First Touch Box

Setup

Make a square large enough for the child to take one touch into space without leaving the box. A three-metre square is a useful starting point, but the exact size depends on age, ball speed, and the space available.

Steps

1. Make a small square with four markers.
2. Pass or roll the ball into the square.
3. Take the first touch toward an open side.
4. Reset and repeat using both feet.
5. After a few repetitions, call the side the first touch should move toward.

Coaching points

• Use the part of the foot that gives control, not a fixed surface every time.
• Move the first touch away from the body and toward an open side.
• Let the child see the ball early, then glance up before the next action.
• Use both feet when confidence grows.

Common mistakes

• Stopping the ball dead every time.
• Touching the ball underneath the body.
• Making the box so small that there is nowhere to move the touch.
• Adding speed before the child can keep the ball within one or two steps.

Make it easier

Roll the ball slowly, make the box larger, and let the child stop the ball before moving it. Give one clear instruction: take the touch to the side.

Make it harder

Pass the ball with more pace, call the open side late, or ask for the first touch with the weaker foot before the child exits the box.

How to know it is working

The drill is working when the first touch usually leaves the feet in a playable direction and the child can name the next action without freezing.

Safety

Use flat markers that will not trip a child. Leave a clear space around the box and slow the feed if the ball is bouncing or arriving too quickly.

Common questions