Head/Catch Game
The team circles up, you toss the ball at each player's head and yell "HEAD" or "CATCH" — do the wrong one and you sit, and the last player standing wins.
This one is fun with a purpose — listening and reacting fast — for when the team needs a break from the normal drills or has earned a reward for hard work.
The weekly budget is the part coaches miss. A coach who runs heading twice in a week is not being reckless, they are unaware there is a cumulative cap at all — say the cap, then trust the trained adult: about 30 minutes and 15-20 headers per player per week, everything counted, including games.
Starting at Core — your team is set to mixed.
15 min tonight · Whole team in a circle
- Ages 10–14
- Whole team in a circle
- 15 min as the drill is written
- Cones, 1 ball
Grab One ball — only you need one.
Build Nothing to build — bring the team into a circle around you, everyone facing you.
Place The ball stays in your hands; nobody else needs one.
- 1
Organize the players
Circle the team up around you, everyone facing you. Only you have a ball.
“Make a circle around me — eyes on me, no balls needed.”
- 2
Show the jobs
Walk the rule — every toss comes at the head as if they're going to head it, and you yell "HEAD" or "CATCH" as it goes. HEAD means head it back to you; CATCH means catch it and return it. The wrong action means that player sits, and only standing players stay active.
“Every ball comes at your head. I yell it, you do it — 'HEAD' means head it back, 'CATCH' means catch it. Get it wrong, take a seat.”
- 3
Play
Work around the circle, one toss at a time, mixing the calls. Keep it light — this is the goof-around game, and fun is the whole point.
“HEAD! ... CATCH! Stay awake — I'm coming back around!”
Look for The quick reaction — players responding to your word, not to the flight of the ball.
- 4
Switch and repeat
Start a new round when one player is left standing. To really get interesting, flip it — players do the opposite of your call. You can call another body part too, but keep it simple.
“New round — opposite day! I say 'HEAD,' you catch it. I say 'CATCH' — head it!”
If nobody ever sits, flip the rule — "HEAD" means catch it, "CATCH" means head it — and watch the circle wake up.
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Why it works
Every toss looks exactly the same — a ball at the head — so the only thing a player can trust is your word, and listening beats instinct. It earns its spot as a reward: a break from the normal drills that keeps everyone switched on anyway.
What they learn
Listening and reaction skills — and just having fun.
What's next
Soccer Tennis — the flighted balls keep coming, and now the kids control them instead of you.
Where does this come from?
SoccerXpert — their published drill library.
A published drill library. Useful and widely used, but not a governing body — so it fills gaps rather than leading.