To juggle a soccer ball, drop it onto your laces, tap it straight up with a locked ankle and catch it. Once that works on both feet, let it bounce once between touches, then take the bounce away. Most beginners get from one touch to ten by building it in that order.
This guide walks through that progression step by step, with the right ball size for each US age group, the fixes for the mistakes almost every beginner makes, and a two-week tracker you can print or copy onto a phone. It works for a 7-year-old in the backyard and for a parent who never played.
How do you learn to juggle a soccer ball?
You learn it in small steps, with a catch after every touch at the start. Juggling just means keeping the ball off the ground with any legal body part: feet, thighs, chest and, for older players, the head. Feet come first because they get the most touches in a game.
US Youth Soccer's coaching education department puts "ball lifting & juggling" on its list of techniques to introduce at U8, next to receiving ground balls and the push pass (US Youth Soccer Skills School manual). So if your 6- or 7-year-old can't keep it up yet, they're right on schedule.
The same manual notes that children under about 9 find it hard to track a ball in the air, and that tracking reaches an adult pattern at around age 10. Keep that in mind on the frustrating days. A 7-year-old who keeps mistiming the drop is usually still learning to judge the ball, which is exactly why the early steps below have a catch after every touch.
Most touches go right or wrong on three details. Hit the ball with the laces, on the flat top of the foot, rather than the toes. Hold the ankle firm with the toes lifted slightly so that top surface stays flat (a floppy ankle sends the ball somewhere random). And keep each touch between knee and waist height, because a ball that goes over your head comes down too fast to control.
Work both feet from day one. Most players lean on their strong foot for years, and juggling is one of the few drills where a weaker foot gets just as many touches without anyone watching.
What are the top tips for juggling a soccer ball?
Start with the right ball. A ball that's too big and too heavy for a young player bounces off the foot like a rock. US Youth Soccer's Policy on Players and Playing Rules (Dec. 5, 2025) sets these sizes for its competitions:
| Age group | Ball size | Circumference | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6U and 8U | Size 3 | 23 to 24 in | 11 to 12 oz |
| 10U and 12U | Size 4 | 25 to 26 in | 11 to 13 oz |
| 13U and older | Size 5 | 27 to 28 in | 14 to 16 oz |
Juggle with the size your child plays games with. Our guide to soccer ball size by age covers the age cutoffs in more detail if you're between sizes.
Next, let the ball drop. Beginners tend to swing at it as soon as it starts falling. Wait until it's at knee height or lower, then lift it, and you'll have far more time to set the foot.
Stand on the balls of your feet with the knees soft and the arms a little out to the side. Players who stand flat on their heels end up lunging for every touch, and one lunge usually leads to the next.
A gentle lift with the laces, with the foot moving up rather than forward, tends to put a touch of backspin on the ball so it drops back toward you. If the ball spins forward, it runs away.
Keep sessions short and frequent. Five minutes a day does more for the feel of the ball than one long session on Saturday. And give kids a number to chase: count every attempt, write down the best one and try to beat it tomorrow.
How do you juggle a soccer ball, step by step?
Stay on each step until you hit the target three times in a row, then move on. On a bad day, drop back a step for a few minutes; it happens to everyone and it's quicker than forcing it.
- Drop, tap, catch. Hold the ball at waist height, drop it onto your laces and tap it back up into your hands. Do 20 on your strong foot, then 20 on the other foot.
- Two touches, then catch. Same start, but tap it twice before the catch. This is the first real juggle.
- One bounce allowed. Drop the ball, let it bounce once, then touch it up. Bounce, touch, bounce, touch. The bounce gives you time to set your foot. Aim for 10 in a row.
- Take away the bounce. Start with a drop, then keep it up with the same foot only. Then do the same on the weaker foot.
- Alternate feet. Right, left, right, left. This is the version coaches test, so it's the one worth a bit of patience.
- Add the thighs. Lift the knee until the thigh is roughly level with the ground and let the ball land in the middle of it. A thigh touch pops the ball up softly, which makes it a good reset when a foot touch goes wild.
- Mix it up. Foot, thigh, foot, other thigh. Then walk forward slowly while juggling. Walking is surprisingly hard the first few times.
Heading comes last, and for younger players not at all. US Youth Soccer's rules say players aged 10 and under shouldn't head the ball in matches or practice it in an organized team setting, and players aged 11 and 12 can practice it with a cap of 25 headers a week (Policy on Players and Playing Rules, Rule 305). Keep juggling to feet and thighs until then.
What does a two-week juggling plan look like?
Ten minutes a day for 14 days, logged as a best score. The numbers in this plan are our own starting targets, not a standard. Use them to give a beginner something to aim at, and lower them for a 6-year-old with a size 3 ball.
| Days | Step to work on | Target to move on | Best score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Drop, tap, catch (both feet) | 20 clean catches per foot | |
| 3 to 4 | Two touches, then catch | 10 in a row per foot | |
| 5 to 6 | One bounce between touches | 10 in a row, strong foot | |
| 7 | Rest day or free play | None | |
| 8 to 9 | No bounce, one foot | 5 in a row, each foot | |
| 10 to 11 | Alternate feet | 6 in a row | |
| 12 to 13 | Feet plus thighs | 10 in a row | |
| 14 | Test day: best of 3 attempts | Beat day 8 |
Some kids fly through the first week and stall on alternating feet. That's normal. Stay on the stuck step for a few extra days rather than skipping ahead.
Why does the ball keep flying away?
Usually the foot is at the wrong angle. Film a few attempts on a phone and check the direction the ball goes after each touch, then match it to the fix below.
- Ball goes forward, away from you. Toes are pointing down, so the laces face forward. Lift the toes a little and keep the foot flat.
- Ball comes back into your face. Toes are pulled too far up toward the shin. Find the middle.
- Ball goes sideways. Contact is on the inside or outside of the foot rather than the laces. Slow down and look at the ball as it hits.
- Every touch is too high. The whole leg is swinging from the hip. Keep it a small lift from the knee.
Once a player can keep it up for 20 or so, juggling makes a good warm-up for receiving work. The cushioning feel carries over to bringing a high ball down, which our first touch soccer drills and soccer trapping guide build on. For close control on the ground, pair it with toe taps or our footwork drills.
Which ball should a beginner juggle with?
The one that matches their game ball size, properly inflated. A ball that's a bit soft is easier to learn on because it doesn't jump off the foot, but don't let it get so flat that it thuds.
For a younger player who spends more time chasing than juggling, a kick trainer ball can help. Our SenseBall kick trainer comes in size 3, the size US Youth Soccer uses for 8U and under. Older players moving up to full size can practice with our size 5 soccer ball.
FAQ
How long does it take to learn to juggle a soccer ball?
It varies a lot by age. Many beginners get a handful of touches in the first week of daily practice. Getting to 50 with alternating feet usually takes weeks or months, not days.
What is a good juggling number for a 10-year-old?
There's no official benchmark. A better question is whether they beat last week's score. Track the best of three attempts and compare week to week.
Should kids juggle with their strong foot or both feet?
Both, from the first session. Start each set on the strong foot so they get some success, then switch.
Can you juggle a soccer ball indoors?
Yes, with a soft or deflated ball and space with nothing breakable at head height. A garage with the car out works well.
Where should you take juggling next?
Ten minutes a day, both feet, the bounce first and the thighs later. Write the score down every day for two weeks, then look back. If your child is on the younger side, our U6 soccer drills have more ball-mastery games that keep the session moving.
This article is general information, not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. For a persistent or worsening symptom, or any concern about your health, speak to a qualified healthcare professional.
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