10 Soccer Drills Kids Can Do at Home with No Equipment
Kids can improve their soccer skills at home with nothing more than a soccer ball and a small patch of space. The 10 drills below target ball control, first touch, dribbling, and footwork. Each one includes the target skill, recommended age range, how long to practice, and step-by-step instructions. No cones, no goals, no partner required.
Home training fills a gap that team practice cannot. In a 60-minute group session, each player might only touch the ball individually for 2 to 3 minutes. A 15-minute solo session at home can produce 500 or more ball contacts. That volume of repetition is what builds the muscle memory that shows up in games.
1. Toe Taps
Target skill: Coordination, rhythm, ball familiarity Ages: 7+ Duration: 2 minutes
Place the ball in front of you. Alternate tapping the top of the ball lightly with the sole of each foot, keeping a steady rhythm. The ball should barely move. Start slow and focus on a consistent tempo before adding speed.
This is the most basic ball mastery exercise, and it works at every level. Professional players use toe taps as part of their daily warm-ups. For younger players, count to 30 taps without losing the ball. For older players, aim for 60 seconds at high speed without the ball rolling away.
2. Sole Rolls (Side to Side)
Target skill: Close control, ball manipulation Ages: 7+ Duration: 2 minutes
Place your foot on top of the ball and roll it sideways from one foot to the other using the sole. Keep your body centered over the ball. The movement should be smooth, not jerky.
Once comfortable, try rolling the ball forward and backward with one foot before switching. This exercise teaches players to manipulate the ball with the bottom of their foot, which is essential for shielding the ball and changing direction quickly in tight spaces.
3. Inside-Inside Touches
Target skill: Ball familiarity, both-foot comfort Ages: 7+ Duration: 2 minutes
Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, tap the ball back and forth between your feet using only the inside of each foot. Keep the ball close. Your knees should be slightly bent, and your body weight should stay centered.
This is the foundation for close-control dribbling. Players who can do inside-inside touches quickly and cleanly will be more comfortable receiving passes under pressure. Start with 30 seconds at a slow pace. Progress to 60 seconds at match speed.
4. Pull-Back Turns
Target skill: Change of direction, close control Ages: 8+ Duration: 3 minutes
Dribble the ball forward slowly. Place the sole of your dominant foot on top of the ball and pull it back behind you. Turn your body 180 degrees and dribble in the opposite direction. Repeat.
After 10 reps with your dominant foot, switch to your weaker foot. The pull-back is one of the most used moves in real games because it is simple, effective, and hard to defend when done quickly. Youth players who master it early will use it instinctively under pressure.
5. Figure 8 Dribbling
Target skill: Dribbling with both feet, agility Ages: 8+ Duration: 3 minutes
Place two objects (shoes, water bottles, anything) about 3 feet apart. Dribble the ball in a figure 8 pattern around them, using the inside and outside of both feet. Keep the ball within one foot of your body at all times.
This drill forces players to use both feet and all surfaces of the foot. It builds the dribbling agility needed to navigate tight spaces in a game. Start at a walking pace. As control improves, increase to a jog.
6. Juggling (Progressive)
Target skill: First touch, aerial control, coordination Ages: 8+ Duration: 5 minutes
Start by dropping the ball from your hands, letting it bounce once, then kicking it back up to your hands. Repeat 10 times with each foot. Once that is comfortable, try two touches before catching. Then three. Eventually, try to keep the ball in the air without catching it.
Juggling is not just a party trick. It trains the same soft touch and body positioning that players use when controlling long passes, clearing balls, and settling the ball out of the air. US Soccer and youth development experts recognize juggling as a core skill for technical development. Progress is slow at first, but most players see a noticeable jump after 2 to 3 weeks of daily practice.
7. Wall Passing (Two-Touch)
Target skill: First touch, passing accuracy Ages: 8+ Duration: 5 minutes
Stand 5 to 8 feet from a wall. Pass the ball against the wall with the inside of your right foot. When it comes back, take one touch to control it, then pass again. Do 20 reps, then switch to your left foot.
