How to Coach a Ball Control Drill in Kids' Soccer

Keepy Up - keeping the ball up in the air by tapping it on the laces of the shoe - is a great way to teach ball control.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Have players learn Keepy Up, often called juggling. This refers to keeping the ball in the air with various soccer-legal body surfaces, such as feet, thighs and head.
2. Introduce this skill by having a player drop the ball, touch it with the instep, let it bounce on the ground, touch it with the instep again and keep this sequence going (one touch, one bounce).
3. Move players on to "two touch, one bounce" once they can execute 10 "one touch, one bounce" sequences. After these players are doing well, have them progress to "three touches, one bounce."
4. Try a Keepy Up Ladder after this is mastered. Players begin with one touch, one bounce and then do two touches, one bounce; three touches, one bounce; four touches, one bounce; and so on up the ladder, until it breaks down. When it does, players go back to the beginning and start all over again at one touch, one bounce.
5. Allow players to work at their own level. As confidence grows, the bounce is removed.
6. Teach using different parts of the foot, such as inside or even the heel, for better players.
7. Introduce juggling on the thigh, chest and head as players' confidence grows.
8. Try the game with partners playing back and forth. You can also try it in threes.

Tips & Warnings

• Use this exercise in place of a warm-up. Assign it for homework as well.
• Use the "drip feed" method - try not to teach everything in one session.
• Soccer is a physically demanding sport that could result in serious injury. We recommend that you seek proper training and equipment before attempting this activity.