The girls on a U8 soccer team benefit from simple drills that provide a foundation for basic skills. While all drills should have a fun component to keep this age group engaged, drills with an extra little bit of whimsy or playfulness especially work to reinforce the idea of soccer as an enjoyable activity. If your U8 team is co-ed, as it may be if you don't have a separate league for girls, these drills also work for a team of boys and girls.
Cone Knockdown
Coach Debra LaPrath recommends Cone Knockdown in "Coaching Girls Soccer Successfully." Set up groups of six to eight players, each with a partner, to play in a grid measuring 15 by 25 yards. Spread five cones along each end line. Place two pairs of players inside the grid, and have the others wait outside the boundaries and chase down loose balls. Each pair tries to knock down a cone at their end of grid using different kinds of passes. If the player misses the cone, the opposing team brings the ball back in play. Teams try to knock their own cones down and prevent the other team from scoring by crossing the end line.
Team Tag
Sam Snow, director of coaching for US Youth Soccer, recommends Team Tag as an attacking drill for U8 players in "Coaching Youth Soccer." Set up a grid with cones measuring 10 yards on each side. Divide your girls into two to three teams of two to five players, each with a ball. One team tries to score by tagging all the players on the other teams -- and all girls must keep control of their balls if possible during the drill. A tagged player must kneel down and keep a hand on the ball. Tagging has to be two-handed, and a player who loses control of the ball or goes out of bounds is also tagged. Teammates can release tagged teammates by touching them.
Slalom Relay
Set up groups of three players for Slalom Relay, also described in "Coaching Youth Soccer." Make as many teams as needed to engage all the players. Set up a starting line with cones about five yards apart and then four cones in a row, two yards between each. On your command "go," the first player of each team starts dribbling through all the cones, out and back. The next player repeats the slalom when the first player passes her the ball as she crosses the start line. The team to finish first receives one point.
Single Circular Target
Assign two players to play two others in this drill from Snow designed to develop the push pass. Mark an area 20 yards on a side with cones and a small center circle containing a medicine ball. The team in possession tries to hit the medicine ball and defends the circle when it loses the ball. Players must keep out of the circle. Hitting the medicine ball results in 1 point.
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