High School Soccer Season Curriculum: 10-Week JV & Varsity Plan

Soccer·High School·Ages 14-18·School·10-week season·4× / week·90-min sessions·Game-model periodization

By the Practice Plan App Coaching Team · Published August 2026

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1.Who Is This 10-Week Plan For?
2.How Is the Season Structured?
3.How Are Practices Organized?
4.How Does the Game-Week Rhythm Work?
5.How To Use the Linked Practice Plans
6.The 10-Week Curriculum
7.What You'll Need
8.How Do I Run JV and Varsity From One Curriculum?
9.How Do I Handle Heat and Preseason Load Safely?
10.How Do I Build a Goalkeeper Pod Without a Goalkeeper Coach?
11.What Changes on Two-Match Weeks?
12.Frequently Asked Questions

Who Is This 10-Week Plan For?#

This curriculum is for the high school soccer coach who runs a JV team full of first-year and beginner players and a varsity squad in the same program, on the same fields, often with the same two or three coaches. It assumes a tryout week, about three weeks of preseason before matches begin, and roughly seven weeks of a schedule that puts two matches on the calendar most weeks under NFHS-style rules (80-minute matches, unlimited substitution with re-entry, and a state contest limit). Every session is written for JV first, with varsity extensions inline, so one practice plan serves the whole program.

How Is the Season Structured?#

Four blocks: Weeks 1-3 are tryouts and preseason install — evaluation, passing and shape, game-shaped conditioning, then team defending and pressing — run under your state heat-acclimatization schedule. Weeks 4-6 open the match schedule and add possession, finishing, and set pieces while the goalkeeper pod becomes a weekly fixture. Weeks 7-8 lock in the game-week rhythm and take a mid-season reset. Weeks 9-10 polish pressing triggers, restarts, and penalties, then taper into the playoffs or a season-ending tournament.

How Are Practices Organized?#

Preseason practices are 90 minutes and keep one skeleton: a ball-rolling warm-up and rondo, a technical period, a small-sided teaching game with one theme, a larger game (8v8 to 11v11) in which the theme is graded, and a short restart or finishing period at the end. Once matches begin, sessions shorten to 60-75 minutes and the game-week rhythm takes over. A goalkeeper pod — 20 to 30 minutes with an assistant or a captain running scripted service — appears in almost every week so keepers are trained, not just used as targets.

How Does the Game-Week Rhythm Work?#

From Week 7 the week repeats: Tuesday installs what the opponent gives you (pressing trigger, one attacking pattern, restart package), Wednesday rehearses situations (protecting a lead, chasing a goal, a player down), and Thursday is a 60-75 minute sharpener with nothing new taught. On two-match weeks one practice becomes a regeneration session for starters and a development session for reserves and JV. Two-a-days end when matches start; most state associations prohibit them in-season anyway.

How To Use the Linked Practice Plans#

Each week links one or two complete practice plans matched to its theme — tryouts, first practice, conditioning, team defending, pressing, switching play, finishing, goalkeeping, set pieces, and game-week install. Several were written for middle school or youth teams; each summary tells you what to enlarge, speed up, or trim so they fit a 90-minute high school session. Run linked plans as written the first time; in later weeks keep their period structure and rotate your own patterns and opponent details into the teaching blocks.

The 10-Week Curriculum#

10 weeks · 4 practices per week · 90-minute sessions

Week 1

Tryouts, Evaluation & Heat Acclimatization

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Goal

Every candidate is scored on the same four-column rubric (first touch, 1v1 both ways, passing under pressure, work rate in small-sided games) across two evaluation sessions; JV and varsity rosters are posted by the end of the week with a written note for every cut. Sessions follow the state heat-acclimatization schedule.

Player evaluationFirst touch & 1v1Heat acclimatization

Practices

Tryout Week Evaluation Session · 90 min
Run the linked 90-minute high school tryout plan as written: first-touch and 1v1 stations feed into 5v5 games while coaches score every player on the same rubric. Insert a water break every 15-20 minutes on hot days.
Second Evaluation Day · 90 min
The linked 90-minute tryout plan was written for middle school; keep its period structure but enlarge grids by a third, play 7v7 instead of 5v5, and add a possession period with a numbers-up target so varsity candidates show tactical reading.

Tryout week has two jobs: sort the roster fairly and start the season without a heat casualty. Evaluate in game-shaped periods, not fitness tests, and keep the first days short and single-session.

Mon: Tryout evaluation session (linked HS plan) — first-touch stations, 1v1 channels, 5v5 games; coaches score, not coach.
Tue: Second evaluation (linked 90-minute tryout plan, adapted) — same rubric, mixed groups so every player is seen by two coaches.
Wed: Positional look: back-four shape walkthrough, 8v8 with keepers; goalkeeper candidates get a 20-minute handling and footwork pod.
Thu: Final look and roster meeting: 11v11 halves at 25 minutes each, then individual notes and cut conversations in private.

