Throw-In and Trap Partners
In pairs, one player takes a legal throw-in and the other traps the ball with the foot or thigh before passing it back on the ground. Students learn how play restarts after the ball goes out over the sideline and improve their control of balls in the air.
How to play
- Spend 2 minutes explaining and demonstrating the throw-in: both feet on the ground behind the line, ball thrown with both hands from behind the head.
- Line partners up facing each other 5 yards apart, with a row of flat disc cones as the sideline.
- Round 1, 3 minutes: throw to the feet; the receiver traps with the inside of the foot and passes back on the ground. Switch every 6 throws.
- Round 2, 3 minutes: throw to thigh height; the receiver cushions with the thigh, then controls with the foot.
- Round 3, 3 minutes: the receiver steps two strides to one side before receiving, and the thrower must hit that side.
- Final challenge, 3 minutes: one point for every legal throw-in controlled within two touches. How many can the pair get?
Rules
- If the thrower lifts a foot or throws with one hand, the throw is retaken.
- Throws arrive below chest height, never at the face.
- All pairs throw in the same direction.
- The receiver always passes back on the ground with the foot.
Variations
Easier
Shorten the distance to 3 yards and let receivers catch the ball after trapping it.
Standard
Use a legal throw-in from 5 yards and a trap with the foot or thigh.
Harder
A passive defender stands behind the receiver, who must take the first touch toward the open side.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the student throws from a seated position with both hands overhead and receives with the hands or the wheelchair.
- Visual impairment: use a ball with bells and have the thrower call "Ball!" right before throwing.
- Skill level: stronger players trap with the chest or the weaker foot.
Learning goals
- Take a throw-in that follows the rules of soccer.
- Cushion balls in the air with different parts of the body.
- Adjust the force and direction of the throw.
Equipment for a class of 25
- soccer balls: 13
- flat disc cones: 26
Teacher tip
The most common fault is lifting a foot: have students drag the toe of the back foot. With 8-year-olds, a size 3 ball or a slightly deflated one makes trapping with the thigh much easier.
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