Playing at home:

Soccer is a fun game to play. The better your skills, the more fun you’ll have! A great way to improve your skills is to play with friends or play on your own.

Here are a bunch of things you can do at home or in the local park. We have categories for games,  passing & receiving, dribbling, juggling and ball control and fast footwork. Many of the activities have links to video demos. Link: full video catalog

Try some of these activities. If you get bored with one, try a different one, or create your own. Most importantly, have fun!

Games:

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.

• 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.

Shin bash:  Helps with trickiness, agility and quick feet. video link: kids demo

• Two players face each other 1 step apart.

• Player 1 has the ball at her feet.

• Player 1 gets one touch to try and hit player 2 anywhere below the knees with the ball (the "shin bash"). You get a point if you hit the player on your shot (rebounds don't count).

• Player 2 can jump around, but she can't run away.

• Player 1 gets three turns. The key is to either play quickly and catch the other player off-guard, or trick the other player into jumping by faking a kick, then hitting her as she comes back down after her jump.

• Switch roles and let player 2 get three turns. Who gets the most points?

• Tip: have the "target" player set up with her back to a wall or fence or some obstacle so you don't have to chase balls that miss the target. (But points only count if you hit the target on the initial shot, not after it comes back off the wall of fence.)

Slam! (pairs activity):  video links: kids demo 1v1 (using a wall) / kids demo 1v1 (using a bench) / kids demo 2v2 

This is a fun "ground" based version of soccer tennis. It helps with passing and receiving skills while also being a good aerobic workout. Click for a description and rules: wall slam; no-wall slam. You can play 1v1 or 2v2, or you can even play with three players, alternating turns. Here are some rule variations for 1v1 Slam!

1. Setup boundary lines (optional).

2. Players take turns passing the ball off the wall. Each player gets one or two touches per turn (you decide which rules you'll use). Players can't allow the ball to stop dead during their turn.

3. A player gets a point if she can hit a pass that comes off the wall in bounds that her opponent can't return within two 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 where she isn't. Hints:

• If she's on the left side of the area, pass the ball so it rebounds toward the right side.

• If she's close to the wall, make a hard pass (a Slam!) so the ball bounces far away from the wall.

• If she's far away from the wall, make a soft pass that barely hits the wall.

When your opponent is getting ready to pass, "read" her eyes and body shape and try 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.

Variations: allow a "free" touch with the thigh or chest if the ball is in the air, require "weak foot only" return passes, change from 2-touch to 1-touch. Feel free to create your own rules!

Wrist girl:  A fun small-group game (works best with 3 or more players) that helps with ball control and soccer-specific athletic movement. Link: description and video demo

4 square:  Another fun game that helps with ball control, balance, coordination and quick feet. Click here for a description and rules.

Texas draw:  Helps with quick feet, pull-backs and getting out of tight pressure. Link: video demo

• Two players face each other 1 foot apart, with a ball between them.

• Players start with both feet on the ground.

• Someone calls "draw!"

• Both players try to pull the ball away from their opponent.

• This is similar to a hockey face-off. Play "best 2 out of 3", or "weaker foot only".

Texas slam:  Helps with quick reactions, shoulder charges and balance.

• Two players start side to side, with a ball one step in front.

• Players start with both feet on the ground.

• Someone calls "slam!"

• Each player steps forward toward the ball and uses her inside shoulder (not arm or elbow) to force the other player off balance, while placing her inside foot (the one closest to the opponent) between the opponent and the ball.

• The player who gets the best leverage and position takes the ball away using the outside of her "far" foot (the foot farthest away from the opponent).

• Play "best 2 out of 3", then switch positions so each player works both sides of her body.

1v1:  Play 1v1 with your dog, friend, brother, sister, mom or dad. If you don’t have goals, use trees, bags, whatever (even a Christmas pineapple). You can setup a game like "electric fence" or "snow cones" with sideline goals -- this helps you get away from defenders -- or a game with goals on each end line -- this helps you get behind defenders.

Small-sided scrimmages:  Play 2v2, 3v3 or 4v4 with a group of friends.