Dribbling is an absolutely crucial skill for soccer players, and yet it is often neglected by many coaches. It seems players and coaches have a tendency to focus on shooting, defending, and set pieces; however, dribbling drills will help players to become more comfortable and confident on the ball, as well as improving ball control while helping them to beat defenders.
That’s why training drills like the ones below should be part of every soccer team practice.
To work on basic dribbling, have the players stand in a circle and place two cones in the middle. Players should dribble to the center, round both cones, and pass the ball to a team mate. The player should then take their teammate's place in the circle.
Along with fundamental soccer dribbling skills, this drill is also a good way for players to learn each other's names and work on their communication. The player receiving the pass should call for their teammate to pass, while the player dribbling should call their teammate's name as they pass the ball. Getting into the habit of communicating with each other is good practice for playing games.
As players improve, this drill can be made more difficult by adding a second ball. Players must then be more aware of movement around them to avoid the player who is dribbling with the other ball, as well as avoiding the cones.
Split your team into groups of around 4-8 players and give each group one ball. Have your groups line up single file and place 5-10, spaced about every three feet, in front of each group.
The groups will race each other, one player at a time, by dribbling through the cones in a zig-zag pattern.
When the player reaches the end of the cones, he or she will turn and sprint-dribble back and pass the ball off to the next teammate in line, who will then repeat the pattern. The group who gets all players through the cones and back to the starting position first wins the race.
It’s important with this drill to try to keep the teams as evenly matched as possible. If one team gets too far ahead, they are liable to start showing off, which stops them from improving their skills and can also damage the confidence of players in the trailing groups.
Arrange lines of cones similar to the relay race, but this time use more cones and put them closer together; about18-20 inches apart works well for this drill. This time players must run over the cones – with one foot either side – and pass the ball between each cone to their other foot.
This helps players to develop two-footed dribbling skills, which can be invaluable in games. Players who can only use one foot are notoriously predictable to defend against.
Dribbling drills can be combined with other drills to help players improve their ability in more than one area. The easiest way to do this is to have the player perform a drill close to a goal, and have them complete the drill with a shot on goal.
Passing drills can also be built in; as the player completes their dribbling drill, have them pass to the next teammate in line to begin their drill.
Along with training multiple skills at one time, combining drills in this manner can help to improve player focus as they have to pay attention in order to transition from dribbling to shooting or passing. That kind of diversity in training can also help prevent boredom and drill fatigue.