The seven kicks every soccer player uses are the push kick, the instep kick, the outside-of-the-foot kick, the back heel, the toe kick, the volley and the free kick. The first two do most of the work in games. The other five are tools for specific moments.
Below is how each one is struck, when it actually shows up for a US youth player, and a short set of home reps for every kick. The free kick is really a restart rather than a technique, so that section is mostly about the rules your kid will meet on game day.
1. Push kick: the pass you'll use more than any other
Turn the kicking foot out so the arch faces your target, lock the ankle, and push through the middle of the ball. That inside surface is the flattest part of the foot, which is why coaches teach this kick first and why it carries nearly every short pass from 4v4 up to high school.
Most misses come from the standing foot, not the kicking one. Wherever its toes point is roughly where the ball goes. A kid who keeps passing a yard wide is usually planting with the toes turned away from the target.
For home practice, stand about 8 yards from a net and hit 20 passes per foot. Control the return with one touch and pass again. When that gets easy, take the touch away and play it first time.
2. Instep kick: shooting and long passes with the laces
US coaches usually mean the laces when they say "instep." Come in at a slight angle, plant next to the ball, point the toes down and hit through the center with the top of the foot. Keep your chest over the ball and it stays low. Lean back and it climbs over the crossbar.
Two variations sit inside this kick. For a long lofted ball, approach wider, plant a bit farther from the ball and strike under its middle, with the follow-through going up rather than across. For a chip over a keeper who has come off the line, stab under the ball with almost no follow-through so it rises and drops quickly.
Young players nearly always start their run-up too close. Put the ball a few steps out in front so the leg has room to swing.
The backyard version is 3 sets of 10 from 12 yards, switching between near post and far post. Count the shots that stay under the bar, not how hard they go. Older kids can add 10 lofted balls per foot from 20 to 25 yards.
3. Outside kick: passing and bending with the outside of the foot
Point the toe down and slightly in, then flick through the ball with the outside of the foot. The ball leaves at an angle your hips didn't show, so it's hard to read, and you can play to your right with your right foot without opening your body.
Hit it off-center and it bends away from you. That's useful for a cross or a shot from a tight angle, and it saves switching to the weaker foot (though that foot still needs work).
Hit 15 per foot from 6 yards into the lower corners. Then try 10 that curve, aimed at a corner target hung in the top of the net.
4. Back heel: a surprise pass behind you
Step past the ball and tap it backward with your heel to a teammate following you. Nobody on the other team expects it, which is the point. It also gives you very little control over pace and direction, so it belongs in the moments when a teammate is clearly there and a turn would take too long.
Under IFAB Law 14 on the penalty kick, even a backheeled penalty is legal as long as the ball moves forward. Don't expect to see that one in a U10 game.
Ten per foot is plenty. Dribble at walking pace, step over, heel it back to a parent or against a wall, and turn to receive.
5. Toe kick: the quick poke in a crowd
Kids get told not to toe the ball, and for passing that's good advice because it's hard to aim. Near goal, though, the toe poke is fast and gives the keeper almost no warning. It's for a loose ball in the six-yard area when there's no time to set your foot.
Keep the whole foot rigid and hit the middle of the ball. In 4v4, with small goals and lots of scrambles, this kick turns up all the time.
Practice it straight out of a dribble from 4 to 6 yards, 10 times, with no setup touch. If you stop to set the ball first, you've practiced a different kick.
6. Volley kick: striking the ball out of the air
A volley meets the ball before it touches the ground. A half-volley meets it just as it bounces up. For both, get your knee over the ball at contact and keep the ankle locked. When the ball arrives at waist height to your side, turn your hips and swing through on a flatter line. That's a side volley.
Timing is the whole skill, and it only comes from a lot of balls arriving at different heights.
Toss it up yourself and hit 10 volleys and 10 half-volleys per foot. A net that rebounds the ball helps here, because the return comes back at a slightly different height each time.
7. Free kick: one restart, two types
A free kick isn't a separate technique. It's a restart after a foul, and players take it with the kicks above. The rules matter, though. Under IFAB Law 13, a direct free kick can go straight in. If an indirect free kick goes straight into the other team's goal, it's a goal kick instead. Opponents have to stand at least 10 yards from the ball until it's in play.
Corners follow similar logic. Law 17 lets a team score directly from a corner, but only into the other team's net. For how teams plan these moments, see what a set piece is and our penalty box guide.
Which kicks matter at each age in US youth soccer?
It depends on the format your child plays. U.S. Soccer's game formats page sets the largest format for each age: 4v4 for U7 to U8, 7v7 for U9 to U10, 9v9 for U11 to U12 and 11v11 from U13. Leagues can play smaller formats at any age. Age groups are also shifting: from the 2026-27 season, US Youth Soccer, AYSO and US Club Soccer move to an August 1 to July 31 cycle (announced 10.06.2025) so players line up with their school grade.
| Format | Rule that changes the kicking | Kicks to spend most time on |
|---|---|---|
| 4v4 (U8 and younger) | No offside before U9 | Push kick, low instep shot, toe kick |
| 7v7 (U9 to U10) | Build-out line 14 yards from each goal; no punts or drop kicks by the keeper | Push kick out of the back, instep shot, first outside-foot passes |
| 9v9 (U11 to U12) | Bigger field, so passes get longer | Lofted instep, outside kick, corner delivery |
| 11v11 (U13 and up) | Full Laws of the Game; penalty mark 12 yards out | All seven, with volleys becoming regular |
The build-out line, the punting ban and the offside start come from U.S. Soccer's small-sided standards article (01.08.2017). The 12-yard penalty mark is in IFAB Law 1 (2026/27). Local leagues adjust some details, so check your own rules. Not sure which ball size goes with which age? Our soccer ball size by age chart has it.
How do you get enough kicking reps at home?
Stop chasing the ball. The routines above come to roughly 200 kicks, and in a backyard every miss is a walk to the fence. The Open Goaaal® 3-in-1 Soccer Goal Trainer is a goal, a rebounder and a backstop in one patented frame, so the ball comes back and the next rep starts straight away. On the Standard size the inner goal is 9 x 5 feet, and the backstop stands 10 feet tall and up to 21 feet wide. It sets up on natural grass with no digging (pole spikes and guy ropes hold it), the poles are steel, and it carries a 1-year warranty. Plan on about an hour and a half with two people the first time, and follow the Standard and Large build videos.
For accuracy work, hang precision shooting targets in the corners. And if a messy first touch keeps ruining the kick, our first touch drills fix the step before it.
Frequently asked questions
What kick do kids learn first?
The push kick, with the inside of the foot. It has the biggest contact surface and it's the pass used most at every age.
Is the instep the inside or the top of the foot?
In most US coaching, "instep" means the laces, the top of the foot. The inside of the foot is used for the push kick.
What's the difference between a volley and a half-volley?
A volley is hit before the ball lands. A half-volley is hit right as it comes up off the ground.
Can you score straight from a corner kick?
Yes, against the other team. IFAB Law 17 allows it. If it goes directly into your own goal, the other team gets a corner.
Final thoughts: where to start
Match the kicks to this season's format. Push kicks and low instep shots carry 4v4 and 7v7, lofted balls and outside-foot passes arrive with 9v9, and 11v11 asks for all seven. Pick two, run their home reps twice a week, and add a third when those feel easy. For drills that turn the kicks into shooting practice, try our kids shooting drills or the backyard soccer training plan.
