Dribbling and control

Setup

• Each player should have a ball
• Set cones down to make a 40×30 steps field for 10 players
  • If you have more players, make the field larger
  • Anything can be a cone (an article of clothing, a water bottle, any marker)
• Set cones every 10 steps on the perimeter to allow players to see where the boundaries are
• Do not set up any goals
• There will be no challenge from another player or coach for the entirety of the practice
• Demonstrate each drill / game before starting it

Coaching Points

• Use only your feet
  • Show the players all areas of the foot
    • Top (laces), bottom, outside, inside, heel
• Do not use your hands
• Keep the ball in bounds
  • Each player should have plenty of space to play in
    • Players will bunch up, keep separating them to avoid collisions and to provide adequate space
• Keep the ball close to you

Drill 1 – 5 minutes

• Dribble the ball anywhere within the field of play using only your feet
  • Keep explaining to the players that they can use any part of their foot
• Use the entire space
• Keep the ball close to you while running
  • Can the players run and keep the ball under control
  • Players who are walking should be urged to run
  • Players who are running too fast should be urged to slow down in order to stay under control

Drill 2 – 10 minutes

• Players will still dribble anywhere in the field of play
• Every 30 or so seconds, call out a different part of the foot the players will use to dribble the ball
  • Inside, Outside, Top (laces), Bottom (Go here to find short videos showing this dribbling)

Drill 3 – 5 minutes

• Players will still dribble anywhere in the field of play
• Every 30 or so seconds tell the players to stop the ball with the bottom of their foot
  • HINT: The closer they keep the ball the sooner they will stop it
  • Take a few seconds each time to see that everyone has stopped and has the bottom of the foot on top of the ball

Game 1 – Lights – 5 minutes

Objective: Follow directions to get to the opposite side of the field

• Players line up on one of the long (40 steps) sidelines
• You are on the opposite sideline
• Game: Call out a color light
  •  Green light: they run and dribble towards you
  •   Yellow light: they walk and dribble towards you
  •   Red light: they stop the ball with the bottom of their foot – the sooner the better (Remember the HINT from the previous drill: keep the ball close to you)
  •   Disco light: they stop and give you their best dance moves
• After players reach the opposite sideline, you go to the other side and do it again

Drill 4 – 10 minutes

• Players will again dribble anywhere in the field of play
• Every 30 seconds or so call out a part of the body the players will use to stop the ball
  • Do not call hands
  • You can call: foot, knee, behind, tummy, chest, forehead
  • Take a few seconds each time to see that everyone has stopped and has the right part of the body on top of the ball

Game 2 – Lights + Parts – 5 minutes

• Same as Lights except:
  • When calling Green or Yellow you tell them which part of the foot to use to advance the ball
    • Example: Green Inside they advance the ball with the inside of their foot
  • When calling Red you tell them which part of the body to use to stop the ball
    • Example: Red knee they stop the ball with their knee

Game 3 – Ball Retriever – 10 minutes

Objective: Dribble a ball back to your base without running out of bounds

• 2 players go at a time, starting in opposing corners of the field
  • Set up a little base by putting a couple of cones to create a corner
  • Balls are set in the center of the field
• When you say “Go!” the players will run to the balls and each will dribble one of them back to their corner
  • The ball must stay in bounds
  • Players must use their feet only
  • The ball needs to be stopped dead in the corner of the field with the bottom of the foot on top of the ball
  • The objective is not to be faster than the other player, but to stay in bounds
• The next 2 players go…

Team Talk – 5 minutes

• Select a team name
  • Suggestion: offer 3 choices and hold a blind vote to see which of the 3 choices is most popular
• Team cheer
  • 1,2,3 Go “team name”!