Week 2

Passing, Shape & Game-Shaped Conditioning

▾

Goal

Every player completes 20 consecutive passes with a partner at 15 yards on both feet, the back four holds shape through a 15-minute 8v8 possession game, and each squad finishes a 60-minute game-shaped conditioning session with no one pulled for heat or cramping.

Passing & receivingTeam shapeConditioning through games

Practices

First Practice: Passing & Shape · 90 min
Run the linked 90-minute plan as written the first time through: rondos, half-turn receiving, and the team-shape walkthrough become the season's warm-up skeleton. Varsity plays every possession period one touch fewer than JV.
Game-Shaped Conditioning · 90 min
The linked 60-minute beginner conditioning plan supplies the change-of-direction and small-sided fitness periods; add a 25-minute 7v7 possession game to reach 90 minutes on cool days, and run it as the full session (no extension) on days the WBGT reading is high.

Rosters are set; teach the two things every later week depends on: a clean pass and a shape players can find without thinking. Fitness comes from the games, not laps.

Mon: First-practice passing and shape (linked plan) — rondos, receiving on the half-turn, 4-3-3 shape walkthrough.
Tue: Game-shaped conditioning (linked 60-minute plan) — change-of-direction ladders into 4v4 rounds; JV runs the beginner version.
Wed: Repeat the passing skeleton with pressure added: 4v2 rondos to 6v6+2 possession; GK pod on distribution (goal kicks, throws, punts) for 20 minutes.
Thu: Intrasquad 11v11 at 30-minute halves with a coach on each bench calling shape; cool-down and hydration check.

Week 3

Team Defending & Pressing

▾

Goal

The first defender wins or delays 70% of 1v1 duels in a 20-yard channel, back-line drops and steps on the coach's cues in an 8v8, and the front three executes the pressing trigger (backward pass or heavy touch) three times in a 10-minute 9v9 without leaving a gap behind the press.

Pressure-cover-balancePressing triggersGoalkeeper starting position

Practices

Team Defending Basics · 90 min
The linked 75-minute plan is written for middle school; keep every period but enlarge grids to high school distances, run the 4v4 shifting period as a full back four plus holding midfielder, and add a 15-minute 9v9 zone-defending game to reach 90 minutes.
Pressing Basics · 90 min
Run the linked 75-minute high school pressing plan as written and add a 15-minute finish: 9v9 in which the coach calls 'press' or 'drop' and the team must switch within one pass. Varsity adds the counterpress after any turnover in the final third.

Defend first. Beginners who know when to step and when to drop stop conceding cheap goals, and the varsity press only works if the JV pipeline is teaching the same triggers.

Mon: Team defending basics (linked plan, extended) — 1v1 delaying, pressure-cover-balance in 3v3, back-four shifting.
Tue: Pressing basics (linked plan) — triggers, angles of approach, counterpress in 6v6+2.
Wed: Combine: 9v9 defending in a 4-3-3 with the press turned on and off by the coach; GK pod on starting position and sweeping behind the line.
Thu: Preseason scrimmage or 11v11 intrasquad, 35-minute halves; one defensive theme graded per half.

Week 4

Possession & Switching the Point of Attack; First Matches

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Goal

In an 8v8+2 possession game the team switches play through the holding midfielder or a driven ball across at least six times in 10 minutes; each goalkeeper completes 20 clean receptions and plays out to the correct side; both squads play their first match knowing the pre-match routine.

Switching the point of attackPlaying out from the backGoalkeeper pod & match routine

Practices

Switching the Point of Attack · 90 min
The linked 75-minute plan is written for U12; keep its progression but enlarge the possession grid to roughly 45 by 60 yards, play 8v8+2 with two neutral pivots, and demand driven balls and one-touch layoffs to shift a compact block. Extend to 90 minutes with a two-goal switching game.
Goalkeeper Fundamentals Pod + Build-Out · 75 min
Run the linked 75-minute goalkeeper plan's handling, footwork, and shot-stopping periods as a 30-minute pod with an assistant while field players run rondos, then reunite for the plan's team-defending game with a 4-3-3 build-out from the keeper. Written for middle school; raise service speed and distance.

Matches start this week. From here practices shrink around the fixture list, and doubles are over. Possession work gives the press something to hold on to.

Mon: Switching the point of attack (linked plan, adapted) — overload one side, find the far side through the pivot.
Tue: Goalkeeper pod (linked plan) runs alongside a field-player rondo circuit; then 11v11 build-out patterns from the goalkeeper.
Wed: First match (JV then varsity). Warm-up routine rehearsed exactly as it will run all season.
Thu: Regeneration for starters (20 minutes of ball work, mobility), 60-minute possession session for non-starters and JV.

