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Under 12 Soccer Drills, Games, and Exercises

Quality age-appropriate soccer drills for kids in the U12, Under 12, 12 and Under age group.

Under 12 Soccer Drills, Games, and Exercises

Soccer drills for 12-year-olds emphasize skill refinement and tactical awareness to prepare players for more competitive play. This page provides drills designed to enhance dribbling, passing, shooting, and decision-making in game-like situations.

UNDER 12 SOCCER DRILLS, GAMES, AND EXERCISES

5v3v1 Rondo Possession Drill

5v3v1 Rondo Possession Drill

This drill sharpens possession skills while teaching players to quickly switch between attacking and defending roles. Players learn to recognize when they win or lose the ball and immediately adjust their positioning and mindset. The team of three works on keeping possession against one defender, then must quickly transition to defense when they lose it. The single player learns to pressure and transition to attack when winning the ball. Outside players develop awareness of when to support and how to maintain possession in tight spaces. This constant switching builds mental quickness and helps players stay focused during the transitions that occur in real games.


Age: 10+ Field: 20X20
Players: 8+ Focus: POSSESSION
Difficulty: MEDIUM Time: 20 mins.
Goalkeeper: NO TEAM
Rating: 0 / 5 Views: 202
Published: 10/8/2025 Author: Chris Johnson
3v1 Rondo

3v1 Rondo

This drill builds the foundation of possession soccer by teaching players how to keep the ball in tight spaces. Players learn to create good angles of support, move intelligently without the ball, and position their bodies correctly when receiving. The small grid forces quick decisions and sharp passing. Attackers practice opening their hips to see the whole field and using their back foot to receive passes smoothly. The drill teaches deception through body feints and eye contact that mislead the defender. Players develop the speed and accuracy needed to move the ball before pressure arrives. The consequence of becoming the defender when you make a mistake keeps everyone focused and accountable. This simple but effective drill appears in training sessions from youth levels all the way up to professional teams.


Age: 9+ Field: 5X5
Players: 4+ Focus: POSSESSION
Difficulty: EASY Time: 10 MINS.
Goalkeeper: NO TEAM
Rating: 0 / 5 Views: 216
Published: 10/9/2025 Author: Chris Johnson
1v1 Battle - Attacking and Reaction Drill

1v1 Battle - Attacking and Reaction Drill

This 1v1 soccer battle drill will focus on the attacker's change of direction, change of pace, and burst of speed to the goal all while working on the defender's ability to close down the attacker quickly, reaction time, speed of recovery, and angles of defense.


Age: 9+ Field: 30X40
Players: 4+ Focus: ATTACKING
Difficulty: MEDIUM Time: 20 MINS.
Goalkeeper: NO Team
Rating: 0 / 5 Views: 20,394
Published: 1/19/2021 Author: Chris Johnson
Goalkeeper Footwork Exercise with Hurdle

Goalkeeper Footwork Exercise with Hurdle

This goalkeeping drill will focus on footwork as well as handling the ball. This is a great goalkeeper warm-up or agility drill to do during keeper training.


Age: 9+ Field: 10X10
Players: 1+ Focus: GOALKEEPER
Difficulty: MEDIUM Time: 10 MINS.
Goalkeeper: YES INDIVIDUAL
Rating: 0 / 5 Views: 14,780
Published: 1/18/2021 Author: Chris Johnson
Goalkeeper Footwork Exercise - Shuffle Dives

Goalkeeper Footwork Exercise - Shuffle Dives

This goalkeeping footwork drill focuses on the goalkeeper's footwork while shuffling to the side and diving forward towards the ball.


Age: 9+ Field: 10X20
Players: 1+ Focus: GOALKEEPER
Difficulty: MEDIUM Time: 10 MINS.
Goalkeeper: YES INDIVIDUAL
Rating: 0 / 5 Views: 16,936
Published: 1/18/2021 Author: Chris Johnson
Two-Goal Soccer Shooting Training Session

Two-Goal Soccer Shooting Training Session

This soccer shooting training session focuses on receiving a ground pass and shooting followed up with receiving a long ball and shooting on target.


Age: 9+ Field: HALF FIELD
Players: 8+ Focus: SHOOTING
Difficulty: MEDIUM Time: 20 MINS.
Goalkeeper: YES Team
Rating: 0 / 5 Views: 30,842
Published: 1/24/2021 Author: Chris Johnson
Combination Play Through the Central Midfielders

Combination Play Through the Central Midfielders

This soccer passing and combination drill focus on passing combination play through the central midfielder players.


Age: 9+ Field: 20X30
Players: 8+ Focus: PASSING
Difficulty: MEDIUM Time: 15 MINS.
Goalkeeper: NO Team
Rating: 0 / 5 Views: 23,031
Published: 1/23/2021 Author: Chris Johnson
1v1 Attacking to a Full-Size Goal

1v1 Attacking to a Full-Size Goal

This 1v1 attacking drill that focuses on beating the defender in a 1v1 situation and finishing on a full-size goal.


Age: 9+ Field: 30X30
Players: 6+ Focus: ATTACKING
Difficulty: MEDIUM Time: 20 MINS.
Goalkeeper: YES Team
Rating: 0 / 5 Views: 35,324
Published: 2/13/2021 Author: Chris Johnson
2v2 with Target Players to Small Goals

2v2 with Target Players to Small Goals

This 2v2 drill focuses on penetrating passes to a target player to stretch the field and finish on goal.


Age: 9+ Field: 25X40
Players: 6+ Focus: GAME-LIKE
Difficulty: MEDIUM Time: 20 MINS.
Goalkeeper: NO Team
Rating: 0 / 5 Views: 36,597
Published: 2/14/2021 Author: Chris Johnson

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