A football rebounder is a board or net, sometimes sold as a rebound wall, that sends the ball back every time your child passes or shoots at it, so they can practise first touch, passing and volleys on their own, without a parent fetching the ball or standing in goal. There are two main types. A rebound board is a low, solid panel that returns ground passes quickly and predictably. A net rebounder is a framed net, usually angled, that returns the ball higher and slower, which suits volleys, chest control and younger children who need more time on the ball.
Which one is right depends on what your child wants to practise, how old they are, and whether it is going on a lawn, 3G or a patio.
Quick Picks: Football Rebounders
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Rebound Boards vs Net Rebounders
The two types look similar in a product listing and behave very differently in a garden.
Rebound boards are a rigid panel, usually polypropylene, on weighted legs. They sit low to the ground and return a pass along the floor at close to the speed it arrived. That makes them a passing wall: the same thing a child gets from kicking a ball against the side of the house, without the noise or the windows. The QuickPlay REPLAY boards have two faces, a flat one for a predictable return and a ribbed one that sends the ball back at slightly random angles, which makes the first touch harder to plan for.
Net rebounders are a steel or fibreglass frame with a tensioned net, set at an angle. The net absorbs some of the pace and throws the ball back up and out, so the return comes back higher and slower. That is what makes them good for volleys, controlling a dropping ball on the thigh or chest, and heading practice for older players. Many have an adjustable frame, so the same net can be set more upright for ground passes or tilted back for balls in the air.
A rough rule:
- Mostly passing and first touch on the ground: a rebound board.
- Volleys, aerial control and a slower return for a young child: a net rebounder.
- Not enough room for a goal and a rebounder: a combined goal and rebounder frame.
A rebound board is also much smaller to store. The REPLAY Station folds flat, which matters if it has to come into the shed or the hallway after every session.
Rebounder vs Kicking a Ball Against a Wall
A solid wall is the cheapest rebounder there is, and for firm ground passes it does much the same job. A rebounder earns its cost in four ways a wall cannot match:
- Angle. A wall only returns the ball along the ground. A lifted board or an angled net sends it back in the air, for volleys, chest and thigh control.
- Noise and damage. A ball hammered against a house wall or a fence a few hundred times an evening is loud, and it marks paintwork and loosens fence panels. A net absorbs most of that.
- Where it goes. A rebounder can sit in the middle of the lawn, with space all round for a child to move, turn and play the ball back from different angles. A wall is wherever the wall is.
- A predictable return. A flat board gives the same return for the same pass, which makes it easy to see whether a pass was good. Brickwork, uneven fencing or a garage door send the ball off at odd angles.
If your child mostly wants ground passing and you have a sturdy wall nobody minds being kicked, try that first. If they want volleys and control, or the wall is the side of the house, a rebounder is the better buy.
Best Football Rebound Boards
Rebound boards are the simpler choice for a child who wants to work on passing. The ball has to be struck firmly and accurately to come back properly, which is useful feedback in itself: a scuffed pass comes back weak and off to one side.
The QuickPlay REPLAY Station is the one we bought. It is 95cm wide and around 24cm high, with legs that flip between two angles: one returns driven passes along the ground, the other lifts the ball for half-volleys and aerial control. It comes with a sandbag to weigh it down (the sand is not included), which helps on a windy day or slippery grass.
He would always put me in goal and ask me to give him "different types" for him to control, but basically he just wanted me to throw it so he could volley. The rebounder we got from QuickPlay has a volley return, so I thought it would be good for practising his passing, since it has to be firm to get the right rebound, and it would save my back from picking up the ball 300 times an hour.
The REPLAY Station XL is the same design, 120cm wide and 37cm high, and heavier. The extra width is the reason to pay more: an older child passing hard with their weaker foot will miss a 95cm board more often than you might think, and every miss is a walk to the bottom of the garden. For a child under about 9, the standard board is plenty.
Both boards are listed for ages 4 and up and work on grass and 3G. QuickPlay's own guidance is not to leave them outdoors for long periods, so plan for somewhere to store one.
