DrawTactics
Upgrade

Free Football Session Planner

Plan your warm-up, main practice and game in one place. Draw each drill, add coaching points and progressions, then download your session plan as a PDF.

Your draft saves automatically in this browser.

Session details

Download your session as an A4 PDF to print, or as a PNG for your phone. Downloads are free with a DrawTactics account.

Plan downloaded. Want it in 3D, or as an animated drill your players can watch? Upgrade to DrawTactics for £5.99/month.

Show players the session, not just the plan

The free planner gets the session on paper. A DrawTactics membership adds the tools coaches use to show it: full drill diagrams, animated movement and match clips your players can watch before training.

Build drills on the full tactics board

Set out players, cones and areas in 2D or 3D, add movement arrows and keep the drills you reuse every week.

Animate how the practice should flow

Step through passing patterns, supporting runs and rotations so players see the picture before they reach the pitch.

Link the session to the match

Freeze a match clip, mark the positions and runs, and show players the moment this session is built around.

Upgrade to DrawTactics – £5.99/month Or £47.99 a year. Unlimited saved session plans included.

How to plan a football training session

  1. 1. Start with one objectivePick the single thing you want players to get better at, such as switching play or pressing as a unit. Every block should serve it.
  2. 2. Build from simple to game-likeWarm up with the ball, move into a practice that isolates the objective, then finish with a game where it happens naturally.
  3. 3. Draw each practiceA clear diagram saves minutes of explaining. Show the area, the players, where the ball starts and the main movements.
  4. 4. Write three coaching pointsKeep them short enough to say on the pitch. Add a progression to make it harder and a regression to make it easier.

Example football session plans

Load any of these into the planner above and adapt them to your group.

U8: dribbling and turning

  • Warm-up (10 mins): traffic lights dribbling in a 20x20 box
  • Practice (20 mins): turn and escape through cone gates
  • Game (20 mins): 4v4 with two goals at each end

U10/U12: playing out from the back

  • Warm-up (15 mins): passing in triangles with movement
  • Practice (25 mins): 4v2 build-up into end zones
  • Game (25 mins): 7v7 with a restart from the goalkeeper

Adult: pressing as a unit

  • Warm-up (15 mins): 5v2 rondo with a transition
  • Practice (30 mins): 6v6+3 pressing triggers
  • Game (30 mins): 9v9 with a bonus for winning the ball high

Football session plan template: what goes in each section

SectionWhat to write
Session objectiveOne sentence on what players should be better at by the end.
OrganisationArea size, number of players, equipment and how the practice starts and restarts.
Coaching pointsTwo or three short cues linked to the objective, such as "open body shape before receiving".
ProgressionsHow to make it harder or easier: smaller area, fewer touches, an extra defender, a time limit.
DiagramThe area, both teams, the ball's starting point and the key passes, runs and dribbles.

Frequently asked questions

Is the football session planner free?

Yes. You can plan a full session with up to four blocks and drill diagrams for free. Downloading the PDF or PNG needs a free DrawTactics account, and downloads carry a small DrawTactics logo.

Can I print my session plan?

Yes. Download the plan as an A4 PDF and print it, or save the PNG to your phone for pitchside use.

Does the template follow the FA session plan format?

It uses the same building blocks most coaching courses ask for: a session objective, organisation, coaching points and progressions for each practice, with a diagram for every block.

Where are my session plans saved?

Your current plan is saved automatically in your browser. With a free account you can keep up to five named plans on this device. DrawTactics subscribers can keep unlimited plans.

Can I animate my drills?

Not in the free planner. The full DrawTactics animated tactics board lets you animate movements step by step, switch to 3D and export video.

More free coaching tools