Week 5

Finishing & Attacking the Box

▾

Goal

Each forward and attacking midfielder logs 40 finishing repetitions from three service angles (cutback, cross, through ball) with 60% on target; the team scores from a cutback in the week's match; goalkeepers face 60 shots in the pod with the correct set position on every one.

Finishing under pressureCrossing & cutbacksGoalkeeper shot-stopping

Practices

Shooting & Finishing · 90 min
The linked 75-minute plan is written for middle school; keep its station-to-game progression, move service to 18-25 yards, add a defender chasing every finish, and end with a 6v6+GK game in which goals from crosses or cutbacks count double.
Crossing, Cutbacks & Box Runs · 90 min
Pattern work from wide areas: fullback overlap to an early cross, winger to the byline for a cutback, and three timed runs into the box. Goalkeepers defend the crosses live, then an 8v8 game rewards any goal from a wide entry.

Chances are cheap to create against beginners' opponents and expensive to waste. Finishing and shot-stopping are taught in the same period so both units improve at once.

Mon: Shooting and finishing (linked plan, adapted) — technique stations to 4v4+GK finishing games.
Tue: Attacking the box: crossing and cutback patterns from a 4-3-3, near-post/far-post/penalty-spot runs; keepers defend crosses in the same period.
Wed: Match. Starters rehearse the finishing warm-up before kickoff.
Thu: Regeneration for starters; 60-minute finishing circuit for reserves and JV; GK pod on angles and 1v1 breakaways.

Week 6

Set Pieces: Attacking & Defending Restarts

▾

Goal

The team runs two attacking corner routines, one short-corner variation, and one direct and one indirect free-kick routine from memory; defensive corner marking assignments are correct on 9 of 10 reps; the goalkeeper commands the box verbally on every restart in the week's match.

Corner routinesFree-kick wall & markingGoalkeeper command of the box

Practices

Set Pieces for New High School Players · 90 min
Run the linked 75-minute plan as written the first time: attacking corners, free-kick routines, walls, and marking taught with unopposed reps before live restarts. Add a 15-minute period in which the coach awards random restarts inside an 8v8 game.
Defending Restarts & Goalkeeper Box Command · 75 min
The mirror session: defensive corner shape (zonal posts plus markers), wall placement with the keeper choosing the height, and second-ball clearance to a target. Goalkeepers call the box and take crosses live for 25 minutes.

Restarts decide a large share of high school matches because they are the one part of the game most teams never rehearse. Install both sides this week and revisit them every Thursday from now on.

Mon: Set pieces for new HS players (linked plan) — corner routines, wall building, and marking assignments.
Tue: Defending restarts and goalkeeper box command: zonal-plus-marker corner setup, wall of the correct height, second-ball reactions.
Wed: Match. Restart assignments printed on a card in every player's bag.
Thu: Regeneration for starters; reserves and JV run the restart package again for 30 minutes then play 8v8; GK pod on high balls and punching.

Week 7

Game-Week Rhythm: Install, Situational, Sharpen

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Goal

The staff runs the full Tuesday-install, Wednesday-situational, Thursday-sharpener rhythm around two matches without any practice exceeding its planned length; every starter can state the week's pressing trigger and both restart routines; JV runs the same rhythm on its own linked plan.

Game-week installSituational playLoad management

Practices

Game-Week Install (Varsity) · 75 min
Run the linked 75-minute varsity install plan as written for the varsity group: pressing triggers, walkthrough of the opponent's build-out, one attacking pattern, and the restart package. Beginners on the roster take the walkthrough reps at half speed with an assistant.
JV Game-Week Practice · 75 min
The linked 75-minute middle-school game-week plan is the JV template: scheme install, team shape, restarts, and rondos. Enlarge grids to full-field distances, replace the scheme period with your JV shape and one pressing trigger, and keep the restart period identical to varsity's so players moving up already know it.

Midseason means two matches most weeks. The rhythm below repeats every remaining week: install what the opponent gives you, rehearse the situations, sharpen, play. Nothing is taught the day before a match.

Mon: Match. Post-match: two clips per unit for Tuesday.
Tue: Game-week install (linked varsity plan) — pressing triggers, one attacking pattern, restart package against the opponent's shape; JV runs the linked middle-school game-week plan adapted.
Wed: Situational: leading with 10 minutes to play, chasing a goal, playing a man down after a card, kickoff and restart scripts; GK pod on distribution under pressure.
Thu: Sharpener, 60-75 minutes: fast warm-up, pattern rehearsal, restarts, 15-minute 11v11 at match tempo, done. Match Friday.

Week 8

Mid-Season Reset & Reserve Development

▾

Goal

Total weekly practice load drops 25%; the two most repeated errors from six weeks of match notes (usually shape after losing the ball and first touch under pressure) each get a dedicated corrective period; every non-starter logs a 60-minute game-shaped fitness top-up so the bench is ready for playoff minutes.

