Drill category

Football ball mastery drills

Ball mastery drills give every player their own ball and hundreds of touches in a few minutes. They are the quickest way to lift the technical level of a whole grassroots squad.

What to coach

  • A ball each, no queues
  • Small, quick touches
  • Both feet, every session

All 112 football ball mastery drills

Every drill below has its own page with the full set-up, step-by-step instructions, coaching points and progressions.

Drills by age group

Ball Mastery drill questions coaches ask

How many football ball mastery drills are there on Football Coach Hub?

There are 112 football ball mastery drills in the library, each with a setup, coaching points, common mistakes, a progression and a regression so you can run it with mixed abilities.

What equipment do I need for ball mastery drills?

Most drills need only a ball per player, cones and bibs. You can filter the drill library by the kit you actually have, including mini goals, full goals, poles, ladders and rebound boards.

How long should a ball mastery practice last?

Ten to fifteen minutes on one technical practice is usually enough before players need a change of picture. Follow it with the same theme inside a small-sided game.

How to run ball mastery in a grassroots session

Ball mastery works because every player has their own ball, so a squad of fourteen gets fourteen times the touches of a queue-based practice. Five focused minutes at the start of every session changes a team's technical level across a season.

Coach the movement, not the pattern. Toe taps and rolls only transfer to a match if players keep their head up between touches and can do them while moving into space.

  • A ball each, in a marked area, from the first minute.
  • Two or three moves per session, both feet, short bursts.
  • Add a call or a colour so players must look up mid-move.
  • Finish with a 1v1 or a game so the skill gets used under pressure.

Other drill categories

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