Game version
Statue keeper: when your parent says “set”, freeze in your ready stance. The pair counts good freezes in a row.
Keeper Ready Stance Game
Learn the goalkeeper's ready stance and get set before every ball.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth soccer coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, weight on your toes, hands out in front at waist height.
Core: 2. Beat your own best.
- 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
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, weight on your toes, hands out in front at waist height.
- Your partner walks around with the ball and says "set" at random moments.
- On "set", freeze in your stance facing the ball and hold for two seconds.
- Do 15 sets, then swap so your partner shows you their stance.
Coaching point
Toes, knees, hands ready.
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 (hold 1 second), Core (2), More (move, then freeze on “set”). Beat your own best.
Story
You are a cat ready to pounce on a toy mouse.
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
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.