Game version
Basket game: a partner tosses chest-high balls and each catch in your arm basket scores for the pair.
Keeper Basket Catches
Catch balls at stomach and chest height by making a basket with your arms.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth soccer coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Your partner tosses the ball underarm at your stomach from 4 steps away.
Core: Medium. Beat your own best out of 10.
- Ages
- 7 and up
- Time
- 8 min
- Players
- You and a partner or parent
- Space
- Yard or field
- Bring
- Soccer ball, partner or parent
- Level · skill
- Beginner · Defending
The steps
How it works
- Your partner tosses the ball underarm at your stomach from 4 steps away.
- Make a basket with your forearms and pull the ball into your body.
- Bend forward a little over the ball to cover it.
- Do 20 catches, then let your partner toss a little harder.
Coaching point
Arms make a basket, body covers.
Safety: Practice falls on soft grass or a mat, start from your knees, and never dive at a player's feet without a coach.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Challenge
Levels: Less (soft), Core (medium), More (to the sides). Beat your own best out of 10.
Story
You are a farmer catching apples in a basket.
My best
Beat your own count
Beat your own best out of 10. Only your own number counts: today against last time.
Practice makes progress
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