Soccer Foot Skills, Inside and Outside

Tom Winiecki

Mott Road Elementary School

Fayetteville, NY

Humphrey Ball

This is a game that I played when I was in Elementary School. I use it now in my soccer unit with my 3rd and 4th graders. It is also successful right up to 6th grade.

I spend the lesson introducing different parts of the foot that can be used with a soccer ball. I let the kids come up with a list. We then spend time practicing against the wall (if we are inside. I have to admit I am one of those teachers that prefer to teach inside. I like the fact that the four walls make it easier to retrieve stray soccer balls!). This can also be done outside with partners kicking back and forth. I then time them (: 15) to have them see which style of kicking gets them the highest score. There is usually a pretty good range. At least one hand goes up for each style of kicking that they come up with. We also discuss what styles make the ball react in different ways (high, low, fast, slow…). That information comes in handy when we play Humphrey Ball.

The game is set up the same whether you are inside or outside. Get your class into two lines of equal size and have the lines face each other. Now have the lines sit down with their legs extended so their feet touch the feet of the person across from them. Once the get to this set up, they now assume the "Dead Bug Position." This has the kids lying on their backs with their legs and arms extended up in the air. You are standing at one end of the two lines with Humphrey. Humphrey is a large cage ball!

To start the game, just roll the ball between the two groups. They then try to kick the ball with their feet, or hit it with their hands so it goes over the opposite team. Here is where the discussion about how the ball reacts to different parts of the foot comes in handy. Usually what will initially happen is that both teams will blast the ball with the bottom of their feet right to the other team. They won't realize how to get the ball in the air and over the other side. A not so subtle reminder from you about that prior discussion will get them to realize what they need to do.

Once a goal is scored, rotate the players this way. Have the last two pairs (that are sitting across from each other) "cross over and rotate." This means that those two pairs of kids go to the front of the lines and join the opposite teams. This will eliminate one team possibly dominating the action and discouraging the others. It also eliminates them from keeping track of the score, since they are constantly changing teams. Now the focus of the activity is the parts of the foot used, not the score.

If you play inside put the ends of your two lines up against a wall. This way a kick that goes to one end will bounce off the wall and stay in play. If you play outside, you will have to be able to run to one end or the other to keep the ball in play. Also, by being outside, it makes you realize how much fun it is to just lie down in the grass in the sunshine!