Football practice planning - a guide for coaches

2026-02-12

The Finnish FA observed 305 youth team practices and found that in 40% of sessions, players were active for less than 60% of the time [1]. Over a season, the difference between a well-planned and poorly planned session adds up to hundreds of hours of lost activity.

This guide covers session structure, age-group recommendations, and season planning fundamentals.

Part 1: Session structure

Session structure (under-10s)

A children's coaching blog published by the Finnish FA outlines an under-10 structure where the on-pitch portion lasts 60 minutes (adjustable to 90 minutes), preceded and followed by 15 minutes of supplementary work [2]:

Phase	Duration	Content
Pre-training	15 min	Skill and coordination work with the ball
1. Football game / competition	10 min	Game-based start, speed work
2. Technical-tactical theme	15 min	Technical work aligned with the session theme
3. 1v1 and 2v2 games	15 min	Small-sided situations under pressure
4. Larger game	20 min	3v3 or 4v4, reduced coach interventions
Post-training	15 min	Skill work with varied equipment

The Finnish FA research found that session planning and organisation are the biggest factors in how much players move and how many ball contacts they get [1].

England FA's three approaches

England FA identifies three common ways to structure a session [3]:

1. Whole-Part-Whole
Start with a game, isolate one skill for practice, return to the game. Players understand the skill's relevance in a match context.

2. Carousel (station-based)
3-4 stations, each practicing a different skill within the same theme. Finish with a game where skills are applied.

3. Up the Steps
Start with individual exercises, progress to small games (2v2, 3v3), finish with a larger game. According to the England FA, this is "arguably the most commonly used session structure" [4].

The England FA's three Rs principle: a drill should be Realistic (game-like), Relevant (age-appropriate), and provide sufficient Repetition [3].

Research: how is time distributed?

A peer-reviewed study (Larkin et al., 2022) analysed training time usage [5]:

Drill-based activities: 20-72% of time
Game-based activities: 28-62% of time
Passive time (listening): 17-37% of time

Researchers recommend minimising passive time: short instructions, fewer "freeze" stoppages, more coaching during play.

Part 2: Age-group recommendations

Age group	Duration / session	Sessions / week	Main focus
U7-U9	30-60 min	1-2	Fun, basic motor skills, play
U10-U11	60 min	2-3	Fundamental skills, coordination
U12-U14	60-90 min	3-4	Individual technique, game understanding
U15-U16	90 min	4-5	Tactics, physical preparation

U7-U9: The fun phase

Fun is the only metric - if the player enjoys it, they'll come back
Varied physical activity, not just football
No early specialisation - football is a late-specialisation sport [6]
Small-sided formats: 1v1-5v5

U10-U12: The golden age of learning

The best window for skill development before the growth spurt [6]
Introduction of warm-ups and mental preparation
Technical and tactical training increases
7v7 game format

U13-U15: Accelerated development

The body is physiologically receptive to training stimuli
Building an aerobic base, developing speed and strength
Deepening sport-specific skills and tactics
9v9 transitioning to 11v11

Part 3: Season planning (periodisation)

Why create a season plan?

Without planning, the same sessions repeat week after week with no development arc. Periodisation ensures training progresses purposefully [7][8].

Level	Duration	Content
Annual plan	12 months	Overall season structure and goals
Macrocycle	~3 months	Season phase (preparation, competition, transition)
Mesocycle	2-4 weeks	Theme block (e.g. "defending")
Microcycle	1 week	Individual session planning

Season phases

1. Preparation period (general + sport-specific)
Physical base fitness and technique refinement. Building the team's playing style.

2. Competition period
Training supports match rhythm. Weekly cycle structured around match day.

3. Transition period
Recovery and active rest. Varied physical activity without pressure.

Weekly cycle model during competition period

If the match is on Saturday, the week can be structured like this [9][10]:

Day	Content	Load
Sun	Recovery / off	Low
Mon	Light recovery session	Low
Tue	Physical session, endurance	High
Wed	Tactical session, game format	Medium-high
Thu	Speed and sharpness	Medium-high
Fri	Activation, team tactics	Low
Sat - Match		High

Part 4: Communicating sessions to players

Why words alone aren't enough

When a player sees a diagram, they understand their role, position, and the team's plan faster than from a verbal explanation alone.

Richard Mayer's multimedia learning theory (1997) supports this: people learn best when words and images are presented together [11]:

Information is processed both visually and verbally (dual channel)
Too much information on one channel causes overload (limited working memory)
The learner builds their own understanding (active processing)

In practice: show the diagram and explain at the same time. Don't explain for 3 minutes and then show the diagram separately.

Part 5: Practical planning tips

Planning checklist

Before every session, make sure:

The session has one clear theme (e.g. "passing under pressure")
Structure follows a progression: easy to hard, individual to game
Every player moves throughout the entire session - no queues
The session suits the age group (duration, difficulty, pitch size)
You know in advance how to make a drill harder or easier
The assistant coach knows the plan

Example drills

Passing square drill — TacticsBoard — Passing square with directional first touch — a technique drill for warm-ups.

3v2 finishing — TacticsBoard — 3v2 finishing — a game-based drill where overload forces quick decisions.