The Pillow Foot: How to Stop Hard Passes Dead at Your Feet

Imagine a teammate passes the ball to you. It is rolling fast. You put your foot out to stop it.

Clunk.

The ball hits your shoe and bounces five feet away. A defender runs in, steals the ball, and starts a counterattack.

This happens to every young player. It happens because your foot is acting like a brick wall. When a fast-moving soccer ball hits a brick wall, it bounces far away.

To control a fast ball, your foot cannot be a brick wall. It needs to be a pillow.

The Egg Catch Trick

Think about catching a raw egg with your hands.

If someone throws an egg at you, you do not hold your hands stiff. If you do, the egg will hit your palms and smash.

Instead, you reach out and pull your hands backward as you catch it. You move your hands at the same speed as the egg to slow it down gently.

You must do the same thing with a soccer ball.

When a fast pass comes to you, do not leave your foot stiff. You must pull your foot backward a few inches at the exact split-second the ball touches your shoe. This "soaks up" the speed of the ball. Instead of bouncing away, the ball will drop dead right at your feet.

How to Make a Pillow Foot

Here is how to cushion the ball using the inside of your foot:

1. Lift your foot. Keep your receiving foot two or three inches off the grass.
2. Point your toes up. This opens up the inside of your foot so you have a big, flat surface to meet the ball.
3. Relax your ankle. Do not lock it tight. Keep it slightly loose.
4. Pull back on contact. As the ball hits your shoe, pull your foot backward toward your other leg.

Many young players get confused because coaches tell them to "lock their ankle." Locking your ankle is great when you are shooting, passing, or tackling. But when you are receiving a fast pass, a locked ankle is too hard. A locked ankle is a brick wall. A relaxed ankle is a pillow.

If you do this right, you will not hear a loud thud when the ball hits your foot. It will be quiet. The ball will sit right in front of your toes.

Why This Gives You More Time

When you have a bad first touch, the ball bounces away. You have to chase it. While you are chasing the ball, you cannot look up. You cannot see the field. You are in a panic because a defender is running at you.

But when you use the pillow foot, the ball stays right under your control. You do not have to chase it. This means you can keep your head up. You can see your teammates, spot the open spaces, and make your next pass before the defender can even get close to you.

How to Practice at Home

You do not need a teammate to practice the pillow foot. You can do it by yourself with a soccer ball and a brick wall or a fence.

• The Wall Pass: Stand five feet away from a wall. Pass the ball hard against the bottom of the wall. When it bounces back to you, use your pillow foot to stop it. Try to make the ball stop completely in just one touch. Do this 20 times with your right foot, then 20 times with your left foot.
• The High Toss: Hold the ball in your hands. Toss it up into the air, higher than your head. As it falls, use the inside of your foot to cushion it before it hits the ground. Try to keep the ball from bouncing off your foot.

At first, your foot might move too early or too late. That is normal. Keep practicing until your foot learns exactly when to pull back. Once you master the pillow foot, your teammates will trust you with the hardest passes on the field.