Soccer Control and Trapping Small-Sided Game
Attackers Defenders Neutral Goalkeeper Pass Run Dribble Shot
This soccer control and trapping drill for U9–U14 hides serious first-touch training inside a throw-and-catch game. Every serve arrives from the air, so players get dozens of reps deciding how and where to bring the ball down - with a defender waiting to punish a heavy trap. It's one of the easiest ways to teach when and where to receive.
Browse the full receiving drills library for more like this, or explore every soccer drill for U12 players.
Setup
- Mark a field about 40×60 yards with a goal on each end.
- Split into two teams of six, with a goalkeeper in each goal.
How It Works
- This 6v6 is played with the hands and feet together, in a strict order: a player throws to a teammate, the teammate traps the ball down to the ground with a controlled touch, then picks it up and throws to the next teammate.
- No running while holding the ball.
- Opponents win possession by intercepting a throw out of the air or snatching up a poorly trapped ball.
- A goal can be scored at any time, from anywhere on the field - but the shot must come directly off a trapped ball brought down from a throw.
Coaching Points
- Coach the trap itself: pick the surface early - chest, thigh, or foot - and cushion the ball into your own space.
- Receive away from pressure; where you take the touch matters as much as how.
- Off-ball teammates must keep moving to offer safe throwing lanes.
- A loose trap is a turnover - make players own that consequence.
Variations
- Extend the sequence: throw, trap, pass along the ground, then the receiver picks up and throws - mixing ground passes into the chain.
- Limit traps to a named surface (thigh only, chest only) for a round.
- Reduce to 4v4 on a smaller field for more touches per player.