Soccer Games

Here are some fun games that teach skills...

1) Soccer Tennis

Set up a rectangle with cones or paint, ten by twenty yards is fine, and place a barrier, preferably a low net, across the middle.

The object is to kick the ball across the net before the ball touches the ground after the ball bounces off the ground or after an initial touch. Players are allowed to juggle as long as desired as long as the ball doesn’t touch the ground.
Scoring is similar to volleyball. My players loved 1v1, 2v2 and sometimes we made the field larger for more players.

2) Two-touch Showdown

This is a game between two players. A soccer ball and three cones are needed for this game.

Position the cones in a triangular shape, about two to three feet apart.

The first player gently taps the ball through the cones to the second player. The second player has to send the ball back through the cones but cannot go through the two cones from which the ball just came through, and the player only gets two touches to perform the maneuver.

Hints: 1) the first touch is crucial in that the player should touch the ball to one side. 2) if the first touch is poor and the player is fairly close to the cone, the player can take a large step and push the ball with the other foot, ankle flicking it through.

Here’s an example of my boys playing two-touch showdown...



3) Soccer Marbles

This is like a soccer game on a field except every player has their own soccer ball and the goals are cones inside the field, similar to hockey or lacrosse. Another ball is used for the game ball.

Players kick their ball, and only their ball, to strike and move the game ball toward their opponent’s goal. [The reason I suggest goals is that players should be able to come through the goal, with their ball, to stop opponents.]

This can be played 1v1 too.

4) Bocce Soccer

This is played similar to the Italian game on an open field, except you use eight soccer balls for the bocce balls and one mini soccer ball for the pallino, and you kick the balls rather than throw them. The game is played with two, four, or eight players.

Ideally, players should be able to tell their soccer balls apart from the other players, i.e. one person uses colored balls while the other uses white balls, etc...

At random, choose a player to kick the pallino (mini soccer ball). The same player will kick his first soccer ball. The purpose of the game is to get your soccer balls as close to the pallino as possible. After the first player has kicked his soccer ball, he is considered “inside” because his ball is closer to the pallino than anyone else. All other players are considered “outside.” Whenever a player is considered “inside,” he forfeits his turn kicking. All “outside” players take turns kicking their soccer balls until one of theirs gets closer to the pallino than the “inside” player.

After all players have kicked, the player that is “inside” is awarded points. One point is awarded to this player for every ball that is closer to the pallino than his closest competitor's ball. After points are awarded, the frame is complete. Start a new frame by electing a new person to kick the pallino and to kick the first soccer ball. A game is won when a player reaches 13 points.

3v3 Soccer Shadow Scrimmage

This is the fastest way to teach younger kids how to play, i.e. where to go and set up. Basically, every player has one coach or an older player on the field, running with the player, directing exactly how and what the player should be doing.

This is a small post; but shadow scrimmages are really good for improving your team quickly.

Cool Passing Drill

This is somewhat of a complicated drill but really cool once your players get it. It teaches quick passing and movement with quick thinking.

Required: Five players and one ball (four cones are optional)

Setup: Set four players (or cones so players can remember where to go) in a square shape. [HINT: First-timers should make the square large as it will make this drill easier. The better your players get, the smaller you can make the square.]

Drill: To start, the fifth player runs to the corner, the one with the ball. The corner player passes back to the running player, then turns and runs to the next spot (or cone). While on the run, he or she will receive a pass and pass it to the player opposite of the cone he or she just ran from. Continue this progression. [HINT: going counterclockwise is easier for righties and going clockwise is easier for lefties, so be sure to change directions.]

I’ve attached a graphic with numbers (when things should happen) to help you visualize this drill.

Freestyle Backstop

[I usually set this drill up for early arriving players.]

Required: A backstop, three goals and a ball.

Setup: A player stands with a ball in front of the backstop. The goals are positioned on either side and behind the player.

Drill: The player kicks the ball into the backstop. When the ball returns, the player can one- or two-touch the ball into any of the three goals. I encourage fancy touches.

Here’s my son showing a fancy through the legs redirect... (I didn’t setup goals for the clip, but I think you get the point.)