Progression: Move to one-touch passing (pass it back immediately without controlling first). Then alternate feet. A wall is the best training partner a youth player can have. It always passes back, never gets tired, and forces the player to react quickly. Rebounder passing is considered one of the most effective methods for developing first touch by coaches at every level.
8. V-Turns
Target skill: Quick direction change, both-foot control Ages: 9+ Duration: 3 minutes
Dribble the ball forward. Using the inside of your right foot, drag the ball to the right at a 45-degree angle. Then immediately push it forward with the outside of the same foot, creating a V-shaped path. Repeat with the left foot.
The V-turn teaches players to change direction quickly while keeping the ball close. It is useful for beating a defender who is approaching head-on. In games, this move buys the half-second of space that creates a passing lane or a shot opportunity.
9. Scissors (Stationary)
Target skill: Fakes and feints, coordination Ages: 9+ Duration: 3 minutes
Stand behind the ball. Step over the ball with your right foot in a circular motion (inside to outside), then push the ball in the opposite direction with the outside of your left foot. Reset and repeat, alternating the stepping foot.
The scissor is one of the most effective 1v1 moves in soccer because it shifts the defender's weight to one side while the attacker goes the other way. Practicing it stationary first builds the coordination. Once it feels natural, add forward movement and increase speed.
10. Speed Dribbling (Straight Line)
Target skill: Dribbling speed, ball control at pace Ages: 9+ Duration: 3 minutes
Pick two points about 15 to 20 yards apart. Dribble from one to the other as fast as you can while keeping the ball within 2 feet of your body. Use small, frequent touches with the laces and outside of your foot. Jog back and repeat.
Many young players can dribble well at walking pace but lose the ball the moment they speed up. This drill closes that gap. The goal is to push the speed boundary while maintaining control. Do 6 to 8 reps. Track improvement by counting how many times you lose control and try to reduce that number each session.
How to turn these drills into a daily routine
Pick 3 to 4 drills from the list above and practice them for a total of 15 to 20 minutes. Rotate the drills every few days to keep things fresh while still building repetition. A simple structure:
Warm-up: Toe taps + inside-inside touches (3 min) Core work: Pick 2 drills from the list (8 to 12 min) Finish: Juggling for 3 to 5 minutes
That is a complete home session. Do it 3 to 5 times per week and the improvement will be noticeable within a few weeks, especially in ball confidence and close control during games.
Training platforms like FlickTec take this a step further by generating personalized daily sessions from a library of 500+ video exercises, designed by UEFA Champions League coach Roman Pivarnik. Players follow along with guided video, and the app tracks progress across 8 skill areas including Ball Control, Dribbling, and First Touch. But the drills above are a strong starting point for any player with a ball and 15 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can these drills be done indoors?
Yes, most of them. Toe taps, sole rolls, inside-inside touches, pull-backs, and stationary scissors all work in a living room, garage, or hallway. Use a softer ball or a futsal ball indoors to reduce bouncing and protect furniture.
How old should a child be to start home soccer training?
Children as young as 5 or 6 can do basic drills like toe taps and sole rolls. By age 7 or 8, most players are ready for the full list above. The key is keeping sessions short (10 to 15 minutes for younger players) and making them feel like play, not homework.
How long does it take to see improvement from home drills?
Most players and parents notice a difference in ball confidence and close control within 2 to 3 weeks of consistent daily practice. Technical skills like juggling and first touch take longer to refine, but early progress is fast when a player is training regularly for the first time.
Should my child practice with both feet?
Always. Every drill on this list should be done with both feet. Weak-foot development is one of the biggest areas where home training makes a measurable difference. Players who invest time in their weaker foot become significantly harder to defend.
Do these drills replace team practice?
No. Team practice teaches game intelligence, positioning, communication, and teamwork. Home drills target individual technical development. The two are complementary. Players who do both improve faster than players who only train with their team.
The best part of home soccer training is that it requires almost nothing to start. A ball, a small space, and 15 minutes. The players who commit to that daily routine are the ones whose coaches notice the difference first.
For structured, video-guided home sessions, explore FlickTec's training platform built for youth players aged 7 and up.