Simon Says soccer game with a ball

Simon Says with a ball: setup diagram

At a glance

Change the size of the area to fit your group: bigger makes it easier for the player with the ball, smaller makes it harder. Everyone who goes out comes straight back in, and nobody runs laps.

How to run it

1. Everyone dribbles inside the square, in any direction.
2. The coach calls a body part: “Simon says… knee!” Players stop the ball and put that part on it.
3. Start with foot, knee, bottom and elbow. Then try two at once: “hand and foot”.
4. If the coach does not say “Simon says”, players keep dribbling. A player who is caught out does three toe taps and carries on.
5. Let a player be Simon. Children love to call “nose”.

Coaching points to say out loud

• “Stop it first, then touch.”
• “Ball close so you can stop it.”
• “Listen for Simon.”

Make it easier or harder

• Easier

  Drop the “Simon says” trick and simply call body parts.

• Harder

  Call a move instead of a body part: “toe taps”, “turn”, “swap balls with a friend”.

Common mistakes

• Diving onto a rolling ball. Stop it with the sole first, then touch it with the body part.
• Dribbling too fast to stop. Small touches.
• Going on too long. Stop while they are still laughing.

Why it matters in a game

The game is silly on purpose, but the skill is real: a player who can stop the ball when they choose can look up and decide. That is the first step toward our lesson on looking before you receive the ball.

The lesson that teaches it: Look, Then Turn or Return.

Do it at home

Works with one child and one parent in any small space, and with brothers and sisters of different ages.

Questions about Simon Says with a ball

• What is a good first soccer drill for 5-year-olds?

  This one. Every child has a ball, the rules take ten seconds, and nobody can lose. It also teaches stopping the ball, which everything else needs.

• Do players use their hands?

  Only to touch a ball that has already stopped, when the coach calls “hand” or “elbow”. The ball is always moved with the feet.

• How does it help the coach?

  You can use names in the calls: “Simon says the player in the red shirt picks the next one”, then ask their name. By the end you know everyone.

Lessons that teach this idea

• Look, Then Turn or Return (7v7 lesson)Look for pressure before receiving. Turn into room or give the ball back.
• Carry or Pass? (7v7 lesson)Watch which route the defender leaves open.

Related drills and guides

• Red Light, Green Light (drill)It trains keeping the ball close enough to stop it with the sole of the foot.
• Toe taps and foundations (drill)They train balance, quick feet and a soft touch, so the ball stays close when a player dribbles.
• Dribble tag (drill)It warms players up while training dribbling with the head up and quick changes of direction.
• Clean Your Room (drill)It trains striking a ball with the laces or the inside of the foot, and running to the next ball.
• Soccer age groups explainedWhat U6, U8, U10 and U12 mean
• Soccer ball size by ageSize 3, 4 or 5 for each age group
• U6 soccer drills: fun games for 5 and 6 year oldsNine games for 5 and 6 year olds, a ball each, with what to avoid
• U8 soccer drills for 7 and 8 year oldsTen drills for 7 and 8 year olds: dribbling, 1v1, first passing and 3v3
• U6 soccer practice plan: first practice of the seasonA 45-minute plan that uses this drill
• All warm-ups and fun games drillsGames that start practice with a ball and a smile.