Best Football Rebounder Nets
A net rebounder is the better choice for a younger child, or for one who mainly wants to volley and control balls in the air.
The QuickPlay SPOT Rebounder 5x3ft has a steel base and fibreglass uprights, and QuickPlay describes its net as giving a "slower, looping return". For a five or six year old, that slower ball is the difference between controlling it and watching it go past. It comes with ground stakes for grass. On 3G, a patio or any hard surface you need separate base weights, because the stakes have nothing to grip. It is also available in 7x7ft and 8x5ft versions for a bigger garden.
Dual-net or 2-in-1 rebounders put two nets on one frame. The QuickPlay TEKKERS Trainer 2-in-1 has a tall main net with a low second net behind it, so a child can work on ground passes and aerial control without readjusting the frame. It is nearly 2m wide, so it needs a reasonable lawn, and it comes with stakes for grass but needs base weights or sandbags on hard surfaces.
The QuickPlay PRO Rebounder 3x3ft is a smaller, sturdier frame in galvanised, powder-coated steel with a hex net tensioned on bungees. Its angle is fully adjustable, including tilting forward past vertical so the ball comes back low for ground passes. It stands on rubber-weighted feet rather than pegs, which makes it the better net option for a patio, a driveway or a 3G pitch, and it packs into a car boot.
If you would rather buy through Amazon, the most-reviewed budget option is a folding steel-frame rebounder net at around £20, with five angle settings, and there is a wider range of football rebounder nets to compare. Before choosing one, check whether the angle adjusts, how the net is tensioned (bungees can be replaced; a sewn-in net usually cannot), and whether it comes with stakes, weights or both.
Trust the process. Track the progress.
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A Goal and Rebounder in One
If the garden only has room for one piece of kit, a combined frame saves space. The QuickPlay TEKKERS GS Trainer 6x4ft sets up as a caged 6x4ft goal, a flat passing wall, or an angled rebounder for volleys. It is a galvanised steel frame, so it is heavy, and QuickPlay puts the first assembly at around half an hour.
A 6x4ft goal is the size most primary-age children get the most use from at home, which is covered in our guide to the best football goals for kids. If your child already has a goal, a separate board or net is usually the better buy than replacing it.
Which Rebounder for Which Age
Under 7 and Under 8. A net rebounder with a slow return, or a standard rebound board set for ground passes. At this age the aim is lots of touches, and a ball that comes back too fast is just a ball to chase. Use the same size ball they play with, which is a size 3 until Under 11 (see football sizes by age).
Under 9 to Under 11. This is when a rebound board starts to earn its place. Children are passing with more pace and starting to use both feet, and a board gives them a passing partner who never gets bored. A board with a lifted setting, like the REPLAY Station, adds half-volleys once ground passing is going well.
Under 12 and up. Older children strike the ball harder and want more variety: volleys, chest control, one-touch passing at pace. A wider board such as the REPLAY Station XL, or a heavier adjustable net, copes better with a ball hit at full power. A light frame that tips over when a size 4 or 5 is driven into it gets frustrating quickly.
Beginners of any age. A child new to football gets on best with a slow return they can control: a looping net, or a board set for ground passes with them standing a few metres back. Move them further away, or switch to the ribbed face or a faster net, once they are controlling most returns cleanly.
Whatever the age, a rebounder is a practice tool for a child who already wants to practise. It will not create the motivation on its own, and if your child is getting a lot of football already, our guide on how much training is too much is worth a read before adding daily sessions at home.
Surface, Space and Weather
Grass. Ground stakes hold a net rebounder well on a lawn. Boards rely on their weight and sandbag. Both will wear a bare patch in front of them if they stay in one spot, so move them around now and then.
3G and artificial lawns. Stakes are no use here. Look for a rebounder with weighted feet or one that takes base weights or a sandbag. Some artificial lawns at home have a thin pile over hard ground, which also makes the ball run faster than on a club 3G pitch.
Patio and hard standing. A rebound board or a frame with rubber feet works best. Bear in mind that a ball returning off a hard surface skids and bounces more than off grass, which is harder for younger children to control.
Space. Allow room behind the player as well as in front of the rebounder. A child needs to stand several metres back to make a proper pass, and the ball that gets past them needs somewhere to go that is not a neighbour's garden or a greenhouse.
Weather. Every QuickPlay rebounder we have covered here carries guidance not to leave it outdoors for long periods, and on some models leaving it out voids the warranty. Dry it before putting it away after rain. A board that folds flat is far easier to bring in than a net frame that has to be taken apart.
How to Use a Rebounder at Home
A rebounder gets the most use when your child has a few simple games to play against it rather than kicking it aimlessly. Some that work well:
- Two-touch passing. Pass, control with one touch, pass back with the second. Count how many in a row before a mistake.
- Weaker foot only. The same game, weaker foot only. Children avoid their weaker foot in matches, and a rebounder is a low-pressure place to use it.
- Inside, outside, sole. Control the return with a different part of the foot each time, to build the first-touch range coaches look for.
- Half-volleys and volleys. On a lifted setting or a tilted net, strike the ball before it bounces, or on the half-volley, keeping it low.
- Goalkeeping. With a net angled back, a young keeper can throw or kick the ball in and react to the return, which is unpredictable enough to practise catching and quick feet.
- Turn and finish. If there is a goal in the garden, control the return, turn and shoot. This is where a combined goal and rebounder frame earns its money.
Many of these work alongside the session plans in our football drills for 7 and 8 year olds, and passing at a target under time pressure feeds into the decisions covered in our guide to improving football decision-making.
Buying a Rebounder as a Present
Rebounders are a popular Christmas and birthday present for football-mad children, because they keep getting used after the wrapping paper has gone, and they can be used without a parent. Two practical points:
- Order early. Rebounders and goals are seasonal stock, and popular models can sell out in the run-up to Christmas.
- Set it up before the day. A rebound board takes seconds, but a net frame or a combined goal and rebounder needs assembly, and the bigger ones take a while the first time.
Our guide to football gifts for kids covers other presents by age and budget if a rebounder is one part of a bigger present.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a football rebounder?
A football rebounder is a board or net that returns the ball to the player when they pass or shoot at it. It lets a child practise passing, first touch and volleys on their own, without someone to pass back or fetch the ball.
What is a rebounder net used for?
A rebounder net is used to practise passing, first touch, volleys and ball control alone, because the angled net returns the ball to the player. Tilted back, it sends the ball up for chest, thigh and volley practice; set more upright, it returns ground passes.
What size is a football rebound board?
Most home rebound boards are around 1m wide and well under half a metre high. The QuickPlay REPLAY Station is 95cm wide and about 24cm high, and the REPLAY Station XL is 120cm wide and 37cm high. Wider boards suit older children whose passes are harder and less accurate.
Is a rebound board or a net rebounder better?
A rebound board is better for ground passing and first touch, because it returns the ball quickly and predictably along the floor. A net rebounder is better for volleys, aerial control and younger children, because the return is slower and higher.
What age is a football rebounder suitable for?
Most rebounders are listed for children aged 4 or 5 and up. Younger children usually get on better with a slow-returning net or a board set for ground passes, while older children need a wider board or a heavier frame that copes with harder shots.
Can you use a football rebounder on a patio or 3G?
Yes, but check how it is anchored. Ground stakes only work on grass. On a patio, 3G or an artificial lawn, choose a board with a weighted base or sandbag, or a net frame with rubber feet or base weights.
Can a football rebounder be left outside?
Most manufacturers advise against leaving a rebounder outdoors for long periods, and for some models it voids the warranty. A rebound board that folds flat is the easiest type to bring in after each session.
Are football rebounders worth buying?
Yes, for a child who will practise on their own: a rebounder gives them far more touches of the ball than waiting for someone to pass back, especially on their weaker foot. The improvement comes from regular, focused use, such as short passing and control games, rather than from owning one, so it is less worthwhile for a child who only plays when a parent joins in.
