Sole Combinations
Chain sole rolls with inside and outside touches in fixed combinations, called out loud: the footwork futsal players link together to beat a defender in a tight space.
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 or shoes about two strides apart mark a short line on the floor, with the ball at one end and a stride of clear space either side. A parent stands at the far end to call the combinations once the child knows them.
What you need
- 1 futsal ball or soccer ball
- 2 cones or shoes to mark a line
The ground: 10 × 6 ft (about 3 × 2 m). One child can run it alone in a backyard. The space and equipment check lists every drill that fits the ground you have.
How to run it
- Set up. Two cones or shoes about two strides apart mark a line on the floor, with the ball at one end.
- Roll and inside. Roll the ball across the body with the sole, then take it on with the inside of the other foot.
- Roll and outside. Roll across with the sole, then push it away with the outside of the same foot.
- Double roll. Two sole rolls across the body in a row, right then left, before an inside touch on.
- Called. A parent calls a combination at random, and the child plays it along the line and back.
- Time it. Play all four combinations once each along the line, timed. Write the time down.
Coaching points
- Each combination flows as one movement, never a stop between touches
- Small touches, so the ball stays within a step on a hard floor
- Both feet lead, because a defender will show you the weaker side
What to watch: Losing the rhythm between moves. The combination should flow as one movement; a stop between the roll and the touch means the next move is not ready yet.
Common mistakes
- Stopping between the roll and the touch, so the combination becomes two moves
- Big touches that leave the ball out of reach
- Looking down the whole time instead of glancing up at the end of the line
- Leading every combination with the stronger foot
- Rushing before each combination is clean
What good looks like
A good target: All four combinations along the line and back in 45 seconds, without losing the ball.
Progressions and variations
Making it harder
- Level 1: Each combination on the spot, slowly
- Level 2: Each combination along the line at walking pace
- Level 3: All four in order, along and back
- Level 4: Called at random by a parent
- Level 5: All four along and back in 45 seconds
- Level 6: Invent a fifth combination and teach it to someone
Alone, with a sibling, or in a group
- Solo: time the whole card of four combinations and chase your best.
- Sibling: one calls the combination and the other plays it, then swap.
- Co-op: a line of players along parallel lines, all playing the called combination together.
Adjusting it by age
- U14: Learn one combination per session and keep it on the spot until it flows.
- U18: Add a passive defender at the end of the line and finish each combination by beating them.
For the parent running it
- A line on the floor about two strides long, marked by two cones or a strip of tape. Call a combination, and the child plays it along the line and back without stopping.
Safety
- A dry floor and trainers with grip, and the space clear of furniture either side of the line
More on training safely at home: Safety at Home.
Why it matters
Beating a player in a small space is rarely one move. Chaining sole rolls and touches until they flow is what lets a player change direction without slowing down.
Related drills
Toe Taps & Sole Rolls
Alternate tapping the top of the ball with each foot (toe taps), then roll the ball forward/back with the sole.
Juggling Challenge
Keep the ball in the air using feet, thighs, and head. Count consecutive touches.
Sole Roll Turns
Move the ball with the sole only, rolling it across the body and dragging it back to turn, the way futsal players keep it close on a hard floor.
Pull-Push
Pull the ball back with the sole and push it forward with the laces of the same foot, in a rhythm, then away at an angle: futsal's most basic way to keep the ball moving under a defender.
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.