5 Easy Soccer Drills You Can Do Anywhere

No soccer field? No problem. You don’t have to stop training just because the pitch is closed. These soccer drills can be practiced almost anywhere: in a gymnasium, garage, backyard, park, or air-supported structure.

1. Wall Ball

What You Need:

• Soccer ball

• Solid wall or tall fence

Wall ball is one of the simplest solo soccer drills. All you need to do is stand a few feet from the wall and kick the ball towards it, using the return to train passing, kicking, or receiving skills. Stand closer to the wall to practice receiving and further away to practice kicks. For precision, aim your shots towards a marker on the wall.

Two or more players can run the drill at once by taking turns kicking the ball. You can give the drill a competitive edge by applying squash rules and keeping score.

Avoid using a wall with gaps or windows — that’s just asking for trouble. A solid fence can work in place of a wall, but a chain-link fence can damage the ball.

2. Triangle Drill

What You Need:

• Soccer ball

• 3 pylons or other markers

• At least 10’ x 10’ of space

One of the earliest drills new players learn is the triangle drill, which develops skill in dribbling and moving the ball in close quarters. All you need to do is form a triangle with three pylons about five feet apart, then dribble the ball between them.

There are many variations on this easy soccer drill, including the V-pattern.

3. Mirror Drill

What You Need:

• 2 players

• 2-3 pylons or other markers

• At least 12’ x 12’ of space

Mirror drills are applicable to a variety team sports, including soccer, American football, and rugby. This high-intensity exercise helps players refine reflexes and develop explosive lateral moves.

Two players stand face-to-face between two pylons (often with a third pylon marking the middle). When the drill begins, the leading player tries to reach one of the pylons alone; the other player’s goal is to reach one at the same moment by mirroring the leading player’s movements.

The leader feints from left to right, attempting to outrun their doppelganger, while the mirror player reacts as quickly as they can. Both players train their lateral movement and get an intense cardio workout.

4. Box Drill

What You Need:

• 4 pylons or other markers

• At least 12’ x 12’ of space

Lacking a wall, ball, and players to train with? You can still practice multi-directional movement.

Place four pylons five to ten feet apart to form a square. Stand at one pylon and sprint forward to the next; shuffle sideways to the third; backpedal to pylon number four; and finally shuffle back to the starting pylon. Repeat.

The box drill is a way to improve your speed in all directions when there’s not enough space or players for a practice game in a field or air-supported structure. Keeping hips low helps to strengthen the core and upper glutes at the same time.

5. Rolls and Toe Taps

What You Need:

• Soccer ball

When there’s no room to kick or run, players can work on their footwork with simple taps and rolls.

While not as intense as other soccer drills, these basic movements help to develop and reinforce muscle memory that gives players an edge in tight situations. Taps and rolls are also a great warm-up to the other drills on this list.