Dribbling Moves – It is important for young players to get comfortable and confident on the ball. Part of this confidence stems from building a repertoire of moves to use in the flow of play. Obviously, if certain moves are practiced correctly at an early stage in a player’s development, they become second nature and will benefit the player when he or she is playing at an older, more competitive level where the emphasis is on anticipation and quick decision making. There are a number of moves out there in the soccer world, and encourage your players to experiment in this regard, but here six videos that demonstrate the proper technique of several attacking and turning moves. During practice, encourage your players to rise above the tendency of just going through the motions. They should have fun with selling the fake and should always practice incorporating a burst of speed at the end of the move to gain separation from the potential defender.
Scissor Dribble -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=602
Matthews Dribble -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=624
Inside/Outside -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=604
Inside Hook Turn -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=336
Outside Hook Turn -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=337
Drag Back Turn -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=279 -- After dragging the ball back, I prefer players to use the outside of the same foot to push the ball into space in the opposite direction. I believe this technique helps players execute the move faster and create quick separation from a defender.
Colored Cones -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=260 -- This is an exercise where players can practice dribbling, turning, