Soccer is ideal for kids of all ages to get involved in teamwork, increase physical ability, and have a blast along the way. Playing soccer comes with countless benefits, like:
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world for a reason. The life skills kids learn playing their next game on the field translate into real-world abilities, and the friends they make last a lifetime.
Soccer is physically demanding, which means it is excellent for staying in shape, and the activity promotes mental health by reducing stress, decreasing depression, and increasing adrenaline.
Explore nine soccer games kids love and how they improve soccer skills. However, partner with TOCA Football, the industry leader in soccer training facilities and indoor leagues, to maximize your performance.
Training for soccer demands a complex set of skills, from eye-hand coordination to decision-making abilities. While drills are excellent for honing fine skills, it’s essential to have fun with the game and introduce some activities that get kids laughing and learning. Here are nine games you can incorporate into your training program to get the maximum engagement from your players!
Red light, green light helps players develop close control and dribbling skills. It also emphasizes quick reactions and listening skills. To get started, have players line up with a ball. The goal is to dribble the ball past the coach, but only after the coach calls “green light.”
The coach will call out to the players “green light” to signal them to start dribbling towards the finish line. At random times, the coach will call “red light,” where all players must come to a complete stop, including the ball. Any player still moving, or has a ball still in motion, must return to the starting line. The first player that crosses the finish line first is the winner.
King of the ring is an excellent warm-up game to practice defending, spatial awareness, and decision-making skills. Players start in the center circle dribbling a ball. The goal is to knock the ball of other players from the ring to become the “king of the ring.”
A player must defend their ball from other players, as once the ball is out of the circle, the player must head to the sidelines. The last player in the ring wins the title and bragging rights over their team.
Don’t feed the monkeys is a soccer drill that forges passing and intercepting skills. To set up don’t feed the monkeys, establish a “monkey cage” using cones or the center circle. Two players act as monkeys in the cage, and 3-4 players act as zookeepers outside the cage. The zookeepers will attempt to intercept soccer balls that other players pass to the monkeys.
Each ball that the zookeepers intercept earns the team a point. At the same time, any balls that make it to the monkeys in the cage earn the monkey team a point. Naturally, the team with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
Not only is tag a lot of fun for young players, but it’s also a great soccer drill for any age group. Depending on the size and skill level of the group, you can have one tagger or multiple taggers. Players dribble a ball on the field or in a large square and avoid getting touched by a tagger. A soccer coach blows a whistle to start the game, and the taggers start hunting!
If a tagger tags a player, that player must stand still in a frozen state until a teammate dribbles a ball between their legs to “unfreeze” them. The game comes to an end when the taggers freeze all the players.
Simon says is a great game for building listening skills, especially for young children. Set the game up by having every soccer player grab a ball and dribble either within a large box or on the field. The player’s balls should stay in motion until the coach calls, “Simon says,” at which point the player must complete the command. Coaches can call out:
Should the coach make a call without saying, “Simon Says,” before a player completes the action, that player is out. Coaches can make it even more fun or challenging by including jumping, juggling, or shooting drills.
Monkey in the middle is a fun game for soccer practice, and the game helps with ball control and passing skills. Have players stand in a circle around one or two “monkeys” in the middle. Pass the ball between the players without having it intercepted by one of the monkeys.
If a monkey captures a pass, the player who attempted the pass becomes the monkey. Monkey in the middle is an extremely popular game, especially with kids in the 3-5-year-old age bracket, where getting engaged builds confidence and skill.
Musical chairs, or as a football game, musical balls, is a game that improves soccer skills like coordination, ball control, and dribbling skills. It’s also a pretty easy game to conduct with the players, and soccer balls are the only required materials. Start by having everyone dribble. When the coach blows the whistle, it’s time to change balls.
During the commotion, the coach removes one ball from play, and the player who is unsuccessful at finding a ball is out. Coaches can make it more interesting by including music instead of a whistle. Regardless of how you run the game, the last player with a ball is the winner!
Who doesn’t love a good game of cops and robbers? Cops and robbers is the next game you should play at soccer practice to help with dribbling skills and intercepting ability. Start by having a 2:1 ratio of cops to robbers. The cops will stand in a circle while dribbling balls. On the opposite end, you have your robbers who will try to steal the balls from the cops.
The goal is to have the robbers take the balls and deposit them in a bank. The bank can be a goal, a circle, or a square playing area, and once a robber takes and deposits a cop's ball into the bank, the cop becomes a robber and must also attempt to steal other balls. The last cop remaining is the winner!
Setting up tic-tac-toe for soccer is quite simple. Start by establishing a 3x3 yard grid. Split your team into two and have each line up about 15-20 yards away from the grid on either side. Provide each player with pinnies, so everyone is ready.
To play tic-tac-toe, players run to the grid and place a colored pinnie in an attempt to get three in a row. Once a player places their pinnie, they run back and tag up with the next player in line. The first team to get tic-tac-toe wins, but there are opportunities to make it more challenging, like increasing the space between the grid and the players. No matter how you play it, tic-tac-toe improves decision-making and agility.
Taking your soccer training to the next level doesn’t require specialized skills or equipment. With a few fun soccer games for kids, you can have the team engaged, warmed up, and ready to learn. And you can use the same soccer balls, pinnies, and whistles you use for any other drill. Get your team engaged with a game of Monkey in the middle or Musical balls!
Of course, if your minnow has dreams of becoming a bulldog, you’ll need a facility that takes your goals seriously. That’s where TOCA Football has your back with a Strikers program or Youth Soccer Leagues designed to hone abilities and challenge determination. Find a location near you and enroll in one of TOCA’s exceptional soccer programs.
