Ball Control & Fast Footwork

These activities will help your feet learn to love the ball. (Your feet should make the ball purr, instead of making it go boo hoo hoo!) They’ll also help you develop quicker feet. If you develop good ball control and fast feet, you have a good chance of becoming a ruler!

Here’s a video of a ball named Safinia working with Green Shoes and trying several different fast footwork patterns. We’re betting Safinia was tired but purring when she finished!

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:

• Happy feet
• Sole taps (also called toe taps, toe touches or sole touches)
• Inside and outside of the feet
• Triangles
• Squares
• Pull-push patterns
• Other fast footwork combinations

Happy feet (also called inside-inside):

Happy feet (inside of the foot touches) help players develop balance, coordination, a soft touch on the ball, quick feet, leg strength and endurance. All of these are important for soccer players.

Group demo (U9 and U10 girls):

New U7 player demo:

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Happy feet level 1 challenge (good for new Junior Academy Girls players):

1. If you’re new to this activity, start by running in place with a ball between your feet.
2. Start tapping the ball back and forth with the inside of your feet. Keep your knees bent, with your head over the ball.
3. Speed goal:  30-75 touches in 15 seconds. If you reach a goal, set your next goal 5 touches higher. With practice, you may even get to 75 touches in 15 seconds, which is excellent!

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Happy feet level 2 challenge (good for 2nd year players):

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Happy feet, old fashioned 9-pack challenge (good for all players):

We’ve posted a series of short video demos below, most around 20 seconds long. There are 9 challenge levels. Things start easy with level 1, but get a little harder with each new challenge level. (You can move through the different levels by using the directional selection tool in the upper right corner of the video.) Check below the video 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:  basic

• Start by standing behind a ball and jogging in place.
• Step to the ball and use the inside of your feet to softly tap the ball from one foot to the other and back again.
• Try to stay in place, without moving forward, backward or sideways. Your toes should be pointed forward, not outside or inside.
• Stay balanced:  keep your knees bent, and head over the ball. Start at slow speed, and go faster as you gain confidence.

The most common reasons kids lose control of the ball:

• hard touches instead of soft taps;  practice will help build a soft touch on the ball
• being too upright (stiff knees) or leaning back, instead of keeping your knees bent to stay balanced and keeping your head over the ball
• toes pointed at an angle instead of pointed forward
• leg muscle fatigue;  this is hard work, and it’s OK to take an occasional rest break!

Level 2:  speed

• Use the inside of your feet to softly tap the ball from one foot to the other and back again. Ask your mom or dad to time you. How many touches can you get in 15 seconds?
  • Parent tip:  Let your daughter get into a rhythm before you start the clock.
• Goal:  30 touches for beginners, 45 touches for experienced players, and 60 touches for rulers. If you reach a goal, set your next goal 5 touches higher. With practice, you may even get to 75 touches in 15 seconds, which is excellent — that’s five touches every second!

Level 3:  spinning

• Do happy feet while spinning around to your left and to your right.

Level 4:  forward and backward

• Things get harder now, because you need to move forward and backward while keeping the ball under control.
• Do 10 happy feet touches while staying in place, then another 10 happy feet touches while moving forward.
  • To move forward, turn your toes slightly out as you do your happy feet touches.
• Do 10 happy feet touches while staying in place, then another 10 happy feet touches while moving backward.
  • To move backward, turn your toes slightly in (“pigeon toes”) as you do your happy feet touches.

Level 5:  sideways

• Things get harder again, because each foot has to do something different. To go sideways while doing happy feet, one foot needs to take a firmer touch, and the other foot needs to take a softer touch.
• Start by doing 10 happy feet touches while staying in place.
• Keep taking happy feet touches, but start moving to the right:  take a firmer touch with your left foot, and a softer touch with your right foot.
• Do another 10 happy feet touches while staying in place.
• Keep taking happy feet touches, but start moving to the left:  take a firmer touch with your right foot, and a softer touch with your left foot.

Level 6:  add a bottom (sole) of the foot touch

• Start with your right foot and do five happy feet touches.
• Lightly step on the ball with the bottom (sole) of your left foot. This touch is a stop, not a stomp.
• Repeat the pattern starting with your left foot:  do another five happy feet touches, and then stop the ball with the bottom (sole) of your right foot.

Level 7: add a sole of the foot “slide” touch

• This is a slight change to level 6. Start with your right foot, and do four happy feet touches.
• Make a “slide” touch (also called on out-in touch) with your right foot:
  1. Lightly step on the ball with the bottom of your right foot to stop it.
  2. Roll the ball to the right using the bottom of your right foot.
  3. Tap the ball across to the left using the inside of your right foot.
• Repeat this pattern starting with your left foot:  Do four happy feet touches, and then a slide touch with your left foot.

