Category: Dribbling

This is a simple dribbling race that, at first glance, doesn’t seem to be very interesting but children of all ages love it and my U12s ask to play it at almost every session. It just goes to show that good coaching games don’t have to be complicated!

Objective: To improve running and turning with the ball, dribbling skills, fitness.

Set-up:

• Split your players into pairs. One ball per pair.
• Lay out a straight line of six/eight cones about five yards apart.
• One line of cones per pair of players.

How to play: Both players in each pair stand at one end of their line of cones.

One player dribbles the ball at speed to the first cone in the line, turns quickly and passes the ball back to his partner.

He runs back to his partner, collects the ball and runs with it to the second cone where he passes back and repeats the exercise.

When he has taken the ball round each of the cones in this fashion, it’s his partner’s turn.

The first pair to complete the exercise is the winner.

Coaching points: Ask your players about the difference between dribbling and running with the ball.

Answer: When dribbling, a player keeps the ball close because an opponent is trying to take it away. When running with the ball, a player pushes it into unopposed (i.e. empty) space and runs on to it.

Ask them when they should run with the ball and when they shouldn’t.

Tell your players to try different ways of turning with the ball. Which is the fastest?

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coaching Club.

Objective: To encourage flair and dribbling ability.

Age group: U7s and upwards.

Set up: Create a 40×30 yards area with a goal at each end. Divide your players into teams of four, wearing bibs.

How to play: Normal football rules apply. Games last 10 or 15 minutes.

Pick a player from each team to be “Maradona”.

When Maradona gets the ball, he must try to score a goal by beating the players in front of him. He is not allowed to pass.

If he loses possession or the ball goes out of play, the game restarts.

Coaching notes: Encourage players to express themselves and to use speed and skills.

• Change the players who are Maradona every two or three minutes.

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coaching Club.

Objective: To improve ball dribbling skills.

Age group: U7s to U10s.

This is how to set the game up:

Set out quite a large area. To save using too many cones, use a full-size pitch penalty area (44×18 yards) using the lines as the boundary.

Split the players into three teams of five or six.

Place 18 cones, of three different colours, EG. six red, six yellow and six blue randomly in the playing area.

Three of each colour face upwards (normal position) and three of each colour face down.

Each team is assigned a colour and players are lined up down one side of the penalty area. They each have a ball.

How to play:

On command all the players dribble into the area and go to the cones.

They either turn their own colour the right way up and/or turn the other two colours upside down.

This helps them learn how to dribble in a congested space, dribble at speed and keep the ball under close control.

Then shout “Stop. Compound.”

The players pick up their own ball and run back into a compound, which is a coned-off area alongside the main playing area.

The cones are then counted.

Each team is given two points for every one of their own cones that is the right way up. Then deduct one point from the team whose final player is last to get back to the compound.

Play first to X number of points wins the game or for a set time.

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coaching Club.

Objective: To improve ball dribbling skills.

Age group: U7s to U10s.

This is how to set the game up:

Set out quite a large area. To save using too many cones, use a full-size pitch penalty area (44×18 yards) using the lines as the boundary.

Split the players into three teams of five or six.

Place 18 cones, of three different colours, EG. six red, six yellow and six blue randomly in the playing area.

Three of each colour face upwards (normal position) and three of each colour face down.

Each team is assigned a colour and players are lined up down one side of the penalty area. They each have a ball.

How to play:

On command all the players dribble into the area and go to the cones.

They either turn their own colour the right way up and/or turn the other two colours upside down.

This helps them learn how to dribble in a congested space, dribble at speed and keep the ball under close control.

Then shout “Stop. Compound.”

The players pick up their own ball and run back into a compound, which is a coned-off area alongside the main playing area.

The cones are then counted.

Each team is given two points for every one of their own cones that is the right way up. Then deduct one point from the team whose final player is last to get back to the compound.

Play first to X number of points wins the game or for a set time.

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coaching Club.

“I Need a Doctor!” is a fun game for six to eight-year-olds. It improves their co-ordination, dribbling skills and ability to make decisions.

Set-up: Create a 20-yard square with two 4×4 “hospitals” marked within the square with flat cones.

Divide your players into two teams. Every player has a ball.

How to play: One team dribbles in the playing area while the other team of attackers attempts to hit them with their ball below the knee.

Players who are hit become “patients” and call “doctor!” while holding their ball above their head.

The dribbling team has two “doctors” who are based in the “hospitals”. They can save any of their patients by leaving the hospital and touching them but if either doctor is hit below the knee by a ball, the game is over and the attacking team wins.

Play two minute rounds. If the doctors aren’t hit by a ball, the team with the least number of patients when time is called is the winner.

For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coaching Club.

Objective: To practise dribbling and passing skills.

Age group: U5s to U9s.

Number of players: Whole team, divided into three teams.

Equipment: Several balls (eight for every 12 players), some flat cones.

Set-up: Mark out a 30×8 yard channel with flat cones.

Team 1 and 2 stand opposite each other on either side of the channel. Team 3 (the red team in the image below) wait at one end of the channel. Players in team 1 and team 3 have a ball each.

How to play: You demonstrate how the side-foot pass works.

How to teach the side-foot pass

The players in teams 1 and 2 begin the game by passing to each other across the channel, using the insides of both feet.

After a few seconds, the first player in team 3 sets off. He has to dribble his ball to the other end of the channel without being hit by one of the passes being made between the players in teams 1 and 2.

Players who manage to get to the far end of the channel without being hit by a ball, score one point for their team.

Once all the players in team 3 have run the gauntlet, change the teams around.

When all the teams have had a go, the team with the most points wins.

Progression: Restrict the players in teams 1 and 2 to two-touch.

Tip: If the players in team 3 are getting hit too often, widen the channel. If they are getting to other end too easily, make the channel narrower.