Fundamentals rebuildReserve fitnessRecovery

Practices

Fundamentals Rebuild · 75 min
Run the linked 90-minute first-practice plan trimmed to 75 minutes: cut the shape walkthrough (they know it) and the extended scrimmage, keep every passing and receiving period, and judge each rep at the standard you now expect in matches.
Reserve Fitness Top-Up · 60 min
The linked 60-minute high school conditioning plan run for players averaging under 30 match minutes a week: change-of-direction work into 4v4 and 6v6 rounds keeps it game-shaped. Starters skip it and recover.

Eight weeks of matches wear technique down and leave the bench under-trained. Rebuild the basics at a higher standard, top up fitness for the players who have not been playing, and give starters real recovery.

Mon: Match or, on a bye week, film and a 45-minute technical session.
Tue: Fundamentals rebuild (linked first-practice plan, trimmed) — passing, half-turn receiving, and shape at a varsity standard.
Wed: Reserve and JV fitness top-up (linked conditioning plan) while starters do 30 minutes of ball work and mobility.
Thu: Sharpener, 60 minutes, or optional treatment day if the week's second match falls Thursday; GK pod reviews the season's goals conceded on film.

Week 9

Playoff Polish: Pressing Triggers, Restarts & Penalties

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Goal

The press is re-tuned to the likely playoff opponent's build-out and executes cleanly in 4 of 5 scripted 9v9 reps; the restart package adds one new corner and one throw-in routine; every likely taker records five penalties in the pod and the goalkeeper has a written shootout plan.

Pressing vs playoff opponentsRestart packagePenalty shootout prep

Practices

Pressing Triggers vs Playoff Opponents · 75 min
Run the linked 75-minute pressing plan again with the teaching periods shortened and the 6v6+2 and 9v9 periods extended: the opponent's build-out shape is scripted for the practice squad and the press is graded on whether it stays connected behind the first defender.
Playoff Restarts & Penalty Routine · 75 min
Run the linked 75-minute set-pieces plan with a 20-minute swap: replace the introductory teaching period with a penalty routine (takers pick a side and commit, keepers rehearse a shootout plan) and add one throw-in routine to the attacking package.

Playoff and tournament games are tighter and more likely to reach restarts and penalties. Polish what wins those games; add nothing structural.

Mon: Match or film; scouting notes on the likely first-round opponent's goal kicks and corners.
Tue: Pressing basics revisited (linked plan) — same triggers, re-tuned to the opponent's build-out shape.
Wed: Set pieces revisited (linked plan) — playoff restart package plus a 20-minute penalty routine for takers and keepers.
Thu: Sharpener, 60 minutes: pattern rehearsal, restarts, 15-minute 11v11; five penalties per taker as the last period.

Week 10

Tournament Taper & Playoff Week

▾

Goal

Practice volume is down 40% from the midseason peak while intensity stays match-speed in short bursts; the team plays its playoff or tournament match with the same warm-up, restart card, and shootout order it has used all season; nothing new is taught.

TaperRoutinesConfidence

Practices

Championship Sharpener · 60 min
Run the linked 75-minute varsity game-week install trimmed to 60 minutes: cut the teaching walkthrough entirely, keep the trigger rehearsal, one attacking pattern, and the restart package at match speed, and finish with five penalties per taker. Short on purpose.
Match-Day-Minus-One Activation · 45 min
A 45-minute activation session the day before a playoff match: rehearsed match warm-up, 10 minutes of possession at pace, restart walk-through with the card in hand, three penalties per taker, out. Legs stay fresh for the match.

Fresh legs and rehearsed routines. Every session is short, sharp, and familiar; the confidence is the routine.

Mon: 60 minutes: warm-up, pattern rehearsal, restarts, two 8-minute 11v11 blocks at match tempo.
Tue: Championship sharpener (linked install plan, trimmed) — triggers, one pattern, restart package, five penalties per taker.
Wed: Playoff match, or 45 minutes of light ball work if the match is Thursday. GK pod: 15 minutes of handling only.
Thu/Fri: Playoff or tournament matches; between-match recovery for multi-game tournament days (fuel, shade, re-warm-up).