Level 8:  add outside of the foot touches

• Things get harder again, because you’ll need to mix happy feet with outside of the foot touches.
• Start with your right foot, and do five happy feet touches.
• The fifth touch will make the ball roll toward your left foot. Use the outside of your left foot to push the ball further to the left.
• Repeat this pattern starting with your left foot:  Do five happy feet touches, and then finish using the outside of your right foot to push the ball further to the right.
• The big challenges:  Can you keep the ball moving the entire time, and take a touch every time you raise your foot?

Level 9:  add sole and outside of the foot touches

• You’ll finish this challenge series by mixing happy feet touches (inside of the feet) with touches using the sole and outside of your feet.
• Start with your right foot, and do five happy feet touches.
• The fifth touch will make the ball roll toward your left foot.
• Lightly stop the ball using the bottom (sole) of your left foot.
• Immediately push the ball to the left using the outside of your left foot.
• Repeat this pattern starting with your left foot:  Do five happy feet touches, stop the ball with the bottom of your right foot, and then finish by pushing the ball to the right using the outside of your right foot.

Level 10:  relax and take pride in working hard and getting better!

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Happy feet variations:

Happy feet with an out-in roll:

Group demo:

Coach demo:

1. Do four happy feet touches, starting with your right foot.
2. Make an out-in touch with your right foot:
   1. Lightly step on the ball.
   2. Quickly roll it out to the right (using the bottom of your foot)
   3. Flick it back across to the left (using the inside of your foot).
3. Repeat the sequence, starting with your left foot.

Happy feet with a pullback:

Happy feet with a sole roll (tap / tap / inside roll):

Player demo:

Coach demo:

Happy feet with a triangle finish (push-pull):

Happy feet with an outside touch (intermediate):

U8 player demo:

Coach demo:

Happy feet with a Cruyff turn (intermediate):

1. Do four happy feet touches, starting with your right foot.
2. Do a Cruyff turn with your next touch:
   1. Reach around the ball with the inside of your right foot, toes pointed toward your left foot.
   2. Tuck the ball under your body using the inside of your right foot.
3. Turn 180 degrees toward your left.
4. Repeat the sequence, starting with your left foot:  four happy feet starting with your left foot, finishing with a left foot Cruyff turn and a 180 degree turn to your right.

Happy feet with an out-in Cruyff touch (advanced):

Happy feet with a step-over turn (intermediate):

Happy feet with a step-over fake and out-in roll (intermediate):

Happy feet with a half-tornado, also called a spin-pull, half-tornado or half-Maradona (advanced):

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Sole taps (also called toe taps, toe touches or sole touches):

Sole taps (touches using the bottom of your toes) 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!

We created a separate page for sole tap activities. Link:  sole taps

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Inside and outside of the feet:

Inside-outside-inside-outside:

Player demo:

Coach demo:

1. Use the inside of your right foot to cut the ball to the left.
2. Use the outside of your left foot to tap it to the left one more time.
3. Use the inside of your left foot to cut the ball back to the right.
4. Use the outside of your right foot to tap it to the right one more time.
5. Repeat the pattern. See if you can smoothly go from one repetition to the next without any pauses.

Goal: 8-10 repetitions in 20 seconds

Extra challenges:

Inside-outside (zigzag) – single foot:

This is harder than the two-foot variation above.

Group demo:

Coach demo:

1. Use the inside of your right foot to cut the ball to the left.
2. Take a wide step with your left foot, then cut the ball back to the right with the outside of your right foot. The wide step is important so you have room to get your right foot between your left foot and the ball. If your step isn’t wide enough, you’ll be off-balance and end up pushing the ball forward instead of to the outside.
3. Repeat the inside-outside zigzag pattern. See if you can smoothly go from one repetition to the next without any pauses.
4. Go for 8-10 repetitions, then switch feet and play inside-outside with your left foot only. Between the inside and outside touches, be sure to plant your right foot wide of the ball to allow your left foot room to get a proper outside-of-the-foot touch.

Extra challenge:

• Try doubles, where you take two inside or outside touches with your foot before switching surfaces.

Inside-inside-outside (coach Lauren special):

U8 player demo (player #22, Feb. 2016):

Coach demo:

1. Tap the ball with the inside of your right foot to your left foot.
2. Control the ball with the inside of your left foot while hopping slightly to the right. The key is to stop the ball with your left foot instead of passing it back to the right.
3. Immediately push the ball to the left with the outside of your left foot. (You’ll make both the inside and outside left foot touches before your left touches lands back on the ground.)
4. Repeat the steps starting with your left foot.

Goal:  15-20 repetitions in 20 seconds

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Triangles:

These are fast footwork activities where you move the ball in triangle patterns.

