How to Conduct a Soccer Skills Assessment

Soccer takes tremendous skill to play. Players dribble the ball while running at full speed, accurately pass to players dozens of feet away and dodge defenders without losing control of the ball. Strong stamina is critical if players want to run for almost 90 minutes straight. A soccer skills assessment gauges the combination of these qualities a coach wants in his players. The test used and the weight of each skill depends on the age and abilities of the players on the team. Smaller children, for instance, might have the dribbling skills, but their short legs make long kicks impossible.

Things You'll Need

  • Cones
  • Soccer ball
  • Stopwatch
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Instructions

  1. Dribbling

    • 1

      Set up three cones in the shape of a triangle. The two cones on the base should be 30 feet apart and the distance between the base cones and the point cone should be 60 feet. Adjust distance based on the age of players taking the test.

    • 2

      Direct the participants to dribble the soccer ball at different paces around the cones. Adjust the path and the speed of the drill as you see fit.

    • 3

      Watch and evaluate how the dribbler controls the ball using the inside and outside of the feet when making tight turns and on long straight stretches. Time the drill using the stopwatch.

    Punting

    • 4

      Divide the field into six sections based on distance and direction: right, center and left field.

    • 5

      Challenge the player to kick the ball into a designated area.

    • 6

      Tally a score based on how close players got to the box.

    Trapping and Passing

    • 7

      Establish a line between 5 and 7 feet away from a wall.

    • 8

      Set a cone 2 feet from the line. So, for instance, if your line is 7 feet from the wall, the inner cone should be 5 feet from the wall.

    • 9

      Direct your test subjects to kick the ball at the wall, then trap the rebound with their feet. They can get no closer to the wall than the 5-foot mark. Repeat the kicks within a certain time frame such as 30 seconds or two minutes.