Ball control and fast footwork activities will help your feet learn to love the ball. Your feet should make the ball purr like a happy kitten, instead of making it go boo hoo hoo! These activities will also help you develop quicker feet.
If you develop good ball control and fast feet, you have a good chance of becoming a ruler!
Some activities use both feet. Some only use one foot. If it’s a “one foot” activity, make sure you switch feet every now and then so you get touches with both your right and left feet.
Quick links:
- Sole taps (also called toe taps, toe touches or sole touches)
- Happy feet
- Inside and outside of the feet
- Triangles
- Squares
- Pull-push patterns
- Other fast footwork combinations
Sole taps (touches using the bottom of your toes):
Sole taps are touches using the bottom of your toes. They are also called sole touches, toe touches or toe taps. Sole taps help you develop balance, coordination, a soft touch on the ball, quick feet, leg strength and endurance. All of these are important for soccer players.
You can practice sole taps in small spaces, even indoors!
Keys to success:
- Use the bottom of your toes to tap the ball.
- Stay balanced, with your head over the ball.
- Take soft touches. You want to tap the ball, not smack or stomp on the ball.
Sole taps, level 1 challenge (good for new Junior Academy Girls):
Sole taps, level 2 challenge (good for 2nd-year players):
Sole taps, old fashioned 10-pack challenge (good for all players):
We’ve posted video demos below, with a 20-second video for each challenge level. There are 10 challenge levels. Things start easy with level 1, where the ball stays in place. It gets harder as you advance to the higher levels, where you’ll move the ball as you do your sole taps. Check below the video gallery for descriptions of each level.
Descriptions:
Start slowly as you try each challenge. When you start to “get it” and are having some success, that’s the time to see if you can go faster. If you are struggling, go slower, stay patient, and believe in yourself.
Is it fun? It depends on how you look at it. If you work at the challenges, you’ll become a better soccer player. And when you become a better soccer player, you’ll score more goals! So the footwork challenges may not be fun right now, but they will bring fun later on.
Our mascot LiCec has some advice: “These challenges are hard, but if they were easy, anyone could do them! Be patient, believe in yourself, and with practice, you can become a ruler! I won’t be able to help, but my uncle Cecil might be hiding in the trees cheering for you.”
Level 1: in place
- Use the bottom of your toes to softly tap the ball. The ball should stay in place. Stay balanced, with your head over the ball. Start at slow speed, and go faster as you gain confidence.
Level 2: speed
- Use the bottom of your toes to softly tap the ball while keeping it in place. Ask your mom or dad to time you. How many touches can you get in 10 seconds?
- Parent tip: Let your daughter get into a rhythm before you start the clock.
- Goal: 10 touches for beginners, 20 touches for experienced players, and 30 touches for rulers. If you reach a goal, set your next goal 5 touches higher.
Level 3: spinning
- Do toe taps while spinning around to your left and to your right. Your body will move around the ball, but the ball should stay in place.
The most common reasons kids lose control of the ball:
hard touches instead of soft taps; practice will help you develop a soft touch on the ball
- being too upright or leaning back, instead of staying balanced and keeping your head over the ball
- placing one foot in front of the other, instead of keeping your feet spread apart at angles
- leg muscle fatigue; this is hard work, and it’s OK to take an occasional rest break!
- boredom: mix in a game of Texas Draw, which involves ball control using the bottom of your toes, or go back to level 2 and try to set a new record
Level 4: forward and backward
- Things start to get harder now, because you need to move the ball while keeping it under control. Softly push the ball forward with the bottom of your toes. After 5-10 touches, softly pull the ball back with the bottom of your toes.
Level 5: in place, then forward and backward
- This is a mix of level 1 and level 4. Start with toe taps in place (5-10 touches), and then take 5-10 touches moving forward. Do another 5-10 touches in place, and then take 5-10 touches moving backward.
Level 6: in place, then forward and backward with your right foot
- This is a slight change to level 5. Do 5-10 toe taps while staying in place, switching feet with each touch. Then do 5-10 toe taps while pushing the ball forward, using the bottom of your right foot only. Do another 5-10 touches in place, and then take 5-10 touches pulling the ball backward, using your right foot only.
Level 7: in place, then forward and backward with your left foot
- This is a slight change to level 5. Do 5-10 toe taps while staying in place, switching feet with each touch. Then do 5-10 toe taps while pushing the ball forward, using the bottom of your left foot only. Do another 5-10 touches in place, and then take 5-10 touches pulling the ball backward, using your left foot only.
Level 8: sideways
- Now things get really hard! Do toe taps while moving the ball sideways to your left and sideways to your right. This takes a lot of practice!
Level 9: figure-8 forward
- Do toe taps while moving the ball forward through a figure-8 pattern. We use two cones in the video, but you can use socks, pine cones, yogurt containers, or other markers. This takes a lot of practice!
Level 10: figure-8 backward
- Do toe taps while moving the ball backward through a figure-8 pattern. We use two cones in the video, but you can use socks, pine cones, yogurt containers, or other markers. This takes a lot of practice!
Level 11: relax and take pride in working hard and getting better!
Sole taps, partner challenge (playing with a partner):
We’ve posted video demos below, with a 30-45 second video for each challenge level. There are 4 challenge levels. Things start easy with level 1, but get a little harder with each new challenge level. Check below the video gallery for descriptions of each level.
Descriptions:
Start slowly as you try each challenge. When you start to “get it” and are having some success, that’s the time to see if you can go faster. If you are struggling, go slower, stay patient, and believe in yourself.
Is it fun? It depends on how you look at it. If you work at the challenges, you’ll become a better soccer player. And when you become a better soccer player, you’ll score more goals! So the footwork challenges may not be fun right now, but they will bring fun later on.
Level 1: basic
- Two players work together as partners.
- The partners do simultaneous toe taps on a shared ball.
- Both partners need to use their right feet at the same time, and their left feet at the same time, otherwise their feet will bump into each other.
- Both partners also need to work at the same speed.
Level 2: spinning
- Two players work together as partners.
- The partners do simultaneous toe taps on a shared ball.
- Both partners need to use their right feet at the same time, and their left feet at the same time.
- Both partners also need to work at the same speed.
- As the partners find a rhythm, they start to spin to the right or to the left as they do their toe taps.
- After going around a full circle, spin the other direction.
Level 3: sideways-forward with 1 ball
Things get harder now, because partners need to move their feet and move the ball at the same time.
- Partner 1 moves the ball sideways with the bottom of one foot, toward her other foot.
- Partner 1 then pushes the ball forward with the bottom of her other foot toward her partner. This should be a push with the bottom of the toes, not a kick.
- Partner 2 controls the ball and moves it sideways with the bottom of one foot.
- Partner 2 then pushes (not kicks) the ball forward with the bottom of her other foot toward her partner.
- After 5-10 turns, switch feet and direction.
Level 4: sideways-forward with 2 balls
Things get really hard now, because the partners need to move their feet and move two balls at the same time.
- Both partners start with a ball in front of their left (or right) feet.
- Both partners move their ball sideways with the bottom of one foot, toward their other foot.
- Both partners then push their ball forward with the bottom of their other foot toward their partner. These touches should be pushes with the bottom of the toes, not kicks.
- Both partners control the other ball and move it sideways with the bottom of one foot, toward their other foot.
- Both partners then push (not kick) the other ball forward with the bottom of their other foot toward their partner.
- After 5-10 turns, switch feet and direction.