Cat and Mouse – Soccer Training Activity (U5–U10)
Coach: Renata Lawson
Club: Copper Mountain Soccer Club
Role: Director of Coaching
Qualification: USSF “D” (United States)
Date: May 3, 2020
Duration: 30 minutes
Age Group: U5–U10
Session Objective
Controlled dribbling with the head up.
Warm-Up: Tom and Jerry (5 minutes)
Description
Play in a 20×30 yard grid. Players work in pairs and decide who will be Tom and who will be Jerry.
Both players dribble while Tom chases Jerry. After about 30 seconds, the coach calls for everyone to freeze. While Jerry is frozen, Tom tries to catch Jerry by passing their ball into Jerry’s ball.
Tom gets three attempts to catch Jerry, then the roles are switched.
This setup encourages Tom to stay close to Jerry while dribbling, making it easier to hit the ball.
Coaching Points
- Remind players to keep their head up while dribbling
- Tom needs to stay close to Jerry
- Jerry should look for ways to escape
- Keeping the ball close helps players change direction quickly
Activity 1: Frozen Mice (8–12 minutes)
Description
Cats (without a ball) are the freezers and try to touch the soccer ball (the cheese) of each mouse.
- If a mouse’s ball is touched, they pick it up, hold it above their head, and stand frozen with their legs apart to create a goal
- Another mouse can unfreeze them by passing the ball through their legs
If the cats freeze all the mice within the allotted time, the cats win all the cheese.
Rounds should last 2–3 minutes, then rotate the cats. Play in a 20×20 or 20×30 yard grid.
Coaching Points
- If a mouse sees an opportunity to unfreeze a teammate, they must move quickly
- Encourage players to keep the ball close so they don’t get frozen
Activity 2: Tom’s Cheese (8–12 minutes)
Description
Two players start as cats without a ball. If they steal a ball (cheese), they must quickly add it to their collection in the net.
- If a mouse’s ball is stolen and they can’t steal it back before it is kicked into the net, they become a cat
- The last mouse with a ball gets to keep their cheese
Play in a 20×20 or 20×30 yard grid. Choose two new cats and play again.
Coaching Points
- Challenge players to keep the ball moving into new space, even when a cat isn’t nearby
- Encourage frequent shoulder checks to know where the cats are
- Reinforce protecting the ball by keeping it close
Activity 3: Scrimmage (8–12 minutes)
Description
Small-sided game played on a 20×30 yard grid.
Coaching Points
- Encourage side-to-side movement to beat defenders
- Help players recognize defender movement and change direction
- Emphasize pushing the ball instead of kicking
- Reinforce that frequent changes of direction are difficult for defenders