Walk down the high streets of London, Madrid, or any major city in Europe, and you are bound to see some man or woman performing keepie uppies for an audience. These performers are quite good at their art and it is quite easy to think that keepie uppies are just a trick with little value for football players.

However, keepie uppies do have a purpose and football players can gain plenty of benefits from doing them. Players may not become stars capable of performing for large audiences, but they can improve skills for other areas of their games.

Consistency

Doing consistent keepie uppies teaches players to not only keep the ball in the air and off the ground, but it teaches concentration. Football takes concentration and keepie uppies give them the opportunity to work on this important skill.

Touches and Touch

Repeated touches give players familiarity with the ball and teach players to have a soft touch. A strong touch will send the ball flying off. In addition, players will gain coordination playing with both feet as they juggle the ball.

Weak Foot Practice

Keepie uppies give players the chance to work on their weaker feet. Players juggle the ball and take soft touches improving their touch with the weak foot. Balance can also be improved practising keepie uppies. Balance is important for players of all positions. Getting knocked off the ball allows teams to lose possession. Balance is used in other areas as well from shooting to passing.

Receiving Passes

Consistent keepie uppies can also improve the way a player opens up their body to receive a pass from a teammate. Receiving a pass means players need to open up their bodies to accept the ball properly. In addition to opening up their bodies, players improve their first touch when receiving passes.