Session Pitch
Back to session

First Touch Away

U9–U10 · 60-minute practice

Explore and notice

Ready to start

10:00

Rest and transitions are included in each activity. Pause for additional breaks.

Next: Receive away

Check your shoulder before the pass.

Begin at walking pace in the numbered stations. Before touching a still ball, look over each shoulder and move it to the side a partner leaves open. Share the ball when needed; an observer watches the same decision and takes a ball turn on the next assigned round.

s12-arrival24 × 30 m clear area with a 2 m perimeter buffer. 4 numbered stations, 8 numbered player slots, 4 balls and 12 cones. Each station shares one ball and rotates roles; dashed arrow shows an example travel or pass route. Focus: Direct the first touch away from pressure. Diagram shows starting positions, not fixed player locations. Three steps show receive turn using the first round's numbered players. Solid gold routes show the ball; dashed pale routes show player movement; dotted blue routes show a shadow or defender. Routes stay inside each numbered station. 1. Check the next space: Look away from the ball before it arrives. 2. Receive across the body: Guide the first touch toward the open side. 3. Turn and connect: Look up before the next ground pass.Station 1Station 2Station 3Station 41526374824 × 30 m · 2 m perimeter bufferNumbered circle: player · small dot: ball · triangle: cone · dashed arrow: route1. Check the next spacecornercornercornercornergategategategategategategategateStation 1: To #5: ground pass after the checkStation 2: To #6: ground pass after the checkStation 3: To #7: ground pass after the checkStation 4: To #8: ground pass after the check15263748Ball 1Ball 2Ball 3Ball 4Look away from the ball beforeit arrives.2. Receive across the bodycornercornercornercornergategategategategategategategateStation 1: #5: first touch toward the open sideStation 1: #5: keep the ball closeStation 2: #6: first touch toward the open sideStation 2: #6: keep the ball closeStation 3: #7: first touch toward the open sideStation 3: #7: keep the ball closeStation 4: #8: first touch toward the open sideStation 4: #8: keep the ball close15263748Ball 1Ball 2Ball 3Ball 4Guide the first touch towardthe open side.3. Turn and connectcornercornercornercornergategategategategategategategateStation 1: #1: offer the next angleStation 1: To #1: connect after the turnStation 2: #2: offer the next angleStation 2: To #2: connect after the turnStation 3: #3: offer the next angleStation 3: To #3: connect after the turnStation 4: #4: offer the next angleStation 4: To #4: connect after the turn15263748Ball 1Ball 2Ball 3Ball 4Look up before the next groundpass.Solid gold: ball · dashed pale: player · dotted blue: shadow / defender

Player arrivals and departures

Use anonymous numbers from 1 to 99. Changes take effect before an activity begins; each activity needs 4–16 players.

    Record an observation and choose the next practice