Chest traps are common in games when the ball is high and in the air. Kids have to relax their chest and let the ball die, not bounce off them.
What you need: 1 soccer ball, 2 kids, open space.
Setup: Receiver stands facing passer. Passer is 12 feet away.
How to run it:
- Passer tosses the ball so it arrives at chest height.
- Receiver watches the ball come (See).
- Receiver presents an open chest, slight bend in the knees.
- Ball arrives at the chest. Receiver bends forward to absorb the impact (Cushion).
- Ball drops straight down to their feet (Settle).
- Receiver controls the ball (Move).
- Do 5 traps each, then switch.
What to watch: Do they keep their chest relaxed and bend to absorb? Or does the ball bounce away?
If they’re struggling: Toss from closer distance. Lower trajectory.
If they’ve got it: Toss from farther away with more pace. Add a defender who closes down after the trap.