Video: Wall Passing Soccer Workout - Improve First Touch Football Training by DJ Diveny
A First Touch Prepares What Happens Next
A useful first touch is not simply a way to stop the ball. It gives the player time and space for the next pass, dribble, turn, or shot. A child who can guide the ball to one side is less likely to become trapped over it and more likely to look up before acting. This session starts with a predictable return, then asks the player to receive across the body and finally choose a direction while the ball is moving.
Confidence Grows From A Manageable Ball
Young players often read a heavy touch as failure, especially when an adult corrects every attempt. The better response is to make the next ball easier to receive and give one clear cue. A slower pass, a wider gate, or an extra settling touch lets the child feel the movement that worked. Once that pattern appears, the task can become less predictable without turning practice into a test.
Careful Supervision Protects The Learning
The adult should watch the service, the run-off space, and the child's reaction as closely as the technique. Keep rebounds gentle, stand away from the receiving lane, and pause if loose balls reach roads, glass, other players, or hard obstacles. If frustration rises, reduce the choice or finish on a calm repetition. More pressure is useful only when the player can still scan, move, and control the next action.
Before you start
Check that the surface is dry and level. A wall should be solid, clear of windows, and safe for soft ground passes; a partner can return the ball instead. Put a start marker about 2 metres from the wall or feeder. Make one receiving gate a step to the left and another a step to the right, leaving at least 2 metres of clear run-off behind both. Test one gentle pass before the child begins and shorten the distance if the return arrives above ankle height.
Session goals
- Keep the first touch within one playable step.
- Guide the ball away from the feet and into the next action.
- Look before receiving and choose a direction without rushing the pass.
Run this 15-minute session
Use a predictable return to connect the first touch with a balanced next pass.
Pass into the wall, move one step, then reset both feet before controlling the rebound and making the next pass.
Run it like this
- Start about 2 metres from the wall or partner. Make five gentle ground passes and stop each return with either foot.
- For the next five returns, guide the first touch one step to the left, reset in the middle, then repeat to the right.
- Continue by alternating sides. Pass again only when the ball is within one comfortable step.
- If two returns need a chase, move closer or ask the partner to slow the service before continuing.
Coaching cues
- Use 'touch, step, pass' as the whole cue.
- Meet the ball with a relaxed inside surface rather than stamping down on it.
- Count a playable next pass, not a touch that stops perfectly still.
Let the ball travel across the body so the player can receive into a new line.
Feed the ball from the front and take the first touch across the body into the open receiving gate.
Run it like this
- Use the two receiving gates. Start half-turned so the feeder and both gates can be seen before the pass.
- Ask for a gentle ground pass toward the front foot. Let it travel across the body and use the far foot to guide it through the opposite gate.
- Take one settling step, turn, and pass back. Complete four repetitions in each direction.
- For the final minute, let the player choose which foot receives, provided the touch still moves through a gate.
Coaching cues
- Check the shoulder before the ball arrives, then open the hips.
- Let the ball cross the body instead of reaching across it too early.
- The touch has enough pace when the next pass is available within one step.
Add one visible decision while keeping the service calm enough to control.
A simple setup view for this drill.
Run it like this
- Give the left and right gates different colours. The player checks both, then looks back to the feeder.
- Pass at a manageable speed and call one colour early, before the ball reaches halfway.
- The player takes the first touch through that gate, turns, and returns a pass from a balanced position.
- After six controlled attempts, delay the call slightly. Return to an early call if the player stops scanning or reaches for the ball.
Coaching cues
- Use 'check, receive, move' rather than adding several instructions while the ball travels.
- Praise the early look and correct direction before asking for more speed.
- If the touch goes the wrong way, make the next call earlier instead of raising the voice.
14:00-15:00 - Finish
Finish with a three-ball sequence: one touch through the left gate, one through the right, and one toward the colour called by the feeder. Use gentle passes and allow a reset between balls. If one touch runs away, retrieve it without adding a penalty repetition. End after one sequence in which the player stays balanced and can name which space was easiest to receive into.
What success looks like
Look for a first touch that stays within one step more often than it escapes, a body position that can see the next space, and a decision made without panic. The player does not need three perfect blocks. One calmer touch in each direction is enough evidence to repeat the session another day.
Change The Task From What You See
| What happens | Keep | Change one thing |
|---|---|---|
| The rebound keeps running away | Wall or partner returns | Move closer and use a softer ground pass. |
| The ball becomes trapped under the feet | Side-to-side receiving | Start half-turned and put the gate one step wider. |
| The player reaches across the body | Receive-across-body block | Slow the pass and let it travel farther before contact. |
| The player stops looking at the gates | Colour-call decision | Call the colour earlier and pause before the next ball. |
| Frustration rises after a heavy touch | The same first-touch goal | Remove the call and finish with one predictable return. |
Make it easier
Use one wide gate, slower passes, and an early direction call. Let the player stop the ball first, move it through the gate with a second touch, and return the pass with a third. Reduce the number of repetitions before removing the skill completely.
Make it harder
Keep the same setup and change one demand: call the target later, narrow the receiving gate, add a passive shadow behind the player, or ask for the return pass with the weaker foot. Add only one change at a time.
Safety
Use soft ground feeds and flat markers. Keep the receiving lane and run-off space clear of glass, roads, furniture, other players, and hard obstacles. Stop if the surface becomes slippery, the wall return is unpredictable, or tired movement turns each touch into a chase.
Make The Session Fit The Player
For a shorter version, use the wall block and one receiving gate, then finish with a left-and-right sequence. The standard route uses all three blocks. For an extended practice, repeat the block that produced the calmest touches and finish with a two-versus-one keep-ball game if enough players and safe space are available. Do not stretch the session simply to fill time; add play only while the first-touch aim remains visible.
Use Questions After The Repetition
A useful check is short: 'Where could your next touch go?' or 'Which gate was easier to see?' Ask it after the ball stops, not while the child is trying to receive. One answer can guide the next setup. If the child cannot explain it, show the space with a marker and let the next repetition teach the point.
Move From Unopposed Practice To A Real Decision
England Football recommends starting in a form players can manage, then adjusting space, task, equipment, and players to suit their needs. The colour call gives this session a simple decision without immediate pressure. A passive defender or small keep-ball game belongs at the end only when the player can still scan and receive into space.
Common questions
Can this first-touch session work without a partner?
Yes. Use a safe wall for the first two blocks. For the final block, put two different objects beside the gates, look up after each pass, and choose a target before the rebound arrives. Keep the wall passes gentle enough to stay on the ground.
Should a first touch always go forward?
No. The useful touch goes where the next action has space. That may be forward, sideways, back toward support, or away from pressure. The gates teach direction, not a rule that every touch must attack forward.
What if the child keeps stopping the ball dead?
Move the receiving gate one step to the side and ask for the ball to finish inside it. Use a slower pass and allow two touches at first. A visible destination is often clearer than repeating 'do not stop it.'
Which foot should receive the ball?
Use the foot that helps the player move into the chosen space. Receiving with the far foot can help the ball travel across the body, but the player's angle, pressure, and next action matter more than forcing one foot every time.
How often should a child repeat this session?
Repeat it when the child is fresh enough to control gentle passes and still wants to engage. Two calm attempts in a week can be more useful than one long session that ends in frustration. Stop earlier when technique or attention drops.