Practising Football Alone: Homework, Challenges, and the Difference Individual Practice Makes

More ball contacts — more technique

The simplest way to improve technique: more touches on the ball. It sounds banal, but it has an immediate consequence for training.

A player who attends training sessions twice a week clocks up perhaps 80 sessions across a season. If they also practise alone three times a week for 20 minutes, they accumulate over a hundred extra hours on the ball by the end of the season.

The difference after one season is visible. After two seasons, it is dramatic.

The problem: many players do not practise outside of training — not because they lack motivation, but because they do not know what to do. Juggling? How? Kicking against a wall? With which foot? How many repetitions?

If coaches do not structure individual practice, it remains random. And randomness is not a development strategy.

What you can really practise alone

Not every drill is suitable for individual practice. Tactics, tackling, game forms — those only work with others. But technique works brilliantly on your own. And technique is precisely what young players need most.

Juggling

Juggling is the classic form of individual practice — and for good reason. It trains:

• Touch and feel for the ball (foot, knee, thigh, head)
• Coordination
• Concentration
• Body awareness

Important: juggling is not an end in itself. Players should get to know the ball — how it feels, how it reacts, how much power is required. Juggling with the weaker foot is particularly valuable.

Getting started:

• Two-touch juggling: drop the ball, take one touch, catch it again
• Progressive: 2 → 5 → 10 → 20 consecutive touches
• Next: right foot only, left foot only, incorporate thighs

Slalom Dribbling

Bending runs with the ball. Between cones, trainers, rucksacks — anything works. Slalom runs train:

• Close control
• Body control when dribbling
• Speed with the ball vs without the ball

If you do not have a garden: steps, car parks, playgrounds. Creativity is encouraged.

Feints and Step-Overs

Feints are best practised alone — without an opponent, simply against a cone or marker. Step-overs, scissors, body feints.

First slowly and deliberately. Then faster. Then at pace. The feint must be so deeply ingrained that it happens automatically in a match — without thinking.

Typical drill:

The player dribbles towards a line of cones, performs a step-over with the right foot, accelerates away to the left. Ten times. Then dribble with the left, step-over with the right. Ten times.

Wall Passes and Shooting

A wall is the perfect training partner. It always returns the ball, remains patient, and immediately reveals whether the pass was crisp.

Wall pass series:

• Low pass with the inside of the foot — right, then left
• First-time passes: the ball comes back, return it immediately without taking a touch
• Variation: direct the ball using the weaker side

Shooting:

If you have a goal (or a wall with a marked target zone), practise shooting accuracy. Pick a corner, control the power, use different striking techniques (inside of the foot, laces, outside of the foot).

Challenges instead of compulsory tasks: why it makes a difference

“Practise juggling every day until the next session” — sounds great, but rarely works.

Why? Because compulsory tasks provoke resistance. As soon as something becomes a chore, it loses its playful nature. Players do it because they have to — not because they want to.

Challenges work differently. They awaken the competitive spirit. They have a clear objective. And they have a finish line — not an endless obligation, but a concrete mission.

4 examples of challenges:

The Juggling Record

“Beat your personal best — how many touches can you manage without the ball touching the ground?”

Players record their personal best. At the next training session, they compare notes. Anyone who broke their record receives recognition.

The beauty of it: the competition is not against others, but against oneself. Anyone can win — regardless of their starting level.

The 50 Step-Over Challenge

“Complete 50 step-overs by Wednesday — 25 right, 25 left. Done is done.”

A clear task. No build-up of pressure. Players can spread it out (10 today, 15 tomorrow) or power through all at once. The main thing is getting it done.

A show of hands at training: “Who completed the challenge?” — this provides social affirmation without shaming those who did not manage it.

Wall Pass Series with 10 First-Time Touches on the Left

“10 clean first-time passes with your left foot against the wall. The challenge is only complete once you manage 10 in a row.”

This challenge activates the weaker foot — a classic developmental focus in youth football. And it offers a clear metric of success.

5-Day Ball Challenge

“10 minutes with the ball every day for 5 days. Anything goes — juggling, wall passes, dribbling. As long as you have the ball.”

For players not yet used to individual practice, this is a gentle introduction. It is not about perfection — it is about building a habit.

An example weekly schedule for individual practice

Individual practice does not need to be elaborate. 15–20 minutes a day is enough to make real progress — provided it is consistent.

This is not a rigid plan — it is a framework for guidance. Highly motivated players will do more. Those with less time will do less. That is perfectly fine.

How coaches introduce individual practice — without pressure

The mistake many coaches make: individual practice is announced as compulsory, and anyone who failed to do it gets questioned at the next session — in front of the whole squad.

This creates shame, not motivation. Players who skipped the individual practice feel guilty. Players who completed it might feel good — but the effect quickly evaporates if the team environment is not driven by genuine desire.

Better: introduce challenges as an invitation

“Here is a suggestion for this week. You can try it out — or not. But I promise you, whoever does it will notice a real difference after three weeks.”

This grants autonomy. Players who opt out are not put on the spot. Players who take part experience genuine progress — and share it. That inspires others to join in.

Make challenges visual:

A board or a sheet of paper in the changing room showing the current challenges. Players can tick them off when they are done. No ranking, no punishments — but visibility fosters motivation.

Celebrate personal bests:

When a player says, “I pushed my juggling record up to 47”, recognition from the coach makes all the difference. Two sentences are plenty: “Brilliant. What did you do differently?” That shows genuine interest — and motivates them to keep going.

Involving parents as supporters

For younger players (U8–U12), parents play an important role in individual practice. Not as coaches — but as enablers.

What parents can do:

• Keep a suitable ball ready for individual practice
• Join in briefly: the parent throws the ball, the child juggles or volleys it back
• Ask questions: “Did you do your wall passes today?” — without pressure, but with genuine interest

What parents should avoid:

• Turning individual practice into an obligatory chore and demanding it
• Drawing comparisons with other players
• Criticising technique without a coaching background

A parent who shows interest in individual practice and joins in from time to time is the strongest motivating factor for young players. No coach can replace that.

Parent communication from coaches:

A brief note at a parents' evening or via a message: “We have a challenge for home this week — here are the details. You do not need to do anything, but if your child asks, here it is.” That is all it takes.

Motivation is the decisive factor

Technique can be learned. Knowledge can be shared. But individual practice only happens if the player genuinely wants it.

Intrinsic motivation — drive that comes from within — is far more effective long term than external rewards or pressure. A player who realises they are improving needs no further prompting. They pick up the ball of their own accord.

How is intrinsic motivation developed?

1. Experiencing competence — players notice they are improving. That creates joy.

2. Autonomy — players can decide for themselves what and how they practise.

3. Social connection — challenges are discussed within the squad, and progress is recognised.

Challenges that cater to these three factors succeed. Compulsory tasks that address none of them almost always fail.

Four takeaways