Week	Theme & Goal	Practices
Week 1	Tryouts, Evaluation & Heat Acclimatization Every candidate is scored on the same four-column rubric (first touch, 1v1 both ways, passing under pressure, work rate in small-sided games) across two evaluation sessions; JV and varsity rosters are posted by the end of the week with a written note for every cut. Sessions follow the state heat-acclimatization schedule. Player evaluationFirst touch & 1v1Heat acclimatization	Tryout Week Evaluation Session · 90 min Run the linked 90-minute high school tryout plan as written: first-touch and 1v1 stations feed into 5v5 games while coaches score every player on the same rubric. Insert a water break every 15-20 minutes on hot days. Second Evaluation Day · 90 min The linked 90-minute tryout plan was written for middle school; keep its period structure but enlarge grids by a third, play 7v7 instead of 5v5, and add a possession period with a numbers-up target so varsity candidates show tactical reading. Tryout week has two jobs: sort the roster fairly and start the season without a heat casualty. Evaluate in game-shaped periods, not fitness tests, and keep the first days short and single-session. Mon: Tryout evaluation session (linked HS plan) — first-touch stations, 1v1 channels, 5v5 games; coaches score, not coach. Tue: Second evaluation (linked 90-minute tryout plan, adapted) — same rubric, mixed groups so every player is seen by two coaches. Wed: Positional look: back-four shape walkthrough, 8v8 with keepers; goalkeeper candidates get a 20-minute handling and footwork pod. Thu: Final look and roster meeting: 11v11 halves at 25 minutes each, then individual notes and cut conversations in private.
Week 2	Passing, Shape & Game-Shaped Conditioning Every player completes 20 consecutive passes with a partner at 15 yards on both feet, the back four holds shape through a 15-minute 8v8 possession game, and each squad finishes a 60-minute game-shaped conditioning session with no one pulled for heat or cramping. Passing & receivingTeam shapeConditioning through games	First Practice: Passing & Shape · 90 min Run the linked 90-minute plan as written the first time through: rondos, half-turn receiving, and the team-shape walkthrough become the season's warm-up skeleton. Varsity plays every possession period one touch fewer than JV. Game-Shaped Conditioning · 90 min The linked 60-minute beginner conditioning plan supplies the change-of-direction and small-sided fitness periods; add a 25-minute 7v7 possession game to reach 90 minutes on cool days, and run it as the full session (no extension) on days the WBGT reading is high. Rosters are set; teach the two things every later week depends on: a clean pass and a shape players can find without thinking. Fitness comes from the games, not laps. Mon: First-practice passing and shape (linked plan) — rondos, receiving on the half-turn, 4-3-3 shape walkthrough. Tue: Game-shaped conditioning (linked 60-minute plan) — change-of-direction ladders into 4v4 rounds; JV runs the beginner version. Wed: Repeat the passing skeleton with pressure added: 4v2 rondos to 6v6+2 possession; GK pod on distribution (goal kicks, throws, punts) for 20 minutes. Thu: Intrasquad 11v11 at 30-minute halves with a coach on each bench calling shape; cool-down and hydration check.
Week 3	Team Defending & Pressing The first defender wins or delays 70% of 1v1 duels in a 20-yard channel, back-line drops and steps on the coach's cues in an 8v8, and the front three executes the pressing trigger (backward pass or heavy touch) three times in a 10-minute 9v9 without leaving a gap behind the press. Pressure-cover-balancePressing triggersGoalkeeper starting position	Team Defending Basics · 90 min The linked 75-minute plan is written for middle school; keep every period but enlarge grids to high school distances, run the 4v4 shifting period as a full back four plus holding midfielder, and add a 15-minute 9v9 zone-defending game to reach 90 minutes. Pressing Basics · 90 min Run the linked 75-minute high school pressing plan as written and add a 15-minute finish: 9v9 in which the coach calls 'press' or 'drop' and the team must switch within one pass. Varsity adds the counterpress after any turnover in the final third. Defend first. Beginners who know when to step and when to drop stop conceding cheap goals, and the varsity press only works if the JV pipeline is teaching the same triggers. Mon: Team defending basics (linked plan, extended) — 1v1 delaying, pressure-cover-balance in 3v3, back-four shifting. Tue: Pressing basics (linked plan) — triggers, angles of approach, counterpress in 6v6+2. Wed: Combine: 9v9 defending in a 4-3-3 with the press turned on and off by the coach; GK pod on starting position and sweeping behind the line. Thu: Preseason scrimmage or 11v11 intrasquad, 35-minute halves; one defensive theme graded per half.
