Game version
Shuffle-and-set: a partner points to a cone and you shuffle there and get set before the catch. Swap and keep one total.
Keeper Shuffle and Set
Move across the goal with side steps and get set before the catch.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth soccer coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Core: Three. 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, 2 cones, partner or parent
- Level · skill
- Beginner · Defending
The steps
How it works
- Place 2 cones 4 steps apart as your goal.
- Side-shuffle from one cone to the other without crossing your feet.
- At each cone get set in your ready stance; your partner tosses you a ball to catch.
- Do 10 trips across, then rest.
Coaching point
Shuffle, set, then catch.
Safety: Practice falls on soft grass or a mat, start from your knees, and never dive at a player's feet without a coach.
Step by step
The drill in 3 frames
Place 2 cones 4 steps apart as your goal.
Side-shuffle from one cone to the other without crossing your feet.
your partner tosses you a ball to catch
At each cone get set in your ready stance; your partner tosses you a ball to catch.
- Shuffle or slide
- Ball: pass, toss or throw
- Faint: already done
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Challenge
Pick a level: Less (two cones), Core (three), More (four). Beat your own best.
Story
You are a crab scuttling to guard each side of the beach.
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.