I am struggling mightily to find drills to improve my U10's attack. We have 3 girls that understand lead passes but maybe only 1 who understands running on to it. Help
You may really have to slow down and take some time to make sure they get this. Start out with two parallel lines. The player from line 1 dribbles a few yards and then plays a ball into space in front of the player from line 2. The player line 2 runs on to the ball and meets it. Take some time to make sure they understand what to do. After they have this down have the players from line 2 start with the ball and the players from line 1 receive the pass. Good luck and let me know how it works.
For U10s (or any age really), a simple game may be a possession game in a box about 30 yards from goal. Have a GK in the goal (preferably a coach/assistant or another non-player since you don't need to waste a U10`s time standing around a lot). The teams play possession in the box and can only break to the goal if a ball is played for another to run onto while all players are still in the box. The defense and attack can both join in (just as in a game), but only after the ball has been played to lead a teammate out. This will give you all sorts of possibilities to create opportunities for lead passes and to develop all of the ideas that go along with lead passes such as communication and the timing/angles of runs. Because they are playing, they won't get bored like they may in drills. Also, because the game will have varied flows (just like a real game), each setup will be different. Patterned, specific runs can be dangerous to use with U10s because it can turn them into robots in certain situations. You want them to 1) think for themselves and 2) not look at the game as system of necessary, specific movements.
Similar game: We call it "touchdown" but I'm sure it's got plenty of other names. Basically it's regular soccer except rather than goals you have endzones, as with US football. A team scores when a player sends a ball into the endzone and one of her/his players runs onto it. You can stipulate that the receiving player cannot be in the endzone at the time the pass is made in order emphasize the leading pass aspect of the game. You can also fiddle around with the size, number, and location of the endzones. For example, you might try having a free flowing (i.e. no restart after scores) small-sided game with a square playing field in the middle of four endzones (or even a circular playing field, with the endzone being anything outside the circle), which forces a lot of transitions and awareness of 360 degrees of passing options.
Oops! I posted this on the wrong thread. I have to agree with soccermainiac2003 This is a tough one to describe but it's really a great drill for lead passing and movement. It's called "the 3 man weave." Have three players (or three columns) stand at the touch line about 20 ft apart. Start 3 of them off across the field, slowly ay first. Center player has the ball and starts by playing a 'lead pass' ahead of the player to his left. After he passes he immediately runs 'behind' the left hand player to take up left spot. The player who has just caught up with the ball 'settles it' and then lead passes to the right hand player. After he passes he runs 'behind' the right hand player to take up right spot. The player with the ball always ends in the center spot. He then plays a 'lead pass' ahead of the player to his left and moves left, starting the sequence again as they cross the field in a continuous weave. Stop at the far touch line and let the next 3 players in line begin. until all are done and then go back. It can be hillarious at first as they all cross any way but the way you've told them. Once they get it though and start to move faster with the ball they'll soon get the idea of (lead) "Pass & move" and realize how important the lead is. Seriously, once you get this down you'll find it's one of the best drills for attacking movement and my U13 kids seem to use it naturally during a game. You might want to be the starting center at first just for control. My team loves this one and do their own "variations on the theme" including a goal to shoot at at the end. They also don't realize that they getting conditioning as they do it. (Laps, we don't need no stinking laps) Let me know how it goes at practice.
Sounds like a good one for the younger kids. They can really spread the field out that way instead of playing chase the ball.