Week 4	Possession & Switching the Point of Attack; First Matches In an 8v8+2 possession game the team switches play through the holding midfielder or a driven ball across at least six times in 10 minutes; each goalkeeper completes 20 clean receptions and plays out to the correct side; both squads play their first match knowing the pre-match routine. Switching the point of attackPlaying out from the backGoalkeeper pod & match routine	Switching the Point of Attack · 90 min The linked 75-minute plan is written for U12; keep its progression but enlarge the possession grid to roughly 45 by 60 yards, play 8v8+2 with two neutral pivots, and demand driven balls and one-touch layoffs to shift a compact block. Extend to 90 minutes with a two-goal switching game. Goalkeeper Fundamentals Pod + Build-Out · 75 min Run the linked 75-minute goalkeeper plan's handling, footwork, and shot-stopping periods as a 30-minute pod with an assistant while field players run rondos, then reunite for the plan's team-defending game with a 4-3-3 build-out from the keeper. Written for middle school; raise service speed and distance. Matches start this week. From here practices shrink around the fixture list, and doubles are over. Possession work gives the press something to hold on to. Mon: Switching the point of attack (linked plan, adapted) — overload one side, find the far side through the pivot. Tue: Goalkeeper pod (linked plan) runs alongside a field-player rondo circuit; then 11v11 build-out patterns from the goalkeeper. Wed: First match (JV then varsity). Warm-up routine rehearsed exactly as it will run all season. Thu: Regeneration for starters (20 minutes of ball work, mobility), 60-minute possession session for non-starters and JV.
Week 5	Finishing & Attacking the Box Each forward and attacking midfielder logs 40 finishing repetitions from three service angles (cutback, cross, through ball) with 60% on target; the team scores from a cutback in the week's match; goalkeepers face 60 shots in the pod with the correct set position on every one. Finishing under pressureCrossing & cutbacksGoalkeeper shot-stopping	Shooting & Finishing · 90 min The linked 75-minute plan is written for middle school; keep its station-to-game progression, move service to 18-25 yards, add a defender chasing every finish, and end with a 6v6+GK game in which goals from crosses or cutbacks count double. Crossing, Cutbacks & Box Runs · 90 min Pattern work from wide areas: fullback overlap to an early cross, winger to the byline for a cutback, and three timed runs into the box. Goalkeepers defend the crosses live, then an 8v8 game rewards any goal from a wide entry. Chances are cheap to create against beginners' opponents and expensive to waste. Finishing and shot-stopping are taught in the same period so both units improve at once. Mon: Shooting and finishing (linked plan, adapted) — technique stations to 4v4+GK finishing games. Tue: Attacking the box: crossing and cutback patterns from a 4-3-3, near-post/far-post/penalty-spot runs; keepers defend crosses in the same period. Wed: Match. Starters rehearse the finishing warm-up before kickoff. Thu: Regeneration for starters; 60-minute finishing circuit for reserves and JV; GK pod on angles and 1v1 breakaways.
Week 6	Set Pieces: Attacking & Defending Restarts The team runs two attacking corner routines, one short-corner variation, and one direct and one indirect free-kick routine from memory; defensive corner marking assignments are correct on 9 of 10 reps; the goalkeeper commands the box verbally on every restart in the week's match. Corner routinesFree-kick wall & markingGoalkeeper command of the box	Set Pieces for New High School Players · 90 min Run the linked 75-minute plan as written the first time: attacking corners, free-kick routines, walls, and marking taught with unopposed reps before live restarts. Add a 15-minute period in which the coach awards random restarts inside an 8v8 game. Defending Restarts & Goalkeeper Box Command · 75 min The mirror session: defensive corner shape (zonal posts plus markers), wall placement with the keeper choosing the height, and second-ball clearance to a target. Goalkeepers call the box and take crosses live for 25 minutes. Restarts decide a large share of high school matches because they are the one part of the game most teams never rehearse. Install both sides this week and revisit them every Thursday from now on. Mon: Set pieces for new HS players (linked plan) — corner routines, wall building, and marking assignments. Tue: Defending restarts and goalkeeper box command: zonal-plus-marker corner setup, wall of the correct height, second-ball reactions. Wed: Match. Restart assignments printed on a card in every player's bag. Thu: Regeneration for starters; reserves and JV run the restart package again for 30 minutes then play 8v8; GK pod on high balls and punching.
Week 7	Game-Week Rhythm: Install, Situational, Sharpen The staff runs the full Tuesday-install, Wednesday-situational, Thursday-sharpener rhythm around two matches without any practice exceeding its planned length; every starter can state the week's pressing trigger and both restart routines; JV runs the same rhythm on its own linked plan. Game-week installSituational playLoad management	Game-Week Install (Varsity) · 75 min Run the linked 75-minute varsity install plan as written for the varsity group: pressing triggers, walkthrough of the opponent's build-out, one attacking pattern, and the restart package. Beginners on the roster take the walkthrough reps at half speed with an assistant. JV Game-Week Practice · 75 min The linked 75-minute middle-school game-week plan is the JV template: scheme install, team shape, restarts, and rondos. Enlarge grids to full-field distances, replace the scheme period with your JV shape and one pressing trigger, and keep the restart period identical to varsity's so players moving up already know it. Midseason means two matches most weeks. The rhythm below repeats every remaining week: install what the opponent gives you, rehearse the situations, sharpen, play. Nothing is taught the day before a match. Mon: Match. Post-match: two clips per unit for Tuesday. Tue: Game-week install (linked varsity plan) — pressing triggers, one attacking pattern, restart package against the opponent's shape; JV runs the linked middle-school game-week plan adapted. Wed: Situational: leading with 10 minutes to play, chasing a goal, playing a man down after a card, kickoff and restart scripts; GK pod on distribution under pressure. Thu: Sharpener, 60-75 minutes: fast warm-up, pattern rehearsal, restarts, 15-minute 11v11 at match tempo, done. Match Friday.
