Game version
High-catch game: a partner tosses high balls and you catch them at the top. The pair counts clean catches.
Keeper High Ball Catches
Catch high balls at the highest point with a one-knee drive.
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 high, a little in front of you.
Core: Medium. Beat your own best out of 10.
- Ages
- 11 and up
- Time
- 10 min
- Players
- You and a partner
- Space
- Yard or field
- Bring
- Soccer ball, partner
- Level · skill
- Developing · Defending
The steps
How it works
- Your partner tosses the ball high, a little in front of you.
- Take two steps and drive one knee up as you reach.
- Catch with a W shape above your head, then bring the ball down to your chest.
- Do 12 catches, alternating which knee drives up.
Coaching point
Catch it high, bring it home.
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 (low toss), Core (medium), More (higher). Beat your own best out of 10.
Story
You are an eagle snatching the ball from the sky.
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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