Below are 6 simple, yet highly effective soccer exercises to develop and improve your first touch when receiving a pass. A good first touch will help you settle the soccer ball so you can make an accurate pass, shot, or begin to dribble to open space. 10 year Major League Soccer veteran Bobby Burling walks us through these activities with a variety of key points to keep in mind as you are performing each exercise. Each of these exercises can be done anywhere and they are important for all age levels to work on.
Setup:
- Cones: Use 4 small soccer cones to create a small area to contain the ball.
- Partner: You can use a partner, or you can use a wall or object to bounce the ball off of.
- Variations: As your skill level improves, you can do the following for an extra challenge:
- Make the cone area smaller, so the first touch has to be contained in a smaller space.
- Distance yourself further away from your passing partner.
- Pass harder so the ball is harder to control.
Activity 1: Receiving Ball with Inside of Foot
Activity 2: Receiving Ball with Outside of Foot
Activity 3: Inside Trap and Play
Activity 4: Outside Trap and Play
Activity 5: Inside Trap and Outside Play
Activity 6: Trap, Roll, and Play
Commit to practicing the 6 activities above with a teammate or with a wall and your first touch develop over time! Improving your first touch will help you keep possession when the soccer ball comes your way, which will allow you to make more accurate passes and shots or allow you the opportunity to dribble out of danger.
Additional Resources
- 20+ Soccer Skill Development Videos
- 5 Dribbling Exercises to Sharpen Your Footwork
- 200+ Soccer Passing Drills & Activities
- 60 Soccer Practice Sessions from U6 - U16