WU-54 · Technical practice
Technical Combination Play
Get your players moving and connecting early with this sharp technical warm up focused on passing, movement, and combination play.
U9 teams
U9 football and soccer drills. Better touches. Braver decisions.
Free practice outlines for U9 teams, covering first touch, passing, dribbling and small-sided games with real decisions. Each one gives the setup, player numbers, area and key coaching points, from the 272 practices Touchtight Club tags for this age group.
Touchtight Club has 272 practices for this page (as of October 2026). Below: 5 with a free full video and 36 practice outlines.
AgeU9
Match format
How U9 football is played.
The official U9 format from each governing body. Pick practices sized for the game your players play.
England (The FA) · 2026/27
- Match format
- 5v5
- Pitch size
- 37 x 27 m (recommended)
- Ball size
- Size 3
- Goal size
- 12 x 6 ft
- Match length
- 2 x 20 min
USA (U.S. Soccer)
- Match format
- 7v7
Australia (MiniRoos)
- Match format
- 7-a-side
- Pitch size
- 45 x 35 m (best practice)
- Ball size
- Size 3
- Goal size
- 3 x 2 m
- Match length
- 2 x 20 min
Each figure links to the governing body's own page. Age groups are counted differently in each country (in England, age on 31 August), and leagues can vary, so check your league's rules.
Practices
U9 drills and practices
41 of 41 shown
MB-P30 · Warm-up
Freeze Tag Game
This foundation phase practice takes place in a 15 by 20-yard area and is a fun game developing players dribbling, speed and teamwork.
MB-P63 · Small-sided game
Turn to Score (SSG)
This small-sided game develops confident turning under pressure within realistic gameplay.
70-P2 · Rondo
Press and Steal Rondo
Increase the intensity of your session with this competitive rondo!
70-P3 · Small-sided game
3 v 3 Defend and Attack Game (SSG)
Increase the tempo of your sessions with this high-energy game that sharpens pressing, reactions, and attacking transitions.
68-P8 · Wave of play
1 v 1 Attacking & Defending Challenge
This practice is built to improve players’ 1 v 1 defending skills, with a strong focus on technique, positioning, and decision-making.
76-P1 · Skill practice
1 v 1 Possession & Dribbling Game
It's time to work on our players ability to maintain possession under pressure and excel in 1 v 1 situations!
1TO1-P26 · Technical practice
1st Touch and Passing
Take your players’ first touch, scanning, and passing accuracy to the next level with this focused technical practice.
84-P1 · Technical practice
1st Touch, Passing and Fitness
This simple technical practice takes place in a 20 by 20-yard area and develops players 1st touch, passing accuracy and fitness.
59-P3 · Rondo
2 v 2 + 2 Rondo
This rondo practice challenges players to keep possession under pressure, work through compact defences, and react instantly in transition.
26-P3 · Opposed practice
4 v 3 Opposed Build-Up Game
It’s time to develop your goalkeeper’s skills and team cohesion with this dynamic 4 v 3 opposed practice!
BM-10 · Warm-up
Ball Mastery 10-Sprint, Dribble and Turn
This is practice 10 in the Ball Mastery Series
WU-29 · Warm-up
Cone Throwing Target Range
This fun warm up/activation practice develops the social aspect of the game combined with dribbling, awareness and finishing.
WU-47 · Warm-up
Diamond Evasion Game
Bring intensity and fun competition to your warm-up with this evasion game!
33-P1 · Technical practice
Diamond Finishing Combinations: Technical
This practice is focused on embedding attacking principles in a 4-4-2 Diamond in a technical finishing practice.
98-P3 · Small-sided game
Dribble to Break Lines
This fast-paced 4v4 game challenges our players to take on defenders, maintain control, and make smart decisions while advancing the ball.
WU-22 · Warm-up
Dribbling and Finishing Relay!
This fun warm up takes place in a 15 by 20-yard area and is a relay race focusing on players dribbling and finishing.
101-P6 · Physical practice
Dribbling Relay Race
This quick fire team relay race is great to activate players and get the team socially engaged for any session.
WU-46 · Warm-up
Dribbling Relay Race Activation
This energetic warm-up challenges players to dribble, move quickly, and make sharp decisions under pressure.
100-P1 · Skill practice
Finish to Score Points-Team Game
This energising team-based practice blends sharp dribbling, composed finishing, and competitive scoring to create a fun and focused session.