Basic “pull” triangle:

Group demo:

Goal: 15-20 triangles in 20 seconds

Behind the back (“reverse”) triangle:

Single-foot triangle (advanced):

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Squares:

This is a challenging fast footwork pattern where you move the ball in a square pattern.

1. Start with the ball in front of your right foot.
2. Push the ball out one step with the inside of your right foot.
3. Roll the ball sideways to the left with the sole of your right foot.
4. Pull the ball back with the sole of your left foot.
5. Push the ball sideways to the right with the inside of your left foot. This completes the square pattern.
6. Repeat the pattern. See if you can smoothly go from one repetition to the next without any pauses. After 10-20 reps, repeat starting with your left foot.

Goal:  5-10 squares in 20 seconds

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Pull / push patterns:

Pull-push footwork patterns can be used for ball control and fast footwork training. We review several types of pull-push footwork patterns below.

There are specific types of pull-push footwork patterns that serve as dribbling moves:  V-pulls, and the pull-push stop and go move. We have separate pages for these more game-specific pull-push footwork patterns:

• V-pull dribbling moves
• The pull-push stop and go dribbling move

Pull-push using the laces (basic):

Pull-push using the inside of the foot (basic):

Bow ties (pull back / push across):

1. Start with the ball a step in front of your right foot.
2. Pull the ball back with the bottom (sole) of your right foot.
3. Push the ball diagonally forward to the left with the inside of your right foot (toes up).
4. Pull the ball back with the sole of your left foot.
5. Push the ball diagonally forward to the right with the inside of your left foot.
6. Repeat the sequence. We call this the “bow tie” because the ball travels a path which looks like a bow tie (or an hour glass).

As you get the hang of it, try to make it a dance: you’ll hop on one foot as you do the touches with the other foot.

Goal:  20 bow ties in 20 seconds

Pull-push single foot cycle (intermediate):

Group demo:

Coach demo:

Pull-push going forward (advanced):

Pull-push going backward (advanced):

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Other fast footwork combinations:

Push-hop-stop (advanced):

Inside of the foot demos:

Laces of the foot demos:

1. Push the ball out one step with either the inside, outside or laces of one foot.
2. Hop forward on your other foot.
3. Lightly stop the ball with the sole of your foot (same foot that pushed the ball forward).
4. Go a specific distance, then turn and come back using your other foot for touches while hopping on your first foot.

Keys:  Push the ball out one step — too far means you won’t be able to reach it, while too close means you’ll get ahead of the ball when you hop.

Outside – pull-under – stop (intermediate):

Group demo:

Coach demo:

1. Take 1-2 light touches with the outside of your right foot.
2. Use the sole of your right foot to grab the ball and pull it to the left, under your left foot (the pull-under touch). Hop off your left foot to allow the ball to roll underneath it.
3. Stop the ball with the sole of your left foot.
4. Repeat the sequence starting with your left foot: touch outside once or twice, grab and pull across, then stop the ball with your right foot.

Outside – pull-under (intermediate):

Group demo:

Coach demo:

Take 1-2 light touches with the outside of your right foot.

1. Use the sole of your right foot to grab the ball and pull it to the left, under your left foot (the pull-under touch). Hop off your left foot to allow the ball to roll underneath it.
2. The big challenge:  Your left foot is off the ground. Can you start the next turn before stepping back onto the ground?
3. Repeat the sequence starting with your left foot: touch outside once or twice, grab and pull across.

Combos:  outside / wind-up / inside:

1. Tap the ball outside with the outside of one foot.
2. Make a fake kick forward with the same foot (this is the “wind-up” part).
3. Pull the ball across your body with the bottom of the same foot.
4. Repeat these steps with your other foot.

Combos:  happy feet / inside roll / step-over:

1. Do three happy feet.
2. Use the bottom of your foot to roll the ball across your body (toward your other foot).
3. Step over the ball with your other foot (this is a fake in the opposite direction).
4. Turn back to the ball (if you step over with your left foot, turn to the left; if you step over with the right foot, turn to the right).
5. Repeat the pattern starting with the other foot.

“Glue foot” (also called “magnet foot”):

1. Start with the ball touching the inside of your right foot.
2. Hop to the left while keeping your right foot in contact with the ball the whole time; the ball will now be touching the outside of your right foot.
3. Hop back to the right while keeping your right foot in contact with the ball; the ball will now be back on the inside of your right foot.
4. “Flick” the ball over to the inside of your left foot.
5. Repeat the pattern with your left foot (hop right, hop left, then flick the ball to your right foot).

Goal:  10-15 glue feet in 20 seconds

Duck feet:

• Use the bottom of your toes to pull the ball across your body from one foot to the other foot, and continue back and forth (quack sounds are optional).