How to Dribble a Soccer Ball

Dribbling a soccer ball is not easy. It's not only necessary for moving the ball up the field, but a vital part of ball control in general. The best soccer players in the world are known for their great dribbling.

Instructions

Dribble the Soccer Ball in a Break Away

1. Kick the ball about 6 yards ahead of you. Do this when there are no defenders in front of you and you want to run at full speed.

2. Run at full speed to the soccer ball and then kick the ball 6 yards ahead of you again. Notice that by using this dribbling technique, you hardly ever need to slow down.

3. Kick the ball 6 yards past a defender. If a defender is in your way while you are running full speed, kick the ball out of reach of the his feet. Because you are already running faster than the defender, you will have enough of a head start to run around him and regain the soccer ball before he can react.

Dribble the Soccer Ball Past a Defender

1. Keep the ball close. If you are facing off against a defender one on one, your body is your safeguard against a steal. If you keep the ball between your legs, your opponent will have a hard time reaching in and stealing the ball.

2. Feign as if you are breaking in one direction. You want to get the defender to lean in this direction. If you force him to lean too far you can kick the ball in the opposite direction and follow it before he has a chance to recover.

3. Dribble past the defender with your body in between your opponent and the ball. This will prevent the defender from reaching in and stripping the ball from you without committing a foul. This, however, requires excellent ball handling skills.

4. Spin as you pass the defender. When you are breaking to your right, hit the ball to your right with the inside of your right foot and begin to spin to your left. You should then keep the ball moving forward by hitting it with the outside of your left foot. Keep spinning until you can hit the soccer ball with the inside of your right foot again and then dribble as normal.

Tips & Warnings

• Dribble the ball using only the outside of your farthest foot.

• Look up intermediate and advanced dribbling techniques online at websites like ExpertFootball.com (see Resources below). At sites like this, you can watch videos of techniques to get a better grasp on them.

• Be careful how far you kick the ball in front of you, so as not to mess up the rhythm of the break away.