Want a first passing game?
The simplest passing game for a first-time player.
Read about the first passing gameTeach a Child to Pass With the Inside of the Foot
Skill-Building Games
One cue at a time.
If your child pokes every pass with their toes, here are three cues, a wall drill and a fix for the plant foot, kept short enough to stay fun.
To teach a child to pass with the inside of the foot, teach one thing at a time. The plant foot goes beside the ball pointing at the target, the kicking foot turns out with the ankle held firm, and the foot follows through towards the target (SoccerHelp's coaching points, Coaching American Soccer's push pass guide). Hit the middle of the ball with the inside of the foot, then push it along the ground. Practise against a wall at 3 metres first, and move back only when most passes come straight back (Anytime Soccer Training's wall passing advice). If it goes wrong, change the plant foot first, because it is the most common fix (push pass guide).
The pass that goes where you point it
Why the Inside of the Foot Pass for Kids?
The inside of the foot is the flat part along the arch, so it gives a wide, flat surface to steer the ball. Toes and laces are a small, bony target, which is why a toe poke can go anywhere (SoccerHelp, Coaching American Soccer).
I used to shout "use your instep" at the garden fence and my child would just poke harder. Showing it once, then going quiet, worked better.
If the toe poke shows up when shooting too, read about toe poking. If the passes are straight but too soft to reach, see how to find more power.
A child who is happy and passing is fine as they are, so there is nothing to fix. This is for the frustrated one, whose passes keep skidding off the side of the boot.
Below you get three short cues, a wall ladder from 3 to 9 metres and a table that starts from what the ball did.
Three cues, one at a time
Push Pass Technique for Beginners: Three Cues
The side-foot pass is often called a push pass, because the foot pushes the ball rather than hitting it. Three cues cover most of what the coaching sources describe (SoccerHelp, Coaching American Soccer).
- 1
Plant beside the ball. The standing foot lands level with the ball, close enough that you could lay a hand between them, with the toes pointing at the target.
- 2
Lock the ankle. The kicking foot turns out with the toes lifted, and the ankle stays firm through the swing. A floppy ankle sends the ball anywhere.
- 3
Push through. Hit the middle of the ball with the inside of the foot and keep the foot moving towards the target.
The three cues are short enough for the child to say to themselves while walking up to the ball: "Beside, lock, push." That is their own self-talk, so you stay quiet and let it run.
When you coach, show it slowly twice, then step back and let them try. Give one cue per correction and do not stack all three into one go, because one cue per try is plenty.
These cues come from coaching sites, not a study, and the sources do not agree on every detail. The hand-width gap is my own plain-English version of the few inches they describe.
Ten minutes, three times a week
A Wall Passing Ladder: 3, 6 and 9 Metres
A wall is a patient partner. It never gets bored and it gives the ball straight back, so your child gets a lot of touches in ten minutes (Anytime Soccer Training).
Start close and move back one step only when the last one is working.
| Step | Distance and move | Move on when |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | 3 metres, push pass with each foot | Most passes come back to the feet |
| Step 2 | 6 metres, a firmer push pass with each foot | Most passes still return straight |
| Step 3 | 9 metres, with each foot | The weak foot lands about half as well as the strong |
Include the weaker foot every session (Anytime Soccer Training). Stop at ten minutes, or at the first sign of frustration, whichever comes first.
The source gives its distances in feet (10, 20 and 30), so the metres are my own conversion. The distances and the "most passes" rule are my reading of the drill, not a tested standard.
For a wall game with more play in it, try a wall game. When your child is ready for company, a first game with a partner is the next step.
Look at the ball, then the foot
Plant Foot Placement: What to Fix When the Pass Goes Wrong
Watch what the ball did, not what the foot looked like. The table starts there and gives you one thing to try.
| What the ball did | Likely cause | One thing to try |
|---|---|---|
| Squirts up | Plant foot behind the ball, or leaning back (Coaching American Soccer, Anytime Soccer Training) | Plant beside the ball and lean over it |
| Bumps along the floor | Plant foot too far forward (Coaching American Soccer) | Step it back so it is level with the ball |
| Goes sideways | Plant foot not pointing at the target (Coaching American Soccer) | Point the toes at the target |
| Dribbles weakly | Ankle floppy or no follow-through (SoccerHelp, Coaching American Soccer) | Lock the ankle and push through |
| Squirts off the toes | Contact with the toes, not the inside (Anytime Soccer Training) | Turn the foot out and look at the ball at contact |
Give one cue per try, and say it kindly and briefly. If the same fix is not working after three misses in a row, change the game rather than the cue.
The toe-squirt row is the one that links back to toe poking, so for that cause see why a child pokes with the toes.
What is known and what is not
What the Coaching Sources Say, and Where They Stop
Three sources agree on the plant foot, a locked ankle, contact in the middle of the ball and a follow-through (SoccerHelp, Coaching American Soccer, Anytime Soccer Training).
They differ on distance and drills, so I picked one set of cues and one wall ladder rather than mixing them.
These are coaching articles and a retail blog, not research on how children learn to pass, and I could not find a governing-body page that gives a parent-level version.
Quick answers
Common Questions About the Inside Foot Pass
How do I teach a child to pass with the inside of the foot?
Use three cues: plant beside the ball pointing at the target, lock the ankle and push through the middle of the ball (SoccerHelp, Coaching American Soccer).
Where should the plant foot go for a push pass?
Level with the ball, beside it and pointing at the target. Forward of the ball pushes it down and behind lofts it (Coaching American Soccer).
How far apart should we stand?
Start about 3 metres from a wall and move back only when most passes come straight back (Anytime Soccer Training).
Should my child practise with both feet?
Yes, with a round on the weaker foot each session (Anytime Soccer Training).
How long should we practise?
Ten minutes, up to three times a week (Anytime Soccer Training). Stop at the first sign of frustration.
Keep going
Where to Go From Here
Three places to go next, depending on what you found.
Still poking with the toes?
Why a child toe-pokes and how to teach the laces kick.
Read about toe pokingNeed more distance?
Three fixes for longer passes, in order.
Read about longer passesTonight's five minutes
Beside, lock, push.
Show it once, then go quiet. Ten minutes at a wall, three metres away, and let the ball do the teaching.