Game version
Cross-step game: a partner throws wide and you cross-step and catch. Swap and keep one total.
Keeper Cross-Step and Catch
Cover more of the goal quickly with a cross-over step to reach wide high balls.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth soccer coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Stand between 2 cones set 6 steps apart.
Core: Medium. Beat your own best.
- Ages
- 11 and up
- Time
- 10 min
- Players
- You and a partner
- Space
- Yard or field
- Bring
- Soccer ball, 2 cones, partner
- Level · skill
- Developing · Defending
The steps
How it works
- Stand between 2 cones set 6 steps apart.
- Your partner tosses a high ball toward one cone.
- Turn your hips, cross one leg over the other, and catch the ball at its highest point.
- Do 8 each side, then rest.
Coaching point
Hips turn first, then cross and reach.
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
Pick a level: Less (close), Core (medium), More (wider). Beat your own best.
Story
You are a gate that swings open to stop the ball.
My best
Beat your own count
Beat your own best. Only your own number counts: today against last time.
Practice makes progress
Print it now, or save it free
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