Coaches Training Tips: Dribbling

Coaching Tips For Dribbling

Ages U6-U8

 

Dribbling is one of the most important things a child can learn when first learning the game of soccer. The entire game revolves around being able to dribble and control the ball with your feet. In order to develop this skill, players must use different drills and exercises to become familiar with the ball at their feet. Below is a few different drills that players can do at a younger age to begin developing and improving their skills with a ball.

 

 

Retrieve

The coach begins this drill by throwing the ball in different directions for each player. Players can use different parts of their body to bring the ball back as fast as they can. For example, dribbling the ball with both hands. After a few rounds of different ways to bring the ball back, players must only use their feet and must get the balls back to the coach as quickly as possible.

 

The purpose of this drill is to teach children to move towards a target and to also get to the ball as fast as they can.

 

 

Body Part Dribble

In an area about the size of a center circle, have the children each dribble a ball around while avoiding each other. Yell out body parts such as "elbows", "knees", "head" and "hands" so that the children must dribble the ball with the designated body part while still trying to avoid running into one another.

This drill teaches kids to react quickly and also to keep the ball close

so they can stop it sooner.

Hospital Tag

Create a space appropriate for the number of players. Have players dribble inside the space while trying to tag one another. Once a player is tagged 3 times, they must go to the hospital. The hospital is a space about 10-15 feet away where they will have to go to "get well". In order to re-enter the game, players must do a task (Ex: 6 toe touches on the ball). After the task is completed they may re-enter the game with a fresh start.

 

Hospital tag teaches players to move quickly while

avoiding other players and keeping control of the ball.

 

 

Gates Dribble

Gates are placed throughout a designated area. Make sure there are more gates than children. Gates should only be 2 feet wide. Players will have a designated time, such as 20 seconds, to see how many gates they can go through. Players must go through a different gate before returning to the same gate. Each time the game is played, players are encouraged to try and beat their previous score.

 

This drill encourages players to develop ball control at fast paces as well as control the ball when turning.