Week 8	Mid-Season Reset & Reserve Development Total weekly practice load drops 25%; the two most repeated errors from six weeks of match notes (usually shape after losing the ball and first touch under pressure) each get a dedicated corrective period; every non-starter logs a 60-minute game-shaped fitness top-up so the bench is ready for playoff minutes. Fundamentals rebuildReserve fitnessRecovery	Fundamentals Rebuild · 75 min Run the linked 90-minute first-practice plan trimmed to 75 minutes: cut the shape walkthrough (they know it) and the extended scrimmage, keep every passing and receiving period, and judge each rep at the standard you now expect in matches. Reserve Fitness Top-Up · 60 min The linked 60-minute high school conditioning plan run for players averaging under 30 match minutes a week: change-of-direction work into 4v4 and 6v6 rounds keeps it game-shaped. Starters skip it and recover. Eight weeks of matches wear technique down and leave the bench under-trained. Rebuild the basics at a higher standard, top up fitness for the players who have not been playing, and give starters real recovery. Mon: Match or, on a bye week, film and a 45-minute technical session. Tue: Fundamentals rebuild (linked first-practice plan, trimmed) — passing, half-turn receiving, and shape at a varsity standard. Wed: Reserve and JV fitness top-up (linked conditioning plan) while starters do 30 minutes of ball work and mobility. Thu: Sharpener, 60 minutes, or optional treatment day if the week's second match falls Thursday; GK pod reviews the season's goals conceded on film.
Week 9	Playoff Polish: Pressing Triggers, Restarts & Penalties The press is re-tuned to the likely playoff opponent's build-out and executes cleanly in 4 of 5 scripted 9v9 reps; the restart package adds one new corner and one throw-in routine; every likely taker records five penalties in the pod and the goalkeeper has a written shootout plan. Pressing vs playoff opponentsRestart packagePenalty shootout prep	Pressing Triggers vs Playoff Opponents · 75 min Run the linked 75-minute pressing plan again with the teaching periods shortened and the 6v6+2 and 9v9 periods extended: the opponent's build-out shape is scripted for the practice squad and the press is graded on whether it stays connected behind the first defender. Playoff Restarts & Penalty Routine · 75 min Run the linked 75-minute set-pieces plan with a 20-minute swap: replace the introductory teaching period with a penalty routine (takers pick a side and commit, keepers rehearse a shootout plan) and add one throw-in routine to the attacking package. Playoff and tournament games are tighter and more likely to reach restarts and penalties. Polish what wins those games; add nothing structural. Mon: Match or film; scouting notes on the likely first-round opponent's goal kicks and corners. Tue: Pressing basics revisited (linked plan) — same triggers, re-tuned to the opponent's build-out shape. Wed: Set pieces revisited (linked plan) — playoff restart package plus a 20-minute penalty routine for takers and keepers. Thu: Sharpener, 60 minutes: pattern rehearsal, restarts, 15-minute 11v11; five penalties per taker as the last period.
Week 10	Tournament Taper & Playoff Week Practice volume is down 40% from the midseason peak while intensity stays match-speed in short bursts; the team plays its playoff or tournament match with the same warm-up, restart card, and shootout order it has used all season; nothing new is taught. TaperRoutinesConfidence	Championship Sharpener · 60 min Run the linked 75-minute varsity game-week install trimmed to 60 minutes: cut the teaching walkthrough entirely, keep the trigger rehearsal, one attacking pattern, and the restart package at match speed, and finish with five penalties per taker. Short on purpose. Match-Day-Minus-One Activation · 45 min A 45-minute activation session the day before a playoff match: rehearsed match warm-up, 10 minutes of possession at pace, restart walk-through with the card in hand, three penalties per taker, out. Legs stay fresh for the match. Fresh legs and rehearsed routines. Every session is short, sharp, and familiar; the confidence is the routine. Mon: 60 minutes: warm-up, pattern rehearsal, restarts, two 8-minute 11v11 blocks at match tempo. Tue: Championship sharpener (linked install plan, trimmed) — triggers, one pattern, restart package, five penalties per taker. Wed: Playoff match, or 45 minutes of light ball work if the match is Thursday. GK pod: 15 minutes of handling only. Thu/Fri: Playoff or tournament matches; between-match recovery for multi-game tournament days (fuel, shade, re-warm-up).

