To trap a soccer ball, get in line with it early, offer a relaxed surface (inside of the foot, sole, thigh or chest), and give with the ball as it arrives so it drops dead at your feet. Then play your next touch right away. Most kids learn the inside of the foot and the sole first.
This guide walks through the six steps of a good trap, what "trapping" actually means, the six surfaces players use, and a practice plan for a player working alone against a rebounder or with a parent tossing.
How do you trap a soccer ball?
Six steps, in the order they happen. Players don't think about them one by one in a game, but breaking them down is how you fix a trap that keeps bouncing away.
Be aware of your surroundings
Before the ball comes, look around. Where's the nearest opponent? Where's a teammate? A player who checks over a shoulder before the pass knows whether they have time for a full stop or need to take the ball away from pressure with the first touch. That one glance decides which trap to use.
Track the ball
Once the pass is played, watch it all the way in. Read the height, the speed and any spin. A ball skidding on wet grass, bouncing on a dry yard or dropping out of the air each needs a different surface, and the earlier a player reads it, the more time they have to choose.
Get in position
Move so the body is in line with the ball's path. Younger players should get their whole body behind it; if the trap fails, the ball still hits them and stays close. Reaching out with one leg for a ball that's off to the side is a skill for later. US Youth Soccer's Skills School manual (2017) starts nearly every receiving technique the same way: move into the path or line of flight of the ball, knees bent, eyes on the ball.
Cushion the ball
A stiff foot is a wall, and the ball bounces off a wall. A relaxed foot, thigh or chest gives a little as the ball hits it. For the inside-of-the-foot trap, turn the toes out so the arch faces the ball, and hold the foot just off the ground. Too low and the ball rolls up and over; too high and it slips underneath.
Absorb the pace of the pass
As the ball touches the foot, pull the leg back slightly in the same direction the ball is traveling. The Skills School manual describes it for the inside of the foot as gently drawing the leg backward to take the pace off the ball, finishing with the receiving foot just past the standing leg. The harder the pass, the more the leg has to give.
Keep playing
A trap is only good if the next touch comes quickly. Once the ball is dead, a light touch of the sole on top of it is a good habit for young players, but the goal is to move it again straight away: pass, dribble or shoot. A great trap followed by two seconds of standing still gives the defender time to arrive.
What is a trap in soccer?
A trap is a first touch that takes the pace off a pass or a loose ball and brings it under control. Coaches today usually call it "receiving" or "first touch," and the two words mean the same skill.
What does trapping mean in soccer?
Trapping means using any legal part of the body to stop or slow the ball, bring it down to the ground if it's in the air, and keep it. Sometimes that's a full stop. More often, in a game, it's a trap that also moves the ball a yard into space. The Skills School manual groups the techniques into two families: a cushion, where the surface gives with the ball, and a wedge, where the ball is pinched between the foot and the ground.
"Any legal part" matters. Under IFAB Laws of the Game, Law 12, the arm counts as starting at the bottom of the armpit. A chest trap that hits the shoulder or chest is fine; one that's controlled with the upper arm can be a handball. Our handball in soccer article explains the rest.
What are the types of soccer traps?
Six surfaces cover almost every ball a young player will receive. The Skills School manual introduces them in a clear order by age: inside and sole for ground balls at U8, instep and outside of the foot plus bouncing balls at U10, and thigh and chest for air balls at U12.
| Trap | Best for | Introduce at |
|---|---|---|
| Inside foot | Ground passes | U8 |
| Step (sole) | Ground passes, bouncing balls | U8 |
| Outside foot | Ground passes, moving away from pressure | U10 |
| Laces (instep) | Dropping balls | U10 |
| Thigh | Balls at waist height | U12 |
| Chest | Balls at chest height | U12 |
Thigh trap
Lift the receiving leg from the hip so the thigh is close to flat, and let the ball land near the middle of the thigh. As it hits, drop the thigh at roughly the speed of the ball. The manual compares the follow-through to stepping down from a ladder. The ball should fall in front of the foot.
Chest trap
Get in line with the ball, arms slightly up and out so the chest is a little hollow. As the ball arrives, lean back from the waist, relax and breathe out, and the ball drops in front of you. Keep the arms away from the ball; see the handball note above.
Step trap
The sole trap. Lift the foot, toes up, and press the ball against the ground as it arrives so it's wedged between the sole and the grass. Keep your weight on the standing leg. It's the easiest trap to learn and the one young players use most.
Inside foot trap
The most used trap in the game. Toes out, arch facing the ball, foot slightly off the ground, give with the ball. It works on the ground and, with the foot raised over the top half of the ball, on a bounce.
Outside foot trap
Turn the toes in so the outside of the foot faces the ball, and give as it arrives. It's useful for receiving and moving away from a defender in the same touch, and pairs well with shielding when the defender is close.
Laces trap
For a ball dropping out of the air. Watch it down, lift the foot to meet it with the laces, toes pointed, ankle locked, and lower the foot with the ball so it lands softly. Players who juggle get comfortable with this one faster. Our how to juggle a soccer ball guide is a good companion.
How can you practice trapping at home?
Trapping needs repetition, and the fastest way to get it at home is a parent tossing or a rebounder sending the ball back. Here's a 15-minute plan for each.
| Surface | Parent-toss version | Solo rebounder version |
|---|---|---|
| Inside foot | Roll the ball from 5 yards, 10 each foot | Pass firmly into the rebounder, trap the return, 20 each foot |
| Sole | Roll slowly, then underhand bounce | Softer pass, stop the return with the sole |
| Outside foot | Roll to the side, trap and move away | Pass at an angle, trap with the outside and take a step |
| Thigh and laces | Underhand toss from 3 yards, 10 each | Chip into the net so the return comes back higher |
| Chest | Two-handed toss from 3 yards, 10 total | Best with a parent; rebounds rarely come back at chest height |
For the solo version, the Open Goaaal® 3-in-1 Soccer Goal Trainer is a goal, rebounder and backstop in one. The rebounder sends the ball back, so a player gets the next ball to trap without walking after it, and the backstop catches the ones that get away. Mix up the pace of each pass so no two returns are the same. More ideas are in our 12 first-touch drills.
FAQ
What is the easiest way to trap a soccer ball?
The sole (step) trap on a slow ground ball. Then move to the inside of the foot, which is the trap players use most in games.
Is a chest trap a handball?
No, as long as the ball doesn't hit the arm. IFAB's Law 12 puts the upper edge of the arm at the bottom of the armpit, so the shoulder and chest are legal.
Why does the ball bounce off my foot?
Usually the foot is stiff or moving toward the ball. Relax the ankle and pull the foot back slightly as the ball arrives.
Is trapping the same as first touch?
Mostly. "Trap" often means stopping the ball dead, while "first touch" includes controlling it into space. Both are the same skill.
What's the one thing to remember?
Give with the ball. Every trap, from the sole to the chest, works because the surface moves back as the ball arrives. Start with slow ground balls and the inside of the foot, add surfaces as players move up the age groups, and always finish with the next touch. When trapping is solid, combine it with the patterns in our 8 soccer passing drills, and finish home sessions with a few shots on a backyard soccer goal.
