Game version
Squish the bug: your grown-up rolls the ball gently and you squish it with the bottom of your foot. Take turns rolling and squishing.
Squish the Bug
The grown-up rolls the ball gently and the child stops it with the bottom of the foot, as if squishing a bug. The first step of receiving a pass.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth soccer coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Sit or crouch 3 big steps from your child.
- 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
- Sit or crouch 3 big steps from your child.
- Roll the ball slowly along the ground to them.
- They stop it with the bottom of their foot: “squish the bug”.
- They pass it back with the inside of the foot. Swap feet every few rolls.
Coaching point
Praise the try: “Squished! You stopped it dead.”
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
The ball is a sneaky bug, and you are the bug-squisher who never hurts it.
Practice makes progress
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