A great way to improve your receiving skills (also called your first touch) is to practice with a wall or a rebound net. Link: kick-back / rebound net equipment

When you pass into a wall or rebound net, it passes the ball right back to you, so you can work on passing (and receiving) all by yourself without having to chase the ball after every pass. If you’re not yet a good passer, focus on improving that skill first (link: passing skills), and then concentrate on receiving.

What if you don’t have a wall or rebound net? You can use a bench turned on its side. Or have a friend, sister or brother, mom or dad act as your partner. If your partner isn’t good at kicking a soccer ball, she can use her hands to roll the ball to you. (Or you can buy a soft soccer ball designed for inside-the-house play and pass off an indoor wall.)

Don’t forget to work both feet!

Receiving: Quick Links

2-touch
Directional first touch
Passing and receiving games
Receiving air balls

2-touch:

Pass the ball off the wall. As it comes back, use a soft touch to control the ball, and then pass the ball back into the wall. This 2-touch pattern (control and then pass) adds an emphasis on receiving the ball properly.

video links: kids demo #1 / kids demo #2 / coach demo #1 / coach demo #2

Pass the ball into the wall with the inside of your foot.
As the ball comes back to you, control it with your first touch — in front at a slight angle. The key is to get a good first touch out from your feet — in front at a slight angle — so you can step to the ball and pass it with your second touch. You can receive with one foot and pass with the other (demo #1), or receive and pass with the same foot (demo #2). Keys to receiving:
1. Get your body behind the ball (no ballet stretches or sideways body position).
2. Place your plant foot next to the ball, with your knee bent to stay balanced.
3. Cushion the ball with the inside of your receiving foot, with heel low, toes up and out, knee bent and head over the ball to stay balanced. If you do it right, you’ll control the ball a step away in front at a slight angle.
Pass the ball back into the wall with your second touch and repeat. To make it more challenging, create a small target area on the wall, and see how many times you can hit the target in 1 minute.

Directional first touch with dribbling moves:

Play the ball off the wall, then as it comes back, use your next touch to turn the ball, dribble a few steps in a new direction, then do a dribbling turn and play the ball back off the wall. There are a lot of different things you can try:

Receive with a half turn / dribble and turn:

video links: kids demo / coach demo

Pass the ball into the wall with the inside of your foot.
As the ball comes back to you, receive with an “open body shape” on the half turn — right foot to the right, or left foot to the left. Keys to receiving:
1. Get your body behind the ball (no ballet stretches).
2. Take a small hop just before you receive to turn your standing foot and hips in the new direction. You should be sideways to the wall as you receive the ball.
3. Bend the knee of your standing leg to stay balanced.
4. Cushion the ball with the inside of your receiving foot, with heel low, toes up and out, knee bent and head over the ball to stay balanced. If you do it properly, you’ll control the ball a step away in the new direction.
Dribble away 2-3 touches in the new direction.
Do a dribbling turn: a pullback, an inside or outside U-turn, a step-over turn, a Cruyff turn, a stop turn, etc.
Dribble back toward your starting spot.
Pass the ball back into the wall and repeat to the other side.

Receive with a half turn / figure-8 dribble:

video links: player 21 demo / player 27 demo / coach demo

Place a pair of cones to the right, about 5-7 steps away from starting point, with the two cones 1-2 steps apart. Place another pair of cones on the left side.
Pass the ball into the wall with the inside of your foot.
As the ball comes back to you, receive with an “open body shape” on the half turn — right foot to the right, or left foot to the left. Keys to receiving:
1. Get your body behind the ball (no ballet stretches).
2. Take a small hop just before you receive to turn your standing foot and hips in the new direction. You should be sideways to the wall as you receive the ball.
3. Bend the knee of your standing leg to stay balanced.
4. Cushion the ball with the inside of your receiving foot, with heel low, toes up and out, knee bent and head over the ball to stay balanced. If you do it properly, you’ll control the ball a step away in the new direction.
Dribble away in the new direction. Do a figure-8 dribble around the cones and dribble back to your starting spot.
Pass the ball back into the wall and repeat to the other side.

