Game version
Red light, green light with a grown-up: dribble on green and put your sole on top of the ball on red. If you stop late, just start again.
Red Light, Green Light Dribble
Dribble on “green”, stop the ball with the sole of the foot on “red”. A favorite first game: it teaches keeping the ball close and stopping it.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth soccer coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Your child starts at one end of the yard with the ball at their feet.
- Ages
- 4 to 6
- Time
- 3 min
- Players
- Just you
- Space
- Yard or field
- Bring
- Size 3 soccer ball
- Level · skill
- Beginner · Dribbling
The steps
How it works
- Your child starts at one end of the yard with the ball at their feet.
- Call “green light”: they dribble toward you with little touches.
- Call “red light”: they stop the ball with the bottom of their foot and freeze.
- Add “yellow light” for a slow walk with the ball. Play until they reach you, then swap who calls.
Coaching point
Praise the stop: “You stopped it right under your foot!”
Safety: Play on grass or a soft, flat, clear space with nothing to trip on. Stop for a drink and a rest whenever they want one.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Story
You are a car in a toy town, and the lights tell you when to go.
Practice makes progress
Print it now, or save it free
Free for families and teams
Save this drill to your child or team, free
Sign up and the free soccer week for this age opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits. A coach can send this drill to the whole team as homework, and parents see every session logged.
14 days free for a family, no card · Running a team is always free
Does your child's coach know about this?
An email from you to the coach, with the words ready. Nothing is tracked and nobody is rewarded.