Soccer is ideal for kids of all ages to get involved in teamwork, increase physical ability, and have a blast along the way. Playing soccer comes with countless benefits, like:
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world for a reason. The life skills kids learn playing their next game on the field translate into real-world abilities, and the friends they make last a lifetime.
Soccer is physically demanding, which means it is excellent for staying in shape, and the activity promotes mental health by reducing stress, decreasing depression, and increasing adrenaline.
Explore nine soccer games kids love and how they improve soccer skills. However, partner with TOCA Football, the industry leader in soccer training facilities and indoor leagues, to maximize your performance.
Training for soccer demands a complex set of skills, from eye-hand coordination to decision-making abilities. While drills are excellent for honing fine skills, it’s essential to have fun with the game and introduce some activities that get kids laughing and learning. Here are nine games you can incorporate into your training program to get the maximum engagement from your players!
Red light, green light helps players develop close control and dribbling skills. It also emphasizes quick reactions and listening skills. To get started, have players line up with a ball. The goal is to dribble the ball past the coach, but only after the coach calls “green light.”
The coach will call out to the players “green light” to signal them to start dribbling towards the finish line. At random times, the coach will call “red light,” where all players must come to a complete stop, including the ball. Any player still moving, or has a ball still in motion, must return to the starting line. The first player that crosses the finish line first is the winner.
King of the ring is an excellent warm-up game to practice defending, spatial awareness, and decision-making skills. Players start in the center circle dribbling a ball. The goal is to knock the ball of other players from the ring to become the “king of the ring.”
A player must defend their ball from other players, as once the ball is out of the circle, the player must head to the sidelines. The last player in the ring wins the title and bragging rights over their team.
Don’t feed the monkeys is a soccer drill that forges passing and intercepting skills. To set up don’t feed the monkeys, establish a “monkey cage” using cones or the center circle. Two players act as monkeys in the cage, and 3-4 players act as zookeepers outside the cage. The zookeepers will attempt to intercept soccer balls that other players pass to the monkeys.
Each ball that the zookeepers intercept earns the team a point. At the same time, any balls that make it to the monkeys in the cage earn the monkey team a point. Naturally, the team with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
Not only is tag a lot of fun for young players, but it’s also a great soccer drill for any age group. Depending on the size and skill level of the group, you can have one tagger or multiple taggers. Players dribble a ball on the field or in a large square and avoid getting touched by a tagger. A soccer coach blows a whistle to start the game, and the taggers start hunting!
If a tagger tags a player, that player must stand still in a frozen state until a teammate dribbles a ball between their legs to “unfreeze” them. The game comes to an end when the taggers freeze all the players.
Simon says is a great game for building listening skills, especially for young children. Set the game up by having every soccer player grab a ball and dribble either within a large box or on the field. The player’s balls should stay in motion until the coach calls, “Simon says,” at which point the player must complete the command. Coaches can call out:
Should the coach make a call without saying, “Simon Says,” before a player completes the action, that player is out. Coaches can make it even more fun or challenging by including jumping, juggling, or shooting drills.
Monkey in the middle is a fun game for soccer practice, and the game helps with ball control and passing skills. Have players stand in a circle around one or two “monkeys” in the middle. Pass the ball between the players without having it intercepted by one of the monkeys.
If a monkey captures a pass, the player who attempted the pass becomes the monkey. Monkey in the middle is an extremely popular game, especially with kids in the 3-5-year-old age bracket, where getting engaged builds confidence and skill.
Musical chairs, or as a football game, musical balls, is a game that improves soccer skills like coordination, ball control, and dribbling skills. It’s also a pretty easy game to conduct with the players, and soccer balls are the only required materials. Start by having everyone dribble. When the coach blows the whistle, it’s time to change balls.
During the commotion, the coach removes one ball from play, and the player who is unsuccessful at finding a ball is out. Coaches can make it more interesting by including music instead of a whistle. Regardless of how you run the game, the last player with a ball is the winner!
Who doesn’t love a good game of cops and robbers? Cops and robbers is the next game you should play at soccer practice to help with dribbling skills and intercepting ability. Start by having a 2:1 ratio of cops to robbers. The cops will stand in a circle while dribbling balls. On the opposite end, you have your robbers who will try to steal the balls from the cops.
The goal is to have the robbers take the balls and deposit them in a bank. The bank can be a goal, a circle, or a square playing area, and once a robber takes and deposits a cop's ball into the bank, the cop becomes a robber and must also attempt to steal other balls. The last cop remaining is the winner!
Setting up tic-tac-toe for soccer is quite simple. Start by establishing a 3x3 yard grid. Split your team into two and have each line up about 15-20 yards away from the grid on either side. Provide each player with pinnies, so everyone is ready.
To play tic-tac-toe, players run to the grid and place a colored pinnie in an attempt to get three in a row. Once a player places their pinnie, they run back and tag up with the next player in line. The first team to get tic-tac-toe wins, but there are opportunities to make it more challenging, like increasing the space between the grid and the players. No matter how you play it, tic-tac-toe improves decision-making and agility.
Taking your soccer training to the next level doesn’t require specialized skills or equipment. With a few fun soccer games for kids, you can have the team engaged, warmed up, and ready to learn. And you can use the same soccer balls, pinnies, and whistles you use for any other drill. Get your team engaged with a game of Monkey in the middle or Musical balls!
Of course, if your minnow has dreams of becoming a bulldog, you’ll need a facility that takes your goals seriously. That’s where TOCA Football has your back with a Strikers program or Youth Soccer Leagues designed to hone abilities and challenge determination. Find a location near you and enroll in one of TOCA’s exceptional soccer programs.
%402x%20(1).svg){kind=icon}