Receive with a full turn / dribble and turn:

video links: coach demo

Pass the ball into the wall with the inside of your foot.
As the ball comes back to you, receive with a full turn, so that your booty is now facing the wall. (Note to U10s and younger: we haven’t spent much time working on this skill. Use the inside or outside of your foot to get the ball started in the new direction, then take a quick 2nd touch to complete the turn.)
Dribble away 2-3 touches.
Do a dribbling turn: pullback, inside or outside cut, step-over turn, Cruyff turn, stop turn, etc.
Dribble back toward the wall.
Pass the ball back into the wall and repeat.

Receive back toward the wall / turn / dribble and turn:

video links: coach demo (tornado)

Pass the ball into the wall with the inside of your foot.
As the ball comes back to you, take your first touch back toward the wall. (This is like a forward checking back to the ball and taking a touch back toward her own goal to create space between her and a defender.)
Do a step-over turn or half-Maradona (tornado) and dribble away from the wall 2-3 touches.
Do another dribbling turn: pullback, inside or outside cut, step-over turn, Cruyff turn, stop turn, etc.
Dribble back toward the wall.
Pass the ball back into the wall and repeat.

Fake receiving with a step-over turn / dribble and turn:

video links: kids demo / coach demo

Pass the ball into the wall with the inside of your foot.
As the ball comes back to you, act like you’re going to kick it back toward the wall, but do a step-over turn, letting the ball roll through your legs. As you step over the ball, exaggerate the leg swing (“sell the fake”), and bend your knees so you can “explode” into space after you turn.
Dribble away 2-3 touches.
Do a dribbling turn: pullback, inside or outside cut, step-over turn, Cruyff turn, stop turn, etc.
Dribble back toward the wall.
Pass the ball back into the wall and repeat.

Receiving trick – in-out touch:

This trick is useful to fool a defender into thinking you’re receiving a ball in a certain direction, but you receive it in a different direction instead. It’s the receiving variation of the in-out (or “Matthews”) dribbling move.

U8 player demo (player #9, Feb. 2016):

Coach demo:

Have a teammate pass you a ground ball, or pass the ball to yourself off a wall.
Take a very light touch with the inside of your right foot at an angle forward and to the left (diagonal touch).
Hop on your left foot in the same diagonal direction. While you hop, keep your right foot in the air and bring it behind the ball.
Take a firm touch outside at an angle with the outside of your right foot. You want to push the ball into space behind the defender. This should be a diagonal touch, not straight ahead or sideways.
Explode into space with the ball to beat the defender.
Practice doing the move with your right foot and left foot.
Advanced variation: Start with an inside sole roll instead of a touch with the inside of your foot.

Receiving trick – Cruyff turn:

This trick is useful when a defender is approaching from the side to block your path forward. If the defender is coming from the left, do this move with your right foot so the defender over-runs the ball. If the defender is coming from the right, do this move with your left foot.

video link: coach demo

Have a teammate pass you a ground ball, or play the ball to yourself off a wall.
Step to the ball and set your feet and body as if you are going to kick it or touch it forward.
Take a back-swing with your kicking leg, but stop the motion and leave your kicking foot at a 45-degree angle behind your plant foot.
Let the ball hit your kicking foot. If your angles are correct, the ball will be redirected behind your back and to the side.

Receive with an in-out move / dribble and turn (advanced):

video links: kids demo / coach demo

Pass the ball into the wall with the inside of your foot.
As the ball comes back to you, act like you’re going to receive it with the inside of your far foot back toward the wall. Gently stop the ball with the inside of your far foot as you hop toward the wall on your near foot. This is the “in” part of the in-out move.
Take a touch with the outside of your far foot to push the ball away from the wall. This is the “out” part of the in-out move.
Dribble away 2-3 touches.
Do a dribbling turn: pullback, inside or outside cut, step-over turn, Cruyff turn, stop turn, etc.
Dribble back toward the wall.
Pass the ball back into the wall and repeat.

Passing and receiving games:

Slam!: rules and videos
Passing marbles: rules and videos
The “gates” game: rules and videos
The “napkin rings” game: rules and videos

Receiving air balls:

We want to keep the ball on the ground most of the time, since it’s easier to control. But there are plenty of times the ball will be in the air — including throw-ins, deflections, goalie punts, and poor passes that go up in the air. How quickly can you get to an air ball and control it to the ground? There are several techniques:

“Roof” touches with the inside of the foot:

Use the inside of your foot to control the ball into space to the side.

