Soccer Drills for 10 Year Olds: A Practical Parent Guide

Four suggested soccer drills for 10 year olds in Australia and New Zealand are gate dribbling, partner passing, target shooting and games against defenders. Start with a clear ball task, then add an opponent so girls and boys can practise choosing what to do next. Connect junior soccer coaching with the activities below and home striking practice using Curl Master One, sold by The Giro X. Each activity explains the setup and scoring, with suggested dimensions you can adjust to your child and available space.

Which Dribbling Drill Should You Start With?

Start with gate dribbling, giving your child a choice of openings to travel through with the ball. Try a clear area measuring about 10 metres by 10 metres, with eight flat markers arranged into four gates. Make each gate roughly a metre wide and leave room to turn between them. Award a point when your child takes both themselves and the ball through an opening under control. If the ball leaves the area, bring it back inside and choose another route.

Make gate dribbling easier by widening the openings or spreading them farther apart to allow a longer approach. Offer the cue, “Keep the ball close enough for your next turn,” then let your child try it before adding another instruction. You can become a walking defender who blocks an opening without tackling. In my opinion, blocking a gate gives looking up a useful purpose: your child needs to spot an available opening before deciding where to take the ball.

How Can You Practise Passing and First Touch?

Use partner passing through a gate, with a receiving touch that prepares the next pass. Set two players about five metres apart, with a central gate roughly two metres wide. Place a side marker near each player, leaving room to receive towards it. Pass along the ground through the gate, take a touch towards the side marker, then return the ball. Count a shared point when the pass clears the gate and the receiver keeps the ball within reach.

Make partner passing easier by bringing the players closer together or widening the central gate. For another challenge, place a marker on either side of each receiver and let them choose where to take their first touch. Ask, “Where would you like your next pass to go?” A parent can be the passing partner at home. With a group, organise separate pairs so everyone has a ball task, then change partners after an agreed round.

What Gives Shooting Practice a Clear Purpose?

Give target shooting a visible opening and a repeatable starting position. Try a target about three metres wide, with an approach marker roughly five metres away and clear space beyond the target. Ask your child to move the ball into reachable space before striking towards the opening. Count a point when the ball passes between the markers. With another player, alternate attempts and collect balls while shooting is paused, keeping the route to the target clear for each turn.

Adjust target shooting by moving the starting marker closer or widening the opening. If the approach touch carries the ball too far away, return to a stationary ball before trying a moving approach again. In my opinion, asking where the player wants the shot to finish gives the attempt a useful focus before discussing power. Ask your child's coach for a contact cue to practise, then use that same wording at home rather than introducing several instructions together.

How Do You Add Defenders and Team Decisions?

Introduce an attacker against a defender, with a scoring gate at each end of the practice area. Try a space about 12 metres long and eight metres wide, with gates roughly two metres across. The attacker tries to dribble through the far gate under control. If the defender gains possession, they attack the opposite gate. Swap starting roles after a goal or when the ball leaves the area. Restart with a stationary ball and widen the space if players want more attacking routes.

For group practice, try an end zone game in a suggested 20 metre by 15 metre area. Mark an end zone about three metres deep at either end and begin with three players per team. Score by receiving a teammate's pass inside the attacking zone, then let the other team restart. Keep touches unrestricted. When the ball leaves the area, the other team restarts with a ground pass from that boundary. With uneven attendance, add a supporting player who joins whichever team has possession, rotating that responsibility. Offer girls and boys the same activities, adjusting the challenge for each player.

How Should You Organise Practice Between Coached Sessions?

Organise soccer practice for 10 year old girls and boys around a familiar task, followed by a chance to use it in a game. For a suggested group programme, begin with free dribbling before moving into gates and partner passing. Follow with target shooting, then finish with opposition or end zone play. Include explanations and role changes within the time available. For home soccer practice, revisit one activity with a parent and agree what earns a point before starting.

Curl Master One

For focused striking practice between sessions, I recommend getting Curl Master One alongside coaching because its contact feedback gives the home activity a defined focus. It spins a standard ball at controlled speeds and provides immediate feedback through the feel of the strike. The device has six speed settings and requires no app or subscription. A parent does not need prior soccer knowledge to help. Get Curl Master One for your daughter's or son's home practice, keep an adult nearby, and carry a familiar contact cue from the coach into each attempt.

Bring Curl Master One Home

Choose Curl Master One for home soccer practice with a standard ball spinning at controlled speeds.

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