Kick-In to a Runner
Take futsal's kick-in from a still ball on the line, within the four seconds the Laws allow, and pass into a teammate's run along the floor.
Hear the coach on this drill
Every line the Audio Coach says in this drill, played back to back; the time beside each is when it comes in the 10-minute drill. No account needed.
Set-up
Two cones mark a touchline on a hard floor or grass, and two more mark a channel about six steps infield where the runner goes. Under FIFA's Futsal Laws the kick-in replaces the throw-in: a still ball on the line, the kicker's foot on the line or outside it, and four seconds to play it once ready.
What you need
- 1 futsal ball or soccer ball
- 4 cones
The ground: 30 × 20 ft (about 9 × 6 m). The space and equipment check lists every drill that fits the ground you have.
How to run it
- Set up. Two cones mark a touchline on the floor. Two more cones mark a channel about six steps infield where the runner goes.
- Set the ball. The child places the ball still on the line, with one foot on the line or outside it.
- Four seconds. The parent counts four seconds out loud once the child is ready, and starts to run.
- Pass into the run. Before the count ends, pass along the floor into the space just ahead of the runner.
- Swap sides. Take five from the left of the channel and five from the right, then swap roles.
- Count it. Ten kick-ins, counting the ones taken inside four seconds that reach the runner in stride.
Coaching points
- Decide where the pass is going before the ball is down
- Pass into the space ahead of the runner, never to where they are
- The ball is still on the line, and the kicker's foot is on the line or outside it
What to watch: Taking too long to set the ball. The kicker has four seconds once ready; a child who fiddles with the ball runs out of time, which hands the kick-in to the other team.
Common mistakes
- Fiddling with the ball before the pass, running out of time
- Passing to where the runner is rather than ahead of them
- A rolling ball on the line instead of a still one
- Both feet on the court side of the line
- Lofting the pass instead of keeping it on the floor
What good looks like
A good target: 8 of 10 kick-ins taken inside four seconds reach the runner in stride.
Progressions and variations
Making it harder
- Level 1: Set the ball and pass to a standing partner, no count
- Level 2: The four-second count with a standing partner
- Level 3: Pass into a jogging run inside four seconds
- Level 4: Eight of ten in time and in stride
- Level 5: A defender five steps from the ball, as the Laws ask
- Level 6: Two runners, and the kicker picks the open one
Alone, with a sibling, or in a group
- Solo: kick-ins against a wall target, set and passed inside four seconds.
- Sibling: one takes the kick-in, the other chooses short or long with their run.
- Co-op: add a defender who must stand five steps from the ball, as the Laws ask.
Adjusting it by age
- U14: Count slowly out loud together, and praise a still ball and a pass along the floor.
- U18: Add a defender and a second runner, and finish every kick-in with a shot from the runner.
For the parent running it
- A line on the floor is the touchline. The child takes the kick-in from a still ball on the line while the parent counts four seconds out loud and runs to receive. Under futsal's Laws a goal cannot be scored straight from a kick-in.
On their own: Alone, take kick-ins against a wall from a still ball on a line: set the ball, count four seconds in your head, and pass into a cone target on the wall.
Safety
- Keep the runner's channel clear of furniture and walls
More on training safely at home: Safety at Home.
Why it matters
Futsal restarts the game with the foot and a four-second count. A team that decides before the ball is down turns a kick-in into an attack instead of giving it away.
Related drills
Wall Passing (Solo) / Partner Passing
Stand 5-8m apart. Pass the ball back and forth using the inside of the foot.
Rondo 3v1
Three players keep possession against one defender in small grid.
Triangle Passing
Three players form triangle, pass and follow or pass and move.
Two-Grid Transition Rondo
Keep the ball in one grid, then break into the next one the moment it opens up.
Run it with the Audio Coach
In Spatrian the Audio Coach talks your player through this drill while they play it, and each run goes on their own training record, which their coach or personal trainer can read and, for a homeschool family, counts as PE time. The beta is opening to a small first group of players and families.