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What You'll Need#

One size 5 ball per player, plus a spare bag for finishing and goalkeeper service
Pinnies in three colors for possession games with neutrals and for scout looks
Cones and flat discs (60+) to mark grids, channels, and pressing lines
Two full-size goals with nets and 4-6 pop-up or small goals for small-sided periods
Goalkeeper gloves, a rebounder or wall, and a bag of lighter balls for the pod
Corner flags and 3-4 free-kick mannequins or wall dummies for the restart package
Water station and coolers at every field, plus a WBGT or heat-index reader for the staff
Tactics board or whiteboard for posting the practice plan and restart assignments

How Do I Run JV and Varsity From One Curriculum?#

Same theme, same skeleton, different constraints. Warm-up and rondos are shared; in the teaching game varsity plays one touch fewer, on a bigger grid, or with an extra defender, while JV gets a numbers-up overload and more unopposed reps. Split only when the plan says so (goalkeeper pod, restart package, game-week install) and reunite for the closing game so JV players see the standard they are working toward. Assign every first-year a varsity partner for the passing periods through Week 3.

How Do I Handle Heat and Preseason Load Safely?#

Follow your state association's heat-acclimatization rules exactly: single sessions the first days, gradual increases in length and intensity, and practice modifications or cancellation at the WBGT thresholds your state publishes. Water is available the whole session, with scheduled breaks every 15-20 minutes on hot days, and shade at every station. Conditioning in this plan is game-shaped — small-sided rounds and change-of-direction work — because it produces soccer fitness and lets a coach see who is struggling. No one runs punishment laps.

How Do I Build a Goalkeeper Pod Without a Goalkeeper Coach?#

Script it. The linked goalkeeper fundamentals plan gives you a handling, footwork, and shot-stopping progression that an assistant, a manager, or an injured player can serve from a card: 20-30 minutes, three keepers rotating, one theme per week (set position, angles, crosses, distribution, penalties). Then bring keepers into the field session where the theme needs them — crosses in the finishing week, walls and box command in the set-piece week, build-out in the possession week. Keepers train the whole practice, not the last five minutes.

What Changes on Two-Match Weeks?#

Cut a practice, never compress one. With matches Tuesday and Thursday, Monday is a 60-minute install, Wednesday is a 45-minute regeneration for starters plus a 60-minute development session for reserves and JV, and Friday is a light sharpener or off. Use unlimited substitution and re-entry to manage minutes rather than running tired starters for 80 minutes twice in three days. Never schedule a second session on a match day, and check your state's weekly contest limit before accepting a midweek add-on.

Frequently Asked Questions#

How long should a high school soccer practice be?

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Ninety minutes in preseason and 60-75 minutes once matches begin. This plan runs 90-minute sessions in Weeks 1-6 (tryouts, passing and shape, defending, possession, finishing, set pieces) and shortens to a 75-minute Tuesday install, a 75-minute situational Wednesday, and a 60-75 minute Thursday sharpener from Week 7. Anything longer in-season costs freshness on match day, and two-a-days should end the moment the schedule starts.

What should the first week of high school soccer practice cover?

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Fair evaluation and heat acclimatization. Score every candidate on the same rubric (first touch, 1v1 both ways, passing under pressure, work rate in small-sided games) across two sessions so every player is seen by two coaches, then post rosters with a written note per cut. Keep the first days single-session and shorter, per your state heat rules, with water breaks every 15-20 minutes. This plan links two 90-minute tryout practice plans built for exactly that week.

How do I run JV and varsity soccer practices at the same time?

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Use one theme and one skeleton with different constraints. Share the warm-up and rondos, then give varsity fewer touches, bigger grids, or an extra defender in the teaching game while JV gets overloads and more unopposed reps. Split only for the goalkeeper pod, restart package, and game-week install, and reunite for the closing game. Every linked plan in this curriculum is written JV-first with varsity extensions noted inline, so one plan covers both squads.

How should soccer practice change once matches start?

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Shift from installing to preparing. From Week 7 this plan repeats a rhythm: Tuesday installs the pressing trigger, one attacking pattern, and the restart package for that opponent; Wednesday rehearses situations such as protecting a lead or playing a man down; Thursday is a 60-75 minute sharpener with nothing new. On two-match weeks, drop a practice rather than compressing one, turn one day into starter regeneration plus reserve development, and use unlimited substitution to manage minutes.

How do I train goalkeepers when I only have one or two coaches?

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Run a scripted 20-30 minute goalkeeper pod almost every week. The linked goalkeeper fundamentals plan supplies a handling, footwork, and shot-stopping progression that an assistant, manager, or injured player can serve from a card, with one theme per week (set position, angles, crosses, distribution, penalties). Then pull keepers into the field session where the theme needs them: crosses in the finishing week, walls and box command in the set-piece week, build-out in the possession week.

How do we prepare a high school soccer team for playoffs and penalty shootouts?

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Polish, taper, rehearse. In Week 9 this plan re-tunes the press to the likely opponent's build-out, adds one corner and one throw-in routine, and runs a 20-minute penalty routine in which takers commit to a side and keepers follow a written shootout plan. Week 10 cuts volume about 40% while keeping match-speed bursts, uses a 60-minute sharpener trimmed from the linked game-week install plan, and changes nothing about the warm-up, restart card, or shootout order.