Toss or juggle the ball into the air.
Move your feet to get your body into position behind the ball.
As the ball starts to drop to the ground, raise your leg and get your knee directly over the ball, with your lower leg bent so the inside of your foot is just few inches over the ball at an angle like a roof. Think of the ball as if it was a clock: if you use your right foot, the inside of your foot should be in the 1:30 position. If you use your left foot, the inside of your foot should be in the 10:30 position.
When the ball hits the ground, it will bounce up and hit the inside of your foot, which causes the ball to roll across your body into new space to the side.

The biggest challenge is getting the timing right. If you raise your leg too soon, you may lose your balance. If you raise your leg too late, the ball will bounce up and miss your foot. Keep practicing, and you’ll keep getting better!

Need more challenge? Juggle (or punt) the ball higher in the air. Or have a partner punt the ball to you so the ball isn’t coming straight down.

“Roof” touches with the outside of the foot:

Use the outside of your foot to control the ball into space to the side.

Toss or juggle the ball into the air.
Move your feet to get your body into position behind the ball, and slightly to one side.
As the ball starts to drop to the ground, reach across your body with your far leg and get your knee directly over the ball, with your lower leg bent so the outside of your foot is just few inches over the ball at an angle like a roof. (By far leg, we mean use your right leg for balls falling to the left side, and use your left leg for balls falling to the right side.) Think of the ball as if it was a clock: if you use your right foot, the outside of your foot should be in the 10:30 position. If you use your left foot, the outside of your foot should be in the 1:30 position.
When the ball hits the ground, it will bounce up and hit the outside of your foot, which causes the ball to roll into new space to the side.

Two challenges here:

Getting the timing right. If you raise your leg too soon, you may lose your balance. If you raise your leg too late, the ball will bounce up and miss your foot.
Remembering to reach across your body and use your far foot, not your near foot. If you use your near foot (for example, right foot for a ball on the right side), you’ll get your foot shape wrong and will either miss the ball or kick it back up into the air. Keep practicing, and you’ll keep getting better!

Need more challenge? Juggle (or punt) the ball higher in the air. Or have a partner punt the ball to you so the ball isn’t coming straight down.

“Cradle” touches with the laces (also called the “elevator”):

Use the top of your foot to settle the ball at your feet.

Toss or juggle the ball into the air.
Move your feet to get your body into position just behind the ball, with arms out for balance and both knees bent. A common error: having a stiff posture or leaning back.
As the ball starts to drop to the ground, raise your leg about a foot off the ground to meet the ball. Bend your knee and raise your toes to shape the top of your foot like a bowl. A common error: having a straight leg with your foot too low, instead of raising your foot to meet the ball with your knee bent.
As the ball hits the bowl area, bring your knee down to cushion the ball, and lower your toes to drop the ball right in front of you.

The biggest challenge is getting the timing right. If your leg is still moving up when you receive the ball, you’ll kick it back into the air. If you lower your toes too soon, you’ll end up kicking the ball too far in front rather than settling it at your feet. Keep practicing, and you’ll keep getting better!

Need more challenge? Juggle (or punt) the ball higher in the air. Or have a partner toss or punt the ball to you so the ball isn’t coming straight down.

Receiving with the thigh:

Use your thigh to settle an air ball at your feet.

video link: not yet available

Toss or juggle the ball into the air.
Move your feet to get your body into position under the ball.
As the ball starts to drop, raise your leg and get your thigh under the ball, with your upper leg slightly tilted down.
As the ball hits your thigh, gently lower your knee. If done right, the ball will land softly in front of you so you can perform the next skill (dribbling, passing or shooting).

The biggest challenge is getting the proper angle for your upper leg. If your knee is too high, the ball will bounce straight up or behind you. If your knee is too low, the ball will roll away out of control. If your knee is just slightly below level, you’ll get the best result. Keep practicing, and you’ll keep getting better!

Need more challenge? Juggle (or punt) the ball higher in the air. Or have a partner toss or punt the ball to you so the ball isn’t coming straight down.

Soccer tennis:

The soccer tennis game is a fun way to work on receiving air balls. You’ll get a lot of chances to receive air balls with your thigh, foot, even your chest or head.