Soccer Practice Ideas for Kids

Teaching soccer skills should foster a love of the game in young players so that their enthusiasm remains high for the sport. Technical ability and tactical awareness will develop in play experience, but several practice ideas will help them refine basic soccer skills.

  1. Dribbling Slalom

    • Dribbling the ball is an essential skill for attacking players. It requires speed and close ball control. Set up a row of between seven and 10 small markers. The child should run with the ball at his or her feet and weave in between the markers, aiming to stay as close to the markers as possible without touching them. As they improve their ball control and dribbling skills, reduce the amount of space between the markers.

    Close Control

    • The first touch when receiving the ball is all important. A heavy first touch will result in the player losing control of the ball and a weak first touch can lead to a player failing to stop the ball at all. The trick is to stop the ball with as little body movement as possible. To develop this skill, have the player stand inside a set marker area. Then pass the soccer ball to them. Let them control the ball and pass it back without stepping outside the area. Increase the power of the pass and reduce the space they have to operate as they improve.

    Possession Game

    • To win a soccer game, a player must retain possession of the ball. It forces the opposing to team to use up energy attempting to win the ball back. Set out two teams of three and have them play in a small area with no goals. Bounce the ball in and let the game commence. The aim is for them to simply keep the other team from winning the ball back. Run this drill for five-minute periods and use a stop watch to keep track of which team has possession for the longest.

    Head Tennis

    • Split the kids into pairs, one on each side of the net, and have them keep the ball off the ground by sending the ball over the net using only their heads. Have them start by throwing the ball up. The aim of this game is not to put the ball past their partner, but to head the ball as close to them as possible so they can return it.

    Shooting Practice

    • Have the players line up on the edge of the penalty box. Roll the ball to them as they run toward the goal. Their objective is to score past the goalkeeper without taking a touch to control the ball. Encourage them to favor placement over power. To reinforce this, make any player who misses the target completely forfeit their next turn.