Ball ControlFundamentals

Juggling Fundamentals Drill

Juggling builds touch and body awareness faster than almost any other individual activity, giving players a simple way to measure their own first-touch progress over a season.

Age RangeAges 9+
Duration8–10 minutes
Group SizeIndividual
SportSoccer

Equipment Needed

  • One ball per player

Every player needs their own ball

A multi-pack of training soccer balls means every player can rack up juggling reps on their own.

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Setup

  • Each player has a ball and enough personal space to juggle without interfering with others.
  • No goals or cones needed — works anywhere flat.
Juggling Fundamentals DrillPDrop, touch up with the thigh, catchTrack consecutive touches (no hands) as a personal best

Instructions

  1. Start by dropping the ball and hitting it back up with the thigh, catching it after each touch.
  2. Progress to two thigh touches in a row before catching.
  3. Try alternating feet for a single touch each, catching between attempts.
  4. Track personal best consecutive touches (any body part except hands/arms) over the session.
Coaching Points
  • Soft, cushioned touches control the ball better than hard, flat ones.
  • It's normal to drop the ball constantly at first — the skill is in quickly resetting, not avoiding drops.
  • Keep the ball close to the body; reaching far to save a bad touch usually makes the next one worse.
  • Celebrate personal bests, not comparisons between players — progress rates vary a lot at this age.

Variation

Add a partner challenge to see who can keep a combined rally of touches going, or restrict to weak foot only for a session.