A Weekly Drill Plan for Parents: Dribbling, Passing, Shooting

The hardest part of training at home is not the drills. It is deciding what to do, every single day, without repeating yourself into boredom.

This is a week that solves that. Four days, fifteen minutes each, with one skill per day and a fixed shape to every session so nobody has to think.

The shape of every session

The same four blocks every day, whatever the skill. Once a family knows the shape, the only thing that changes is the content.

Block	Minutes	Purpose
Warm-up	3	Touches on the ball, no instruction
Main activity	5	The skill of the day, done properly
Progression	4	The same skill, harder or faster
Finisher	3	A game or a score to beat

Day 1 — Dribbling

1. Main: figure 8

Two cones, five yards apart, loops around both crossing the middle.

• How to set it up: Two cones.
• How long: 5 minutes.
• What good looks like: A true 8, touches under a stride.
• The usual mistake: A wide circle instead of an 8.

2. Progression: outside foot only

The same loop, outside of the boot only, which forces the hips open.

• How to set it up: Same cones.
• How long: 4 minutes.
• What good looks like: No inside-foot rescue touches.
• The usual mistake: Slipping back to the inside foot at the turn.

3. Finisher: 60-second count

How many complete loops in a minute. Write it on the fridge.

• How to set it up: Same cones, a timer.
• How long: 1 round.
• What good looks like: The number goes up week to week.
• The usual mistake: Chasing the number by abandoning control.

Day 2 — Passing

1. Main: wall passing

Pass against a wall and control the return with one touch, setting up the next pass.

• How to set it up: Any wall, six yards back.
• How long: 5 minutes, both feet.
• What good looks like: The first touch sets the ball a stride in front.
• The usual mistake: Killing it dead under the foot.

2. Progression: one-touch returns

No control touch at all. Straight back off the wall.

• How to set it up: Same wall, closer if needed.
• How long: 4 minutes.
• What good looks like: Accuracy holds without a control touch.
• The usual mistake: Hitting it harder to compensate for poor contact.

3. Finisher: target hits

Chalk or tape a target on the wall. How many hits in ninety seconds.

• How to set it up: Chalk, tape or a bin.
• How long: 1 round.
• What good looks like: A score to beat next week.
• The usual mistake: Standing too close to make it easy.

Day 3 — Shooting

1. Main: set-touch finishing

One touch to set the ball, one to strike. The setting touch is the drill.

• How to set it up: A goal, wall or two cones.
• How long: 5 minutes, alternating feet.
• What good looks like: The set touch is the same every time.
• The usual mistake: Rushing the strike and hitting a moving ball badly.

2. Progression: dribble into a finish

Four cones then a shot, so the finish arrives out of movement.

• How to set it up: Four cones and a target.
• How long: 4 minutes.
• What good looks like: The last touch before the shot needs no rescue.
• The usual mistake: Sprinting the dribble to get to the shot.

3. Finisher: corners game

Points for hitting the corners of the goal, none for the middle.

• How to set it up: Two cones in the corners of the goal.
• How long: 10 shots.
• What good looks like: Placement chosen before the strike.
• The usual mistake: Power over placement.

Day 4 — Everything together

One session a week where the three are joined: dribble through cones, pass off a wall, receive, dribble again and finish. This is the day the skills stop being separate.

• Dribble four cones
• Wall pass and receive with one touch
• Dribble two more cones
• Finish into the corner
• Ten reps, alternating which foot finishes

Making it survive past week three

• Same days each week. Decide them once. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday works for most families.
• Fifteen minutes, not thirty. A short session that happens beats a long one that gets postponed.
• Write the finisher scores down. Progress a child can see is what keeps them going.
• Say very little. Notice one thing per session and name it. That is the whole job.