100-P2 · Skill practice
Finishing and Recovery Runs
Take your players’ first touch, speed, and decision-making to the next level with this dynamic 1v1 practice.
77-P3 · Rondo
Heads Up Rondo
This engaging 3-team practice challenges players to scan and identify teammates before receiving, using visual cues on players heads.
100-P3 · Technical practice
Improve Striker Movement & Finishing 1 v 1
This finishing practice breaks down the key movements that help attackers lose defenders, receive on the half turn, and attack goal with confidence.
100-P4 · Technical practice
One Touch Passing Combinations
Increase the speed and precision of your team’s passing with this sharp technical practice.
38-P1 · Technical practice
One-Two Combinations: Technical
This activation technical practice incorporates opening the body to play forward and one-two combinations to set and spin.
FS-P2 · Small-sided game
Penetrate and Drive into End Zones to Finish
This possession-focused practice sharpens combination play and positional understanding in the 1-3-1 futsal setup!
MB-P61 · Warm-up
Portal Game
This fun activation develops close control, sharp turning, and explosive acceleration.
01-P3 · Skill practice
Possession: Attacking Centrally
Develop player's ability to combine and rotate in central areas, penetrating defensive covering lines.
GK-P17 · Skill practice
Quick Reactions to Make Saves
This dynamic goalkeeper session sharpens quick reactions, recovery speed, and positioning under pressure.
WU-39 · Warm-up
Quick Switches to Get to Safety
Sharpen speed, agility, and decision-making with this fast-paced warm-up game that keeps players engaged from the start.
MB-P32 · Warm-up
Race Those Cars!
This fun foundation phase practice takes place in a 15-by 20 yard area and develops players agility, dribbling, and finishing.
BM-11 · Skill practice
Running with the ball
This Ball Mastery Practice is focused on individual players dribbling past defenders and recognising when to burst into space with the ball
WU-36 · Warm-up
Scanning and Dribbling
This practice takes place in a 15 by 20-yard area and focuses on developing scanning when receiving and driving with the ball.
86-P2 · Skill practice
Score and Back Game
This fun practice takes place in a 20 by 30-yard area and encourages dribbling, running with the ball and finishing.
MB-P12 · Skill practice
Skill Circle-Mix It Up On The Move
This takes place in a 20 yard area and focuses on developing players technical ability with the ball while on the move.
94-P1 · Technical practice
Technical Movement to Receive
This technical practice is designed to improve passing and receiving, with a focus on movement and first touch.
54-P1 · Technical practice
The Christmas Sled Race
Celebrate the Holidays with the Christmas Sled Race! Bring festive fun to your final training session of the year.
94-P3 · Technical practice
The Directional 1st Touch Square
This technical practice focuses on improving directional first touches and passing.
BM-14 · Warm-up
The Dribbling Box
This ball mastery practice takes place in a 15 by 20-yard area and focuses on developing players dribbling ability and awareness.
61-P2 · Technical practice
Triangle Passing Combinations
This simple technical practice focuses on developing players passing and moving within a triangle setup.
MB-P62 · Skill practice
Turn and Attack
This 1v1 skill practice develops dribbling, sharp turning, and attacking under recovery pressure.
These are 41 of the 272 practices in Club for this page. Start a free trial to see them all ↗ · See the U9–U11 age group page
Coaching it
How to get more from these practices.
The skill window
Players in this age group pick up technique quickly. Practices that repeat a skill inside a game, rather than in a line, build technique that holds up in matches.
Add decisions gradually
Start with the technique, then add a defender, a direction or a target. The practices here are tagged for this age group in Club and most build in that order.
Both feet
Ask for both feet early. A simple rule, such as finishing with the weaker foot for double points, adds the challenge without slowing the practice down.
Questions
What coaches ask.
- What should U9 football training focus on?
- Most practices Touchtight Club tags for U9 teams work on first touch, passing, dribbling and small-sided games with real decisions. Use the filters above to find the right number of players and size of area for your group.
- How many players do these U9 drills need?
- Each outline shows the player numbers from its Club tags. Use the Players filter above, or the pages for 1–5, 6–10, 11–16 and 17+ players.
- Are these practices free?
- The practice outlines on this page are free to read, with the setup and key coaching points for each practice. The full coaching videos, progressions and player questions are in the Touchtight Club library, which you can try free for 14 days (card required).