How to Practice Soccer Dribbling: Soccer Training Drills

Cones are an essential aid for dribbling drills.

Dribbling is an essential skill in soccer. The ability to run with the ball at your feet, under close control, is one that is utilized by players in every position throughout competitive soccer matches and training sessions. Use a wide range of dribbling drills to help hone and train this most fundamental of skills.

Things You'll Need

• Cones
• Soccer balls

Instructions

Anatomy Dribbling

1. Introduce the game "anatomy dribbling," which represents a fun dribbling drill to get your players ready for a training session.

2. Give each player a ball and mark out a square of cones. Instruct your players that they must keep the ball within the confines of the square using the body part you call out. Adjust the size of the square depending upon how many players are present.

3. Call out different body parts such as "left foot," "head," "chest" or "right knee" and make sure players use only that body part to control the ball. Penalize any player who uses the incorrect body part or allows the ball to escape the cone square by having him sit on the touchline for two minutes.

One vs. One

1. Set up a corridor of cones that is approximately 15 yards wide and runs halfway across the soccer pitch. Situate one "neutral" player at each end of the corridor who can only move up and down the end of the rectangle and cannot enter the corridor. Designate one player as the "dribbler" and the other as the "defender."

2. Instruct one neutral player to pass the ball to the dribbler, who, while keeping the ball within the confines of the cone corridor, must dribble past the defender and pass the ball to the neutral player at the far side.

3. Switch the dribbler and the defender around every time the defender wins the ball from the dribbler or every time the ball leaves the confines of the cone corridor.

4. Swap the two neutral players with the dribbler and the attacker every two minutes to ensure this drill maintains a fast pace and includes every player in the training session.

Indoor Dribbling and Passing Drill

1. Set up this drill indoors, as it requires the use of a wall, by placing one cone 5 yards away from one wall and another cone 15 yards away from the opposite wall.

2. Instruct players to line up on the left-hand side of the cone 15 yards from the wall and take turns dribbling the ball across the room until they reach the cone 5 yards from the opposite wall.

3. Challenge players to pass the ball around the left-hand side of the cone so it bounces back into their path around the other side of the cone. Instruct players that they should attempt to recontrol and dribble the ball as efficiently as possible after they have played their one-two with the wall around the cone.

Winger Taking on Outside Fullback

1. Designate three "attackers" and three "defenders," who must remain inside the 18-yard box and a "goalkeeper" to perform his duties in the goal.

2. Set up a corridor of cones that runs from the halfway line to 18 yards from goal along one touchline. Use the touchline as one side of the corridor and set up a line of cones 15 yards inside the pitch as the other side of the corridor.

3. Designate one set of players as "dribblers" and the another player as "fullback." Instruct dribblers that, one by one, they must dribble the ball from the halfway line and evade the fullback while keeping the ball inside the corridor before crossing the ball targeting their three attackers in the 18-yard box.

4. Award the winner five points for every goal scored from his cross and two points if he successfully plays a cross; penalize him two points every time he fails to negotiate the corridor, either by the ball leaving the confines of the cones or the fullback winning the ball.

5. Rotate the players around each of the roles (except for goalkeeper) so players have a chance to operate as defenders, attackers, fullbacks and dribblers.

Tips & Warnings

• Always take care when handing out coaching tips or criticism. All people are different and respond differently to different interactions, so take a note of how different players react to criticism and be careful not to over-criticize.

• Make sure you have enough room to complete your drills, as operating in too small a space can lead to collisions, which lead to injuries.

References

• Footy 4 Kids: Anatomy Dribbling
• Soccer Drill S: Game 2 --- Soccer Dribbling Drills
• Soccerxpert: Indoor Dribbling and Passing Drill
• Soccerxpert: Winger Taking on Outside Fullback

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish