﻿ Knock Out Soccer Drill | Sideline Soccer

Knock Out

You’re on your own in this fun game of Knock Out, great for all ages! The object of the game is to “knock out” another player’s ball out of the area, meaning to kick a player’s ball out of the playing area, while shielding your ball from other players trying to do the same thing to you!

Knock Out Soccer Diagram

Designate a playing area with cones. The size of the playing area will depend on the number of players. You can also use the penalty area since that is already marked off for you. Every player will need a ball.

To start, have each player dribble around the designated playing area. As soon as you yell “Knock Out”, players need to try and kick another player’s ball out of the playing area, while still keeping their own ball in control and close to them.

Once a player’s ball is kicked out of the area, they are out of the game. If any player dribbles outside of the playing area, meaning they lose control of their ball, they are also considered out of the game. As the game continues and there are less players involved, you can stop play in order to make the playing area smaller. The last player with a ball wins!

NOTE: To give the game a bit more incentive for the older players, you could say that if your ball is knocked out, you need to do a certain number of push-ups, sit-ups, or sprints.

Coaching Tips
Instruct players to keep their heads up and be aware of their surroundings. They must also keep the ball close to their feet using soft touches.

Make players dribble with certain parts of their feet. Players tend to favor a specific foot for dribbling, make them dribble with the opposite foot. For younger players, you can play Shark Attack.