Soccer games for elementary PE are more than just fun activities—they help students develop essential motor skills, coordination, and spatial awareness. In addition, soccer games can be modified and tailored to variety grade levels so that all young soccer players can have fun and experience success.
In this article, we’ll explore hose these fun soccer games for elementary PE align with SHAPE standards, preview our full slate of game options with activity descriptions, and share a full lesson sample from PLT4M’s K-5 offering to help bring these skills to life in your classroom.
Fun Soccer Games For Elementary PE
Soccer is one of the most popular sports around the world, and many students may have already experienced playing outside of school. Whether it’s kicking a ball around in the backyard or playing an organized game, many students likely have some familiarity with the game.
However, there are plenty of fun variations and activities that can be introduced in PE to keep soccer exciting and engaging for elementary students.
Physical education teachers can modify soccer games to work inside the gym or outdoors, allowing for flexibility depending on the space available. Additional modifications can be made for younger students or older students, so that whatever activity you choose, it is a great game for any and all age groups.
Get Free Sample Lessons!
Explore our K-5 Curriculum with these select Lesson Plans from some of our most popular Units. Each lesson includes a one page lesson overview, equipment checklist, game setup, teaching cues, standard alignment and more!
Standard Aligned Soccer Games For Elementary PE
Many elementary PE teachers begin with SHAPE Standard 1 (Developing a variety of motor skills) to ensure all essential motor skills are covered throughout the year. Soccer games for elementary PE effectively address multiple SHAPE sub-standards focused on dribbling and kicking a ball.
Dribbling Standards:
PreK-2: 1.2.11 Demonstrates dribbling with feet in a variety of nondynamic practice tasks.
3-5: 1.5.20 Demonstrates dribbling with feet in a variety of practice tasks.
Kicking Standards:
PreK-2: 1.2.10 Demonstrates kicking a ball in a variety of non-dynamic practice tasks.
3-5: 1.5.18 Demonstrates kicking a ball using the instep in a variety of practice tasks.
Beyond motor skill development, soccer games in elementary PE also support various other sub-standards throughout the SHAPE K-5 Standards.
In particular, soccer aligns with standards related to the global nature of the game, which is played by many cultures worldwide, as well as its potential to be a fun activity outside of the classroom. Examples of these standards include:
2.5.2 Demonstrates knowledge of offensive strategies in smallsided invasion practice tasks.
2.5.3 Demonstrates knowledge of defensive strategies in smallsided invasion practice tasks.
3.2.10 Identifies and participates in physical activities representing different cultures.
3.5.7 Describes physical activities that represent a variety of cultures around the world.
4.5.8 Identifies physical activity opportunities outside of physical education class.
Teaching Cues For Soccer Games For Elementary PE
Dribbling and kicking are two important components of any successful soccer game for young players. As physical education teachers, it’s essential to encourage proper techniques such as ball control, coordination, and awareness of space. By focusing on key concepts, students can develop the skills needed to improve their soccer game and enjoy the sport. Here are some important teaching cues for these two fundamental skills:
Dribbling Teaching Cue Steps:
Light Touch: Use light taps to keep the soccer ball close and under control (if it is too far away from you, it can easily be stolen).
Both Feet: You can use both feet and inside and outside parts of your feet to dribble.
Keep Eyes Up: Keep eyes up (looking forward) and glance down at the ball as needed.
Open Spaces: Work to move your soccer ball to open spaces to avoid collisions with other players.
Kicking Teaching Cue Steps:
Position: Non-kicking foot is placed next to the ball. Kicking leg swings back.
Kick: Contact soccer ball just below center with kicking foot.
Part of Foot: Use the instep (side of kicking foot) to kick the ball on the ground for accuracy and short distances. Use the shoelaces (not toe) of kicking foot to kick the ball up in the air for power or longer distances.
Follow Through: Kicking leg follows through in the direction of the ball.
These cues provide a structured approach to help students refine their soccer skills, encouraging a more enjoyable and successful experience on the field during soccer drills.
13 Soccer Games For Elementary PE
In PLT4M’s library of over 150 elementary PE lesson plans, there are 13 soccer games for elementary PE to choose from:
4 Corner Soccer – A 4-team activity designed to help students apply a variety of soccer skills using both offensive and defensive roles in a team game format.
ABC Soccer – A cross-curricular foot dribbling activity designed to help students work on ball control along with spelling and letter recognition.
Color Maps Soccer – A cooperative, skill practice activity with a partner that gets students engaged in foot dribbling & trapping a ball on different colored spots.
Deck Ring Soccer – A foot dribbling activity designed to help students guide their ball through general space and into different deck rings.
End To End – A 2v2 soccer skill application activity designed to get students engaged in dribbling, passing, and trapping, in a competitive game situation.
Foot Dribble Stop & Go – A skill practice activity designed to get students engaged in foot dribbling while moving in general space and starting/stopping on a signal.
Hoop Kick Challenges – A kicking activity that gets students working in a small group to try several different challenges with a hula hoop.
Kicking For Critters – A small group activity designed to practice kicking at a hoop in order to collect a critter.
Protect The Pin – An individual activity where players attempt to kick balls and knockdown other players’ pins while trying to keep their own pin from getting knocked down.
Soccer Minefield – A foot dribbling activity designed to help students work on ball control in an individual game format.
Soccer Tag – A simple tag game where tagged players get rescued when a ball is passed/dribbled between their feet.
Soccer With The Champs – A soccer activity designed to help students work on kicking accuracy and trapping in a 1 v 1, champions vs challengers format.
Team Pin Knockdown – Be the team with the last pin standing in this large group soccer activity designed to help students work on kicking for accuracy.
Want more than just soccer unit resources for elementary physical education class? Learn more about our full slate of elementary PE lesson plans made in partnership with our K-5 expert Mike Graham.
Get Free Sample Lessons!
Explore our K-5 Curriculum with these select Lesson Plans from some of our most popular Units. Each lesson includes a one page lesson overview, equipment checklist, game setup, teaching cues, standard alignment and more!
Sample Lesson From PLT4M’s Soccer Games For Elementary PE
Check out one of PLT4M’s soccer games for elementary PE. Featured in this blog is one of the soccer kicking games for PE, “Kicking For Critters.”
In each lesson, PLT4M provides the following materials and resources for successful implementation of fun and exciting PE games and activities:
Activity Sheet – Great For Lesson Prep or PE Sub Plans!
Equipment Checklist
Game Set Up
Step by Step Directions
Best Practices
Key Takeaways on Soccer Games for Elementary PE
There are countless modified games to incorporate soccer for elementary grade level students.
Combined, you can create an amazing soccer unit for PE class that supports all skill levels as they develop fundamental skills such as ball control, dribbling, passing, and shooting.
While this blog post just scratches the surface, PLT4M has countless unit resource packs, sample lesson plans, and more! Reach out to learn more about how you can empower PE with PLT4M!
Bonus – Check Out Other Elementary Physical Education Content
- PE Games For Elementary
- Elementary PE Lesson Plans
- Elementary Physical Education Curriculum
- Throwing And Catching Games For Elementary PE
- Jump Rope Activities For Elementary PE
- Basketball Games For Elementary PE
- Teaching Underhand Roll Via Bowling Lesson Plans
- Mike Graham, PE Teacher, Partners With PLT4M
;
