How to improve your first touch in football: 8 exercises

A defender is coming towards you.

The pass is coming.

If the ball is immediately in the right place after your first touch, you have several options.

Pass. Turn. Dribble. Shoot.

Does the ball bounce too far away from your foot? Then the defender can win it immediately.

That is why a good first touch is one of the most important technical skills in football.

The good news is that you can practise this skill often, even when training alone.

What makes a first touch good?

A good first touch does more than just stop the ball.

Your first touch should set up your next action.

That may mean:

• Keeps the ball close to you
• Moves away from pressure
• Opens up your body
• Takes the ball onto your stronger foot
• Creates space for a pass or shot

The best first touch depends on the situation.

You can work on it with these eight exercises.

1. Cushioning and controlling the ball

You are training: Basic control

Equipment needed: A ball and a rebounder or wall

Play the ball against a safe wall or rebounder.

When the ball comes back, receive it with the inside of your foot.

Do the following:

• 10 touches with your right foot
• 10 touches with your left foot
• 20 touches alternating between both feet

Try to keep the ball close to you.

Does the ball keep bouncing too far away from you? Then let your foot move slightly with the ball on contact. This cushions the ball better.

2. A directed first touch

You are training: Receiving the ball into open space

Place one marker to your left and one to your right.

Play the ball against the rebounder.

Take the returning ball with your first touch towards one of the markers.

Then play the ball against the rebounder again.

This time, take the ball towards the other side.

The sequence is:

Pass → receive → take the ball with you → pass

This is often more useful during a match than stopping the ball every time.

3. Train with both feet

You are training: Confidence with your weaker leg

Switch feet after each repetition.

Right foot.

Left foot.

Then practise with:

• The inside of your right foot
• The inside of your left foot
• The outside of your right foot
• The outside of your left foot

If you are comfortable with both feet, you have more options during a match when receiving the ball.

4. Receiving, turning and accelerating

You train: First touch and turning away

Play the ball against the rebounder.

Control the returning ball.

Use your first touch to turn away immediately.

Then accelerate toward a marker.

Try different turning movements:

• Turning with the inside of your foot
• Turning with the outside of your foot
• Turning with the sole of your foot
• Take the ball across the front of your body

The goal is to link the first touch and the turn smoothly.

Do not treat them as two separate actions.

5. Passing with one or two touches

You train: Body positioning and preparation

Start with two touches:

Ball contact 1: Control

Ball contact 2: Passing

Repeat this twenty times.

Then try to play the ball back in one touch.

This means you need to position your body properly before the ball reaches you.

Both techniques are important in football.

Sometimes you need time to control the ball.

Sometimes you need to play it on immediately.

6. Look around before receiving the ball

You train: Awareness and field vision

Place colored or numbered markers around your training area.

Just before receiving the ball, quickly look around and choose a color or number.

Then control the ball.

This exercise helps you gather information before the ball reaches you.

For more information, read our guide on cognitive training in football.

7. First touch through a gate

You train: Accurate control in a specific direction

Use cones to create two small gates.

Play the ball against a wall or rebounder.

Your first touch must take the ball through one of the gates.

Give yourself:

1 point if the ball goes through the gate.

0 points if you miss.

Make twenty attempts.

Record your score and try to improve it during your next training session.

8. Unpredictable first-touch exercise

You train: Reaction speed and decision-making

Place three or four targets around you.

Have someone call out a color or number before the ball returns.

Use your first touch to take the ball toward the indicated target.

This means you do not know in advance which direction to go.

You must:

Look → decide → control

This makes the exercise less predictable and more like a real match situation.

A simple twenty-minute training session

Try this structure:

Minute 0–4: Basic control

Minute 4–8: Focused first touch

Minute 8–12: Training with your weaker foot

Minute 12–16: Turning and accelerating

Minute 16–20: Unpredictable first-touch exercise

With a short and focused training session, you can already get many useful repetitions.

How can you train your first touch on your own?

A rebounder is particularly useful because it continually plays the ball back to you.

With this, you can practice:

• Receiving
• Passing
• Your weaker foot
• Taking the ball in a particular direction
• Playing directly with one touch

The QUICKFEET Play Rebounder can also be used with exercises from the app. This adds more structure and variety to your individual training.

You can also use a suitable and safe wall.

Common mistakes with the first touch

Letting the ball bounce too far away from your foot

Slow down the exercise and focus on cushioning the ball.

Using only your stronger foot

Train both feet regularly.

Always stopping the ball

Also practice taking the ball into open space.

Never looking up

Try to look around before the ball reaches you.

Trying to train too quickly

Good technique comes before speed.

Let your first touch prepare your next action

A good first touch does not mean you have to stop the ball perfectly every time.

The point is to place the ball where you need it for your next action.

Start simply.

Train with both feet.

Add direction.

Then add reaction speed and decision-making.

Do you want to practice your first touch more often at home? Check out the QUICKFEET Play Rebounder and Footballgadgets training equipment for more ways to improve your passing, first touch, and individual training.