Soccer drills for 12 year olds (U12 and U13)
What a 12 year old can practice at home: drills the app opens at this age, games to make them fun, how long and how often, and what US Soccer's rules say for the age group.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth soccer coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Most 12 year olds play in U12 or U13: US Soccer groups players by birth year.
At 12
The age at a glance
- Games
- At U12 and U13, US Soccer's games are 9v9 and 11v11. US Soccer's match formats grow with age to keep touches high: 4v4 for U8 and under, 7v7 for U9 and U10, 9v9 for U11 and U12, 11v11 from U13.
- Heading
- At U12 to U14, US Soccer caps heading practice at 30 minutes and 15 to 20 headers per player a week. SSTracker's home plans include no heading before 14.
- Positions
- The research SSTracker's soccer plans follow: at 11 to 13, about a third of a home session can be themed to a position; the rest stays all-round.
- How long
- SSTracker keeps one home session for a 12 year old within 60 minutes and plans at most 5 training days a week.
36 drills
Drills for 12 year olds
Every drill here is one the app opens for 12 year olds, at the level for the age. Each page has the steps, a diagram where the setup can be drawn, three ways to make it a game and a practice log to print.
Defending
Dribbling
Fitness
Pace & Agility
Passing & Receiving
A week to start with
A free week of soccer at home
- 1Called moves + Driven and lofted passes38 min
- 2Jockey corridor + Called moves38 min
- 3Open-body receive + Jockey corridor38 min
Questions parents ask
Soccer for 12 year olds: questions and answers
How long should a 12 year old practice soccer at home?
SSTracker keeps one home session for a 12 year old within 60 minutes and plans at most 5 training days a week. Organized sport should total no more hours a week than the child's age in years, with two rest days a week. (NATA youth sport specialization recommendations.)
Can 12 year olds head the ball?
At U12 to U14, US Soccer caps heading practice at 30 minutes and 15 to 20 headers per player a week. SSTracker's home plans include no heading before 14.
What size games do 12 year olds play?
At U12 and U13, US Soccer's games are 9v9 and 11v11. US Soccer's match formats grow with age to keep touches high: 4v4 for U8 and under, 7v7 for U9 and U10, 9v9 for U11 and U12, 11v11 from U13.
Should a 12 year old play one position?
The research SSTracker's soccer plans follow: at 11 to 13, about a third of a home session can be themed to a position; the rest stays all-round.
Free for families and teams
Save this plan to your child or team, free
Sign up and the free soccer week for 12 year olds opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits for the age, with progress your child sees against their own start. Coaches can send the same drills to the whole team as homework.
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