Soccer Trapping Drills

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Being able to trap and control ball is important for any soccer player. No matter the trajectory of the ball's arrival, a good soccer player must be able to receive and control it to maintain possession. Youth soccer coaches hoping to produce quality players should focus a good amount of effort on making sure their players learn to adequately trap the ball.

Whether it is a pass from a teammate, a clearance from the goaltender, or a cross from the outside, maintaining possession is vital. Your team will not be able to control the game if you can't even control the ball. The team that dominates possession during a game usually creates more scoring opportunities A good first touch on the ball is often the difference between getting that goal and getting stripped of the ball.

If your players fail to trap and control the ball and constantly give away possession, you will be in a very rough spot. Make sure to work on trapping skills early in your season and often. Get the fundamentals of trapping down while your players are stationary, and then take trapping drills to a moving platform.

Most of all, good trapping skills are developed through repetition so make sure you have a list of drills that build trapping skills and give players lots of touches on the ball.

Focus on teaching players to cushion the impact of the ball like a pillow, and try to drop the ball directly to their feet.

If you are short on trapping, skills, finishing, possession, overlapping, defending or any other type of drill you could imagine, this youth soccer coaching manual can give you pre-planned practices and various drills that will keep practice fun, exciting, and informative for your players.