A great way to improve your passing and receiving skills is to practice with a wall or a rebound net (link: kick-back / rebound net equipment). When you pass a ball 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.

But solo wall ball practice can get boring. If you have a friend, sister, brother or parent around, you can improve your passing and receiving skills while playing fun games!

Passing and receiving quick links:

Slam!
Soccer golf
Soccer tennis
Passing marbles
The “gates” game
The “napkin rings” game

Slam!

There are two main variations of the Slam! game: wall slam and field slam (also called no-wall slam). Wall slam is like racquetball, while field slam is similar to tennis, but with the ball played on the ground, and empty space between opponents instead of a net. Slam! helps with passing and receiving skills while also being a good workout. Click for a description and rules: wall slam; field slam.)

1v1 Slam! videos:

You can play 1v1 or 2v2, or you can even play with three players, alternating turns.

Wall slam! rules:

Optional: setup boundary lines and a target zone on the wall.
Players take turns passing the ball off the wall. Each player gets one, two or three touches per turn (you decide which rules you’ll use). Players can’t allow the ball to stop dead during their turn.
A player gets a point if she can make a pass that hits the wall (or target) that her opponent can’t return within one, two or three touches. The object is to hit a pass that rebounds away from your opponent. Get your head up, see where your opponent is, then pass the ball so it rebounds where she isn’t. Hints:
1. If she’s on the left side of the area, pass the ball so it rebounds toward the right side.
2. If she’s close to the wall, make a hard pass (a Slam!) so the ball bounces far away from the wall.
3. If she’s far away from the wall, make a soft pass that barely hits the wall.
4. When your opponent is getting ready to pass, “read” her eyes and watch her feet and hips. You are trying to anticipate where the ball will rebound. Stay on your toes and be ready to move there as soon as the she makes her pass.

Field slam! (also called “no-wall slam”) rules:

Setup two 5×5 squares, separated by a 5-yard to 15-yard space. (We call the space between the squares “the beach”.)
One player defends one square, the other player defends the other square, and neither can play balls while outside of their squares or on the beach.
Players take turns passing the ball into the other player’s square. Each player gets one, two or three touches per turn (you decide which rules you’ll use). Players can’t allow the ball to stop dead during their turn.
The beach: A player can’t fly her pass over the beach. The ball must contact the beach before it enters the opponent’s square. The ball can either roll through the beach, or bounce on the beach before entering the opponent’s square. (This encourages ground ball passes.)
A player gets a point if she plays a pass that enters her opponent’s square, and the opponent can’t return the ball within one, two or three touches. The object is to hit a pass away from your opponent, or to her 2nd best foot. Get your head up, see where your opponent is, and then pass the ball so you can make her job difficult. Hints:
1. If she’s on the left side of her square, pass the ball toward the right side.
2. If she’s close to the front of her square, make a hard pass (a Slam!) so she has less time and space to receive the ball.
3. When your opponent is getting ready to pass, “read” her eyes and watch her feet and hips. You are trying to anticipate where she will play the ball. Stay on your toes and be ready to move to the ball as soon as the she makes her pass.

Slam! rules variations:

Allow a “free” touch with the thigh or chest if the ball is in the air.
Require “2nd best foot only” return passes.
Reduce the number of touches from three to two, or from two to one.
Field slam: For older, more skilled players, eliminate the “ball must touch the beach” rule and allow air-ball passes.
Create your own rules!

Soccer golf:

Instead of a golf club and golf ball, use your leg and a soccer ball. You can use trees, pine cones, bushes or whatever as your targets.

For beginners, start with a stationary ball. You can make it more challenging by doing a footwork activity or dribbling move first, then hitting your shot with a moving ball. Examples:

Do “inside / outside” touches, then take a “prep” touch toward the target and hit your shot.
Face away from your target, take one touch away from the target, do a dribbling turn, then take a “prep” touch toward the target and hit your shot.

Soccer golf variations:

Alternate feet, so one shot is right footed, one is left footed. Or put an obstacle between the tee area and the hole: you have to go over or around the obstacle.

Soccer tennis:

Use your juggling skills to knock the ball over a net (or bench, bag, whatever) to another player, who tries to knock it back to you. Click here for a more detailed description (but feel free to make up your own rules!). Soccer tennis is great fun for good jugglers, but frustrating for players who have not yet developed their juggling skills.

Passing marbles:

This game emphasizes passing accuracy.

Players in pairs, each with a ball.
Player 1 starts the game by passing her ball into open space.
Player 2 tries to pass her ball into player 1’s ball. If she hits it, she gets a point.
Player 1 tries to pass her ball into player 2’s ball. If she hits it, she gets a point.
Play to 5 or 10 points.

