Soccer Guides / Skills and training
First touch, the skill that buys you time
A good first touch turns a pass into an opportunity. Learn the coaching points, the surfaces you can use and five drills to sharpen your control.
Why first touch matters
Everything in soccer starts with receiving the ball. A heavy touch gives the ball away or forces you to chase it. A clean touch that moves the ball into space gives you time to look up, pass, shoot or dribble. Top coaches often say the best players "take their first touch before the ball arrives", meaning they already know where they want to go.
Before the ball arrives: scanning
Scanning means quick looks over your shoulder to see where teammates, opponents and space are before you receive. Elite midfielders scan many times in the seconds before receiving. Practice it deliberately:
- Look over one shoulder as the pass is played.
- Look again as the ball travels.
- Decide your touch direction before it reaches you.
Body shape: open up
Receive "side-on" or with an open body shape, hips angled so you can see more of the field. This lets you play forward with your first touch instead of turning your back to the game. A common coaching cue is to receive on the back foot, the foot farther from the ball, which naturally opens the body.
Surfaces you can use
| Surface | Best for | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Inside of the foot | Ground passes, most common touch | Relax the ankle and "cushion" the ball |
| Outside of the foot | Turning away from pressure | Small touch, keep the ball close |
| Sole | Stopping the ball dead, rolling it | Useful in tight spaces and futsal |
| Thigh | Dropping balls at waist height | Withdraw the thigh as the ball lands |
| Chest | High balls | Lean back slightly, arms out for balance |
| Instep (laces) | Killing a dropping ball | Meet the ball and pull the foot down with it |
Directional first touch
A "directional" or "progressive" touch moves the ball away from pressure and toward where you want to go, usually a step or two in front of you. Compare:
- Dead touch: stops the ball completely. Safe, but slow.
- Directional touch: pushes the ball into space. Faster, but needs accuracy.
Five first-touch drills
- Wall work: pass against a wall 5 to 10 m away. Receive with the left foot, pass with the right, then switch. Aim for 100 clean receptions.
- Two-touch gates: set up cone gates. Receive a pass and use your first touch to move through a gate the passer calls out.
- Juggling ladder: juggle with feet, thighs and head. Count your best score each session to track progress.
- High-ball control: a partner throws the ball at different heights. Control with the correct surface, then play it back on the ground.
- Rondo: the classic circle game from possession play. Two-touch limit forces a good first touch.
Common mistakes
- Stiff ankle, so the ball bounces away.
- Watching only the ball, never scanning.
- Receiving square-on with the back to goal when space was available to turn.
- Stopping the ball dead every time, which lets defenders close in.
Ten minutes of wall passing a day, using both feet, will improve your first touch faster than almost anything else.
