The Egg-Catch Trick: How to Control High Balls with a Soft Touch

When a high ball flies toward you from the sky, what do you do?

Many players panic. They stick out a stiff leg. The ball hits their foot like a brick wall and bounces far away. A defender runs in, takes the ball, and starts an attack for the other team.

You do not want to be a brick wall. You want to be a pillow.

To stop a high ball and keep it close to you, you need to learn the "egg-catch" trick.

The Secret of the Egg-Catch

Imagine someone throws a raw egg at you. If you hold your hands completely still and stiff, what happens? The egg hits your hands and splats.

To catch the egg without breaking it, you have to move your hands backward. You start with your hands high, and as the egg touches your fingers, you drop your hands down. You match the speed of the egg. This slows the egg down gently.

Your soccer ball is the egg. Your foot, thigh, or chest is your hand.

When the ball is flying at you, you cannot keep your leg stiff. If you do, the ball will bounce away. Instead, you must pull your leg back at the exact moment the ball touches you.

This is called cushioning. Here is how to do it using three different parts of your body.

Three Ways to Cushion the Ball

Depending on how high the ball is when it reaches you, you will need to use different tools.

1. The Inside of the Foot (For low or bouncing balls) This is the most common trap.

• Lift your foot an inch or two off the ground.
• Turn your toe out so the wide, flat inside of your foot faces the ball.
• Keep your ankle loose, not stiff.
• The moment the ball touches your foot, pull your foot backward toward your other leg.
• The ball should drop dead right at your feet.

2. The Thigh (For waist-high balls) Do not use your knee bone. If you hit the ball with your knee, it will fly away.

• Lift your leg so your thigh is flat, like a table.
• Let the ball hit the soft, fleshy middle part of your thigh.
• As the ball makes contact, drop your thigh toward the ground.
• The ball will slide down your leg and land nicely on the grass.

3. The Laces (For very high, dropping balls) This is the hardest one, but it looks amazing when you do it right.

• Lift your foot up to meet the falling ball.
• Point your toes slightly upward to create a little basket with your laces.
• The split-second the ball touches your laces, drop your foot quickly toward the ground.
• It should feel like you are lowering the ball in an elevator.

How to Practice by Yourself

You do not need a partner to get better at this. You can practice in your backyard or at a park.

• The Self-Toss: Hold the ball in your hands. Throw it high into the air. Try to trap it on your laces so it does not bounce. Do this 10 times with your right foot and 10 times with your left foot.
• The Wall Toss: Stand near a wall. Toss the ball against the wall so it bounces back to you in the air. Practice trapping it with your thigh, then your inside foot.
• The High Bounce: Drop the ball from your hands. Let it bounce once, then trap it immediately on the second bounce.

When you practice, do not worry if the ball bounces away at first. Your brain and muscles are learning how to time the movement. Keep trying to make your touch softer and quieter.

If your trap makes a loud smack sound, your foot is too stiff. If the trap is silent, you have mastered the egg-catch.