Passing marbles variations:

Give a bonus point if a player hits her target while using her 2nd-best foot.
Require a player to make her pass while the other player’s ball is still moving.
Start each turn with a dribbling move, so you have to strike a moving ball.
You can also play this with three players: player 2 tries to hit player 1’s ball, player 3 tries to hit player 2’s ball, and player 1 tries to hit player 3’s ball. Create your own rules!

The “gates” game:

This game helps develop passing and receiving skills, particularly controlled, directional first touches. It also helps reinforce proper receiving posture and body shape. (In soccer terms, body shape doesn’t refer to tall or short or those things. It refers to getting your body positioned so you can see the ball, the field, teammates and opponents. The position of your feet and hips help determine your body shape.)

Setup an area with four markers or cones in the center, 1 yard apart. The gaps between the markers serve as passing “gates”. Players start on opposite sides of the markers. Player P1 passes through a gate to player P2. P2 is required to pass the ball back through a different gate. P2 gets up to three touches to make the return pass. The sequence continues, with P1 passing back through a different gate than P2’s pass. The diagram above shows a progression through four moments of the game.
You can play with cooperative or competitive scoring. We recommend starting with cooperative scoring until the game becomes easy, then switch to competitive scoring.
1. Cooperative scoring: Players work together and earn points for each success, and try to get 10 (or 20 or higher) points in a row. A player earns a point if she:
  1. Passes through a different gate than the one used by her teammate.
  2. Doesn’t let the ball stop dead before making her return pass.
  3. Takes 3 touches or less to make her pass.
  4. Doesn’t hit a marker.
2. Competitive scoring: Players compete and try to be the first to get 10 (or 20 or higher) points. A player earns a point if her opponent makes a mistake:
  1. Opponent passes through the same gate as the previous pass.
  2. Opponent lets the ball stop dead before making her return pass.
  3. Opponent takes 3 touches before making her return pass.
  4. Opponent’s pass hits a marker.

“Gates” game keys to success:

When your teammate (or opponent) is getting ready to pass, “read” her eyes and watch her feet and hips. You are trying to anticipate which gate she will pass through.
Stay on your toes and be ready to move behind the gate as soon as she makes her pass.
Other keys: proper passing technique / purposeful first touches

The “napkin rings” game:

The “napkin rings” game adds another dimension to the “gates” game. This game emphasizes directional first touches, while also helping reinforce proper passing technique, proper receiving posture, proper body shape and support off the ball. (In soccer terms, body shape doesn’t refer to tall or short or those things. It refers to getting your body positioned so you can see the ball, the field, teammates and opponents. The position of your feet and hips help determine your body shape.)

“Napkin rings” video demos:

“Napkin rings” game details:

Setup three cones in a triangle, about a yard between each cone. Number each side of the triangle: 1, 2 and 3.
Two players setup outside the triangle.
Player 1 passes the ball through the triangle. The ball will enter the triangle through one side, and exit through another. We’ll assume the ball entered through side 1 and exited through side 3.
Player 2 receives the ball on the move on her first touch, and must pass the ball back through a different side on her second touch. If the ball came to her through side 3, she must pass back through side 1 or 2. The rule: When the ball comes to you through one side, you must pass back through a different side.There are several things you’ll have to do to make this work:
1. Setup a few yards outside the triangle. This will give you better playing angles.
2. Anticipate your partner’s pass.
3. Get your body behind the ball. (No ballet stretches!)
4. Take a firm first touch in a new direction. Make sure your knees are bent and you are leaning slightly forward. You’ll want to push the ball, not kick the ball. And you’ll want to move with the ball, not to the ball.
5. Bend your run as you get ready to pass so your hips are facing your target.
Each successful pass counts as a point. Players work together — how many points in a row can the two of you get before wiping out? When you’re new to the game, you’ll be lucky to get even a few points in a row. But as you figure out what works and what doesn’t, you’ll quickly improve. If you can get 20 points in a row, you’re doing really well!

“Napkin rings” variations:

Use specific foot surfaces to receive and/or pass. Start simple, using the inside of the feet to receive and pass. Build to outside of the foot receiving and passing.
If this game gets too easy, make it competitive! Instead of working together as partners, the players become opponents. Keep the same basic rule: when the ball comes to you through one side, you must pass back through a different side. But now you are trying to play a legal pass that your opponent isn’t able to return. This adds emphasis on vision and strong passes: figure out which lane the opponent is covering, and pass firmly through the other lane.