First Touch
Tempo Aerial Control Zone
Control balls arriving out of the air
First Touch
Receiving
Premium
Tempo Aerial Control Zone is a 12-minute first touch drill for 2-14 players, suitable for Under 9 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.
Back to drill libraryFirst Touch
Receiving
Technical Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Tempo
Duration
12 min
Players
2-14
Pitch size
20 x 16 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Tempo Aerial Control Zone — Marked area · 20 x 16 yards
Step 1 of 5Server throws or lofts the ball into the control zone.
- 1. Server throws or lofts the ball into the control zone.
- 2. The receiver controls with thigh, chest or laces and sets the ball down.
- 3. The receiver then plays a firm pass back to the next server.
- 4. The clock starts the moment the first pass is played in.
- 5. The sequence must reach the end action inside eight seconds or the rep is void.
- Cones mark the area
- Dashed lines = zones / thirds
- Ball
- C = coach / server
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Control balls arriving out of the air
- -Choose the right surface for the height of the ball
- -Play out cleanly after the control
Setup
- 1A control zone with a serving line ten yards away in a 20 x 16 yards area.
- 2Set a visible timer or have an assistant count aloud from the side of the area.
- 3A supply of balls at the serving line.
Coaching instructions
- 1Server throws or lofts the ball into the control zone.
- 2The receiver controls with thigh, chest or laces and sets the ball down.
- 3The receiver then plays a firm pass back to the next server.
- 4The clock starts the moment the first pass is played in.
- 5The sequence must reach the end action inside eight seconds or the rep is void.
Coaching points
- -Get behind the flight early
- -Relax the surface on contact
- -Second touch is a purposeful pass
- -Pass with pace and intent — under-hit passes cost the clock
Common mistakes
- -Reaching for the ball instead of moving feet
- -Stiff surface bouncing the ball away
- -Slow, sideways passing that burns the clock
Where this drill fits
- More football first touch drills
- More football receiving drills
- football drills for U10s
- football drills for U12s
- football drills for U14s
- football drills for U16s
- Football session plans built around this theme