall or fence. Mark a target square roughly 2 feet wide at standing height with chalk or tape. One ball.

  1. Stand 4–5 yards from the wall and pass to the target with the inside of the right foot.
  2. Control the rebound with the first touch, setting the ball for the left foot, then pass again.
  3. Two-touch only: the first touch must move the ball, and the second touch passes.
  4. Increase the distance by 1 yard every time 20 consecutive two-touch passes are completed without losing control.

Coaching point

Watch where the first touch goes — ideally slightly to the side, not straight back. A touch that rolls toward the wall means the next pass is rushed. A clean sideways touch means the second pass has time and direction.

6. Give-and-Go Finish

A short combination sequence where your child passes to you, sprints onto your return ball, and finishes — combining the wall-pass movement pattern with a real finishing rep.

Setup: You stand 6 yards from your child. A pop-up goal or cones 10 yards beyond you.

  1. Your child passes to you with the inside of the foot, then immediately sprints past you at an angle.
  2. You lay the ball into the space ahead of them in one touch.
  3. They control or take it first-time and drive toward goal to finish.
  4. Vary the return ball — sometimes put it in front for a running shot, sometimes play it back to feet so they have to take a touch first.

Coaching point

The pass comes before the run — many 10-year-olds sprint first, which telegraphs the combination. The sequence is pass, then move. Reinforce this order and the timing will click quickly.

Get All 8 Drills as a Free Printable

Download the printable Shooting Drills pack — every drill with its diagram, ready to take to the field. Plus 4 bonus finishing drills not on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Set up the drill, feed the ball when needed, and praise the effort over the result. Your job is logistics and encouragement — the technique will come from repetition, not instruction. If something looks wrong, ask them what they think went wrong before offering an answer.

Three to four 20-minute sessions a week is better than one long weekend session. Short, frequent repetition builds muscle memory faster at this age. The key is that they want to do it — if sessions start to feel like homework, scale back.

The U10 drills page is written for coaches running group sessions — team keep-away, small-sided games, flying numbers. These six drills are designed for one adult and one child with a ball and some cones, focused on individual technique rather than team tactics.

Yes, and that's completely normal. Start with the simpler drills and work up when they feel comfortable — a 10-year-old who has a clean first touch and can stop the ball confidently will benefit far more from that foundation than from rushing into technique drills they're not ready for.