Practice Date: Wednesday, February 14th, 2018
Notes:

This practice session is 70 minutes long and the outline is as follows:

  • Fake out the cone (use progressions and skills you want to teach) - 15 minutes
  • Figure eight ball control - 10 minutes
  • Four Square Dribbling Progressions - 25 minutes
  • 1,2,3 Dribble - 15 minutes
  • Control Burst Dribbling Relay - 15 minutes

Fake out the Cone

Fake out the Cone - Soccer dribbling drill

This soccer drill will work on attacking techniques while dribbling. Players will have a partner and they will be on separate sides of a cone in the middle of the 2 players. 1 Player will start with a soccer ball. When the whistle is blown the player with the ball will dribble forward to the cone, once they reach the cone they will make a move. Have the coach demonstrate a specific move that the players should work on.  The players can start slow and as they become more familiar with the move then they can challenge themselves to do it at a faster pace.  They will then dribble around the cone and pass it to the player on the other side. You can set up as many pairs of players as you want for this soccer drill!

My Drill Notes: 

This drill gives you the opportunity to introduce the dribbling skills you want to work on during the session. For example you could do the following progression:

  • instep across the body (using both feet to work on both directions)
  • outside of foot to the outside of body
  • tap with the inside of the foot then outside of the same foot around the outside of the cone

Figure Eights Ball Control

Figure Eights Ball Control Soccer Drill

This soccer drill is a simple dribbling drill where players will dribble around cones in a figure 8 path. Set up the cones as markers to where the players will dribble around. Once the whistle is blown prompt the players to focus on their footwork while they are dribble around the path. Focusing less on speed and more on technique is important in this soccer drill.

My Drill Notes: 

Use progressions in this drill so players do the first set with the inside of the foot only and then have them use the outside of the foot only.

Four Square Dribbling Series - Soccer Dribbling Drill

Four Square Dribbling Soccer Drill - Weave Variation
Four Square Dribbling Soccer Drill - Gates Variation
Four Square Dribbling Soccer Drill - Pull-Backs Variation
Four Square Dribbling Soccer Drill - Figure Eights Variation

Here is a set up in which you can run your team or group of players through a series of soccer drills focused on dribbling. This is a good setup and because you can keep players moving with less time in line and, in addition to the dribbling skills, they have to make a pass and receive a pass in earch repetition.  To set up the drill place four discs about 20 yards apart with a line of at least two players at each disc. Players that are kity corner from each other will start with the soccer ball. On the whistle the two players at opposite corners will dribble in the same direction and do the dribbling skill that the coach has instructed. At the end of the skill they will pass the ball to the first player in the next line and they will then do the same thing in the same direction towards the next line. There should be two players active at all time. As a coach you can extend the series to as many dribbling skills as you like.  Here are four good ones to get you going.

Weave

This one is a simple dribbling drill where the players weave in and out of the discs. Good variations include:

  • right foot - inside foot only
  • left foot - inside foot only
  • right foot - outside foot only
  • left foot - outside foot only
  • right and left foot - inside foot only
  • right and left foot - outside foot only

Gates

To set up this skill place three sets of two discs as shown in the diagram. Players will run full speed controlling the ball and then tap the soccer ball through the gates, alternating directions through each gate. You can also add good variations to this skill with:

  • tap ball to outside of body using outside of the foot
  • tap ball across body using inside of the foot

Pull Backs

This one might be better for younger players and works on the basic concept of pulling the ball backwards using the bottom of the foot. Players that are more skilled can work on the quickness in which they change directions.

Figure Eights

For this skill the players do a simple figure eight through the cones. This one also gives players an opportunity to work on several varaitions:

  • right foot - outside foot only
  • left foot - outside foot only

1,2,3 Dribble

1,2,3 Dribble - Soccer Dribbling Drill for Kids

For this soccer drill players will be separated into two sides of cones. There will be three sets of cones in a line in the middle. The first will be 1, the second 2, and the third will be 3. Players will each have a ball. They will start to dribble in the area designated by cones when the coach blows the whistle. When the coach blows the whistle a second time, all the players will dribble through the first set of cones (1). They will then dribble on the opposite side until the coach blows the whistle. Once this happens, they will now all dribble through the second set of cones (2). Lastly, they will dribble until they hear the whistle that indicates that they will dribble through the third set of cones (30). Teach players to keep their head of during this drill since the cones will have high traffic between them, they don’t want to bump into one another.
 

Control Burst Dribbling Relay

Control Burst Dribbling Relay

This soccer dribbling drill focuses on controlled dribbling in tight space and explosive controlled dribbling in open spaces.  Players need to keep their eyes up Maintain ball control in open and tight spaces The transition from open to tight spaces is critical Players need to maintain control and execute to win this relay Split players into 2 or 4 teams.