One of the skills that youth players often don’t get as much work on as they need to is their dribbling skills. It’s one of those skills that, in a perfect world, young players would perfect by practicing moves in their yard or in pickup games away from a coach or exercise. Unfortunately, that just does not happen as much in the United States as it does in other countries.
To counteract this, it is important for youth coaches to incorporate a variety of dribbling exercises into their sessions. Having players dribble through cones has its place for particularly young players, but that can’t be all that is done. Various drills utilizing change of pace, quick cuts and touches on the ball with both feet are much better options.
Here are a few exercises that you can try at your next session:
The Magic Box
Put down four cones in a box shape where they are spaced out between five and eight yards. Make an outer box with four cones so that the inner box is a good 15-20 yards away (less is the players are very young). Situate your players at each of the four outside cones. The first player in each line should have a soccer ball at their feet.
Variation 1: Have each player dribble at the “magic box” in the middle at a comfortable speed. They must dribble around one of the four cones except the cone closest to their line before dribbling back to where they started from. Once rounding the cone, each player should dribble as quickly as they can back to the line. It’s important to have each player looking up while entering the box since there will be three other players doing the same thing. This makes players utilize their vision and keeps them from looking down at the ball while dribbling.
Variation 2: Each player has to enter one of the four sides of the box and exit from one of the sides that is not directly in line with them. For example, if a player dribbled through the bottom side of the box, he/she should not exit through the top part of the box, but instead should cut to the right or left and exit out of one of the sides. After exiting the box, the players should dribble to the line which is closest to them.
Variation 3: Have each player make a minimum of two “moves” while inside the box. It’s best to stress that simple feints to one side and a cut to the opposite side is a great option rather than endless step over moves or something that only a player like Ronaldinho would ever try in a game. Once the moves are executed, the players should dribble to the line directly across from them.
Chelsea
This exercise is not only great for players to practice dribbling, but it also involves the goalkeeper(s) and some passing.
To start, have four cones in a box spaced out 25-35 yards. Have your field players separated into four even groups at each cone, with the goalkeeper or goalkeepers standing in the middle of the box with gloves on.
To begin the exercise, have the first player in one of the lines at the bottom of the box hit a hard pass/shot on the ground at the goalkeeper — one that can be handled. As the goalkeeper makes a play for the ball, the player should be following his/her pass. Once the goalkeeper collects the ball, he should roll it to his left in the path of the on-running player, who will then dribble the ball to the player in the line diagonally across from him. That receiving player then speed dribbles the ball in a straight line to the line directly in front of him at the bottom of the box.
As soon as the goalkeeper has laid off a ball to the original passer, the first player in line at the other cone at the bottom of the box should make his pass to the goalkeeper and follow through with the same directions.
You’ll now have the two lines at the bottom of the box alternating between playing balls into the goalkeeper and following their pass to dribble to the opposite side of the box. The players at the top of the box are simply waiting to receive balls to speed dribble to the lines at the bottom of the box.
Some variations to this exercise include having players hit driven balls and chip shots to the goalkeeper. If you have multiple goalkeepers, have them stand together and alternate with every ball to keep the exercise flowing as quickly as possible.
Takeover Drill
In a grid of 20-25 yards, have each player dribbling with a ball throughout the coned-in area. Provide a specific command for each stanza so that the players can work on a different skill. For example, for one minute have them each dribble only with their weak foot or solely with the outside of their foot. Wile this is happening, either blow a whistle or call out “switch” every 30 seconds or so. When you do this, each player should leave his ball and run on to a teammates’ ball. Once a new ball is found, each player should continue dribbling in the area.
By having the players switch so often, it forces them to keep the ball close while dribbling and to be aware enough to listen to commands and to keep in view their teammates within the grid.
Variations to this exercise include having each player execute a move during a takeover, such as a Cruyff pullback, a step over or a pull back and cut to the left or right upon running onto each ball.
