10 Football Drills Your Child Can Practise at Home
One of the best ways for a young footballer to improve is to practise a little between sessions. Football is a sport of touch, control and repetition, so even a few minutes of fun practice each day can make a real difference to your child’s skills and confidence. The wonderful thing is that many of the most valuable drills need very little space and almost no equipment — just a ball, a bit of room, and some enthusiasm. Here are ten simple football drills your child can practise at home, organised by skill, with tips to keep them fun and effective.
A quick word before you start: keep home practice short, light and positive. A few enjoyable minutes beats a long, frustrating session every time, and the aim is to build a love of the ball, not to drill perfection. Pair this home practice with regular, well-coached football classes in Dubai and your child’s progress will really take off.
Ball control and first touch
1. Toe taps
With the ball still on the ground, your child lightly taps the top of the ball with the sole of alternate feet, as quickly as they can while staying balanced. It builds quick feet, coordination and a feel for the ball. Count how many in ten seconds and try to beat it.
2. Sole rolls
Rolling the ball side to side under the sole of one foot, then the other, develops close control and soft touch. Progress to rolling the ball across the body from one foot to the other.
3. Wall control
Pass the ball against a wall and control the rebound with a cushioned first touch before passing again. This is one of the most valuable solo drills, building the clean first touch that underpins good football.
Dribbling and close control
4. Cone (or shoe) slalom
Set up a line of cones, shoes or water bottles a step apart, and dribble through them using small touches and both feet. It develops close control, balance and the ability to change direction with the ball.
5. Dribble and turn
Dribble forward a few steps, perform a simple turn (such as dragging the ball back with the sole), and dribble back. Practising turns builds the ability to change direction and escape pressure — a key match skill.
6. Figure of eight
Dribble the ball in a figure-of-eight around two markers, using the inside and outside of both feet. It’s a brilliant all-round close-control challenge that children enjoy trying to do faster.
Passing and striking
7. Wall passing
Pass the ball against a wall with the inside of the foot and control the return, keeping the rhythm going. Focus on a clean, accurate pass and a good first touch. Use both feet to develop a weaker side.
8. Target passing
Mark a target on a wall (a piece of tape works well) and try to hit it with passes from a few metres back. Adding a target turns repetition into a game and sharpens accuracy.
Coordination and skills
9. Juggling (keepy-uppies)
Try to keep the ball off the ground using feet, thighs and head. Start by catching after one touch, then build up the number of touches. Juggling develops touch, balance and coordination — and children love chasing a new personal best.
10. Simple skill moves
Once the basics are solid, children love learning simple skill moves like the step-over or a basic feint. Practising these slowly at home builds the confidence to try them in games. Keep it fun and let your child enjoy expressing themselves.
Making home practice work
A few simple principles turn these drills into real progress. Keep it short and frequent — five to ten focused minutes most days beats an occasional long session. Turn drills into games by counting touches, beating records and setting little challenges; children practise far longer when it’s fun. Praise effort and improvement, not just success, so your child stays motivated through the inevitable mistakes. And use both feet, because developing a weaker side early is one of the best long-term investments a young player can make.
Why these drills work
What makes these particular drills so effective is that they target the core foundations of football — touch, control, balance and coordination — through constant, repetitive contact with the ball. Every toe tap, sole roll and wall pass adds another rep to your child’s growing bank of touches, and it is this accumulation of quality touches that quietly builds real skill over months and years. Because the drills need so little space and equipment, they remove every excuse and make it easy for your child to get those touches in, day after day, wherever they happen to be.
A simple weekly home-practice plan
If you’d like a little structure, here’s an easy, low-pressure way to spread these drills across a week without it ever feeling like a chore. The key is little and often — short bursts that fit naturally around your child’s day. On a couple of days, focus on close control: a few minutes of toe taps, sole rolls and the cone slalom. On another day or two, work on passing and first touch with wall passing and target practice — all your child needs is a wall and a bit of space. Sprinkle in some juggling whenever there’s a spare few minutes, since it’s the perfect “while the kettle boils” skill and children love beating their record. And once or twice a week, let them simply play and experiment — trying skill moves, dribbling freely, or having a mini game with a sibling or friend. That free play is just as valuable as structured drills, because it’s where children fall in love with the ball. Across a week, that’s plenty to drive real improvement, and because each session is short and fun, your child will want to keep going rather than burn out. Remember to keep it relaxed: if your child isn’t in the mood one day, leave it — forced practice does more harm than good, and the goal is a lifelong love of the game.
Turning practice into a habit
The children who improve fastest aren’t necessarily the most talented — they’re often the ones who simply spend the most happy time with a ball at their feet. As a parent, you can nurture this without ever becoming a drill sergeant. Keep a ball easily accessible at home so your child can have a kick whenever the mood takes them. Join in occasionally — a few minutes of passing back and forth, or playing in goal while they shoot, turns practice into precious shared time and doubles the fun. Celebrate effort and the little breakthroughs (“Did you see that turn? Brilliant!”) rather than fixating on results. And resist comparing your child to others; every child develops at their own pace, and confidence grows best in a supportive, pressure-free environment. Done this way, home practice stops being a task and becomes simply part of the joy of childhood — and the skills follow naturally.
Frequently asked questions
How much should my child practise at home? A few short, fun sessions a week is plenty for most young children. Quality and enjoyment matter far more than quantity — five to ten happy minutes beats a long, forced session.
Do I need to buy equipment? No. A ball is all you really need. Shoes, water bottles or bits of tape make perfectly good cones and targets, so there’s no need to spend money to get started.
My child gets frustrated — what should I do? Keep sessions short, celebrate effort over results, and stop before frustration sets in. Make it playful and game-like, and never pressure them. The aim is for your child to enjoy the ball, not to feel tested.
Will home practice alone make my child a good player? It’s a great supplement, but it works best alongside proper coaching, where technique is corrected and game skills are taught. Home practice plus good coaching is the winning combination.
What home practice can’t replace
Home drills are a brilliant supplement, but they’re not a substitute for proper coaching. A skilled coach spots and corrects the small technical errors that, left unchecked, become bad habits — and they teach the parts of football that need teammates, a pitch and real games, such as positioning, decision-making and playing under pressure. The ideal combination is regular, well-coached sessions where your child learns and refines technique, plus a little home practice to reinforce it. Together, they help children improve faster and enjoy the game more.
How Star Football Academy develops young players
At Star Football Academy, our coaches build your child’s skills properly from the ground up, in fun, well-structured sessions across Dubai and Sharjah — giving them the foundation that makes home practice truly pay off. We group children by age and ability, focus on correct technique taught through enjoyable games, and develop confident, skilful young footballers who love the game.
Keep the momentum going with great coaching
Home practice plus expert coaching is the winning formula for a young footballer.
Register at Star Football Academy, find your nearest location, or contact us to get your child started.
Related reading
- What to Expect at Your Child’s First Football Session
- Preventing Common Youth Football Injuries
- Futsal vs 11-a-Side Football for Kids: Which Is Better?
