First Touch
1-to-1 First Touch Wall Work
Take a directional first touch under time pressure
Take a directional first touch under time pressure. Set up the area, follow the steps and use the coaching points below.
Back to drill libraryAge
Under 7 to Adults
Duration
15 min
Players
1-2
Area / pitch size
10 x 8 yards
Difficulty
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Equipment
Balls, Cones, Rebound Boards
Coaching focus
Take a directional first touch under time pressure
Build a full 60-minute session around this drill
Warm-up to match, ready to print. Free — no card needed.
Objective
- -Take a directional first touch under time pressure
- -Repeat hundreds of quality contacts alone
- -Improve scanning before the ball arrives
Setup
- 1Rebound board or solid wall with a cone gate five yards away.
- 2Two colour cones behind the player as touch targets.
- 3One ball, spare ball to the side.
How to play
- 1Player passes into the board and controls the return into a named cone.
- 2Coach calls the colour as the ball rebounds so the touch is a decision.
- 3Twenty reps each side, then two-touch tempo rounds.
Coaching points
- -Open the body before the ball arrives
- -Cushion the first touch out of the feet into space
- -Weight the pass into the board so the return is usable
- -Head up on the touch, not down at the ball
Progressions
- +One touch return passes
- +Add a turn before the next touch
Regressions
- -Coach serves by hand
- -Remove the colour call
Variations
- -Thigh and chest controls from a lofted feed
- -Timed personal best challenge
Common mistakes
- -Stopping the ball dead under the body
- -Square body shape with no vision
- -Passing too softly to get a rebound
Related Football Drills & Sessions
- More football first touch drills
- More football receiving drills
- More football passing drills
- Football drills for U7s
- Football drills for U8s
- Football drills for U9s
- Football drills for U10s
- Football drills for U11s
- Football drills for U12s
- Football drills for U13s
- Football drills for U14s
- Football drills for U15s
- Football drills for U16s
- Football drills by age, topic and squad size
- Football session plans built around this theme
Related drills
- Age band
- Under 5 to Adults
- Players
- 4-18
- Time
- 12 min
- Area
- 20 x 10 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones
- Focus
- Technical Practice
First Touch & Turn
Take the first touch away from pressure
- Age band
- Under 5 to Adults
- Players
- 4-16
- Time
- 12 min
- Area
- 10 x 10 yards per board
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Rebound Boards
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Rebound Board First Touch
Hundreds of quality first touches in a short time
- Age band
- Under 5 to Adults
- Players
- 4-16
- Time
- 12 min
- Area
- 20 x 20 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Directional First Touch Gates
Take the first touch into space, not under the feet
- Age band
- Under 5 to Adults
- Players
- 3-16
- Time
- 12 min
- Area
- 12 x 12 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Directional Touch Cones
Take the first touch in a chosen direction
- Age band
- Under 5 to Adults
- Players
- 3-12
- Time
- 10 min
- Area
- 10 x 6 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Two Ball Touch Station
Work at speed with two servers
- Age band
- Under 5 to Adults
- Players
- 8-16
- Time
- 12 min
- Area
- 20 x 20 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Split Step Touch
Set the body early to receive cleanly