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Toss to Yourself

Practice watching the ball into your hands with easy tosses to yourself.

By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026

Set up

Toss the ball a little above your head.

Core: Medium. Beat your own best of catches out of 10.

Ages
7 and up
Time
6 min
Players
Just you
Space
Yard or field
Bring
Football
Level · skill
Beginner · Catching

The steps

How it works

  1. Toss the ball a little above your head.
  2. Make a diamond with your thumbs and catch it.
  3. Look at the tip of the ball as it lands in your hands.
  4. Do 30 catches, then 10 low ones with pinkies together.

Coaching point

Watch it in.

Make it fun

Play it, don't drill it

Game version

Catch-and-call: a partner throws and calls a color or number, and you say it as you catch. The pair counts catches, then swaps.

Challenge

Pick a level: Less (soft toss), Core (medium), More (on the move). Beat your own best of catches out of 10.

Story

You are a receiver making the big play in the final minute.

My best

Beat your own count

Beat your own best of catches out of 10. Only your own number counts: today against last time.

Practice makes progress

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