Never Alone

The ball-carrier should never be on their own — angles, calls and loop runs sized for young legs.

Gaelic football
U10
60 min
12–20 players
2 coaches
Effort 3/5
Half pitch
support-play
movement
hand-pass
decision-making

The PitchPlans coaching teamGAA Award 1 & 2 coaches

Kit: 8 footballs, 24 cones, 10 bibs

Warm-up10 min

Pass and Chase

Setup: Circles of 5–6 on cones, one ball per circle. Second ball ready beside each group.

How it works: Hand-pass across the circle, then chase your pass and take that player's cone while they move the ball on. After two minutes, add the second ball so the circle has to look up and talk. Finish with a race: which circle can get both balls through every player's hands first, counting aloud.

What to say

“Pass, then move — never stand admiring it.”
“Call the name before the ball leaves your hands.”
“Soft hands to take it, quick hands to give it.”

Easier

One ball, throws instead of hand-passes, walking chase.

Harder

Weak hand only; a dropped ball means that circle restarts its count.

Activity12 min

Give and Go Gates

Setup: Ten cone gates (2m wide) scattered over a 30×30m square. Pairs with one ball, spread between the gates.

How it works: Work up the square as a pair: A hand-passes to B through any gate, then bursts around the far side of that gate for the return the moment the ball is gone. That give-and-go is one gate — now find a different one. Count gates as a pair for 90 seconds, rest 30, and go again trying to beat your own score. Third round: no talking, calls with the hand only, so they learn to show for it.

Rounds: 3 × 90s with 30s rest — beat your pair's own score each round

What to say

“Give it, then go — the burst starts as the pass leaves.”
“Take the return out in front, on the run.”
“Angle your run so your partner never passes blind.”

Easier

Bigger gates, walking pace, catch-then-run allowed.

Harder

Weak-hand passes only; a coach wanders the square as a lazy defender you must steer around.

Activity12 min

Corner Call

Setup: 12×12m squares, a cone at each corner. Four attackers, one per corner, two defenders in bibs inside. One ball per square.

How it works: Keep-ball for the corner four, but a receiver must call the passer's name AND step off their cone to meet the ball — a pass to a statue on a cone is a turnover, even if caught. Six passes in a row is a point. Defenders swap out every 45 seconds with waiting attackers. The step off the cone is the whole drill: they are learning that support is a movement, not a position.

What to say

“Move to meet it — never wait on your cone.”
“The name and the run happen together.”
“After you pass, get back where the carrier can see you.”

Easier

One defender; four passes make a point.

Harder

Two-touch limit, and after each pass you must swap corners with the player opposite.

The rest of this session is free — along with 3 more this week.

PitchPlans coaching team

Free on PitchPlans — new sessions weekly.