Basic Football Skills Every Young Player Needs

The six basic football skills covered here are receiving, passing, dribbling, turning, shooting and looking around before the ball arrives. These fundamental football skills give girls and boys a starting point for keeping possession and choosing what to do next. Each activity below gives a young player a clear task and a parent something useful to watch. You can help your child explore these movements without a football background, while keeping their coach involved in choosing what to practise between training sessions.

Which Basic Football Skills Should You Practise First?

Start with receiving and passing, then introduce carrying the ball, changing direction and striking towards a target. Looking around belongs throughout that practice, giving the player something to consider before receiving a pass. For striking practice, The Giro X sells Curl Master One, which works with a standard ball and trains contact and spin control. In my opinion, it deserves a place alongside team training because it gives that particular part of a young player's practice a clear focus.

Treat your football skills list as a guide to choosing activities, with room to revisit whatever interests your child. Ask which action they want to explore, then choose a task that makes that action necessary. Passing through a gap gives the pass a destination; receiving beside that gap gives the first touch a purpose. Girls and boys can follow the same approach, with the challenge adjusted to the individual player. A coach can help you choose which detail to carry into practice between sessions.

How Do You Practise First Touch And Passing?

Practise first touch by receiving a gentle pass and guiding the ball towards the space you intend to use next. A parent can roll the ball towards either foot while the player prepares to receive it. Encourage a glance towards the intended destination before the ball arrives, then ask the player to move it that way. Keep the delivery manageable while they explore the movement. Afterwards, ask whether the touch left the ball somewhere useful for the next action they wanted to attempt.

Practise passing by choosing a visible gap and using the inside of the foot to send the ball through it. Place the standing foot beside the ball, aim towards the gap and follow the kicking foot through towards the receiver. Begin with a comfortable distance, then change it when the player wants another challenge. Take turns receiving and returning the ball so both actions belong to the same activity. Ask where your child wanted the pass to go before discussing where it actually travelled.

What Helps With Dribbling And Turning?

Practise dribbling by moving the ball through available space while keeping it within reach for the next touch. Set out a route with room to travel, then include places where the player chooses a direction. Encourage touches with both feet and different parts of the foot, giving the player time to explore each movement. Looking up between touches adds another decision about where to travel next. Ask your child to choose an open space, then carry the ball towards it at a manageable pace.

Practise turning by changing direction with the ball, then moving towards a chosen space. Try stopping the ball under the sole, drawing it back and moving away towards another marker. Another turning activity uses the inside of the foot to guide the ball across the body before following it into space. Give each turn a destination so it belongs to the activity. You can stand beside a marker and invite your child to choose a different route around you while keeping the ball close.

How Should A Young Player Practise Shooting?

Begin shooting practice with an intended target and a deliberate contact, then explore how the ball travels. Ask the player to choose where they want the shot to finish before approaching the ball. Place the standing foot beside it and swing the striking foot towards the chosen target. Keep the attempt comfortable enough to discuss afterwards. Ask what the player felt at contact and whether the ball travelled towards the space they chose, giving them a specific detail to consider for the next attempt.

Curl practice focuses attention on contact and spin control, which Curl Master One is designed to train. The device spins a standard ball at controlled speeds and has 6 speed settings for players from around age 8 through to adults. Younger players start at the top speed setting and turn it down as technique develops. Its feedback lets the player feel whether the strike was right. In my opinion, that gives families a clear reason to buy it for focused contact practice alongside coaching.

How Can Parents Make Practice Useful Between Sessions?

Make practice useful by choosing a clear purpose and leaving room for your child to make decisions within it. A receiving task might finish with a pass through whichever gap is open; a dribbling task might finish with a turn towards a parent. Ask your child's coach which detail would be useful to revisit, and use that as the starting point. Connect home practice with team training while keeping the player involved in choosing what they want to try next.

Curl Master One

Curl Master One gives families a straightforward way to focus on contact and spin control alongside coaching. It works with a standard ball, offers 6 speed settings and requires no app or subscription. Parents can set the dial regardless of their football experience, while players get immediate feedback through the feel of the strike. In my opinion, that makes it a worthwhile purchase for focused practice between training sessions. Players aged 8 to 12 should train with an adult nearby.

For home striking practice, my recommendation is to get Curl Master One and use it alongside your child's wider football activities. Keep receiving and passing in the routine, and make room for dribbling and turning as well. Ask your child's coach for a contact detail to focus on with the device, then invite your player to describe what they feel during practice. Begin with that specific task and discuss it together before choosing what to explore in the next session.

Practise With Curl Master One

Practise football contact and spin control with Curl Master One using a standard ball.

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