Coaching skills - Dribbling with the ball.
3rd February 2011

• Create a square of between 10-20 metres depending on the number of players you have training.

• Each player has a ball.

• Players dribbling the ball around the square and either stop the ball or change direction on your command.

Ensure the players keep the ball close to their body at all times and that they look up, avoiding other players in the square.

This exercise teaches the players to control the ball and to be aware of what is around them.

• Create a square of between 10-20 metres depending on the number of players you have training.

• Each player has a ball.

• Players dribbling the ball around the square.

• RED, when the coach holds up a red cone all the players stop.

• GREEN, when the coach holds up a green cone all the players make a turn.

• BLUE, when the coach holds a blue cone up, all the players do a short sprint.

This exercise can be used as a warm-up. It encourages the players to control and dribble the ball, but also ensures they look up and keep an eye on the visual instructions of the coach.

• Create a square of between 10-20 metres depending on the number of players you have training.

• Each player has a ball, except one player.

• Players dribbling the ball around the square.

• The player without a ball attempts to tackle the ball from a player and kick it out of the square.

• The player then retrieves the ball and continues.

This exercise encourages shielding of the ball, and can be moved onto the next phase by making the player who loses the ball become and attacker trying to tackle the ball off the a player with a ball.

The game ends when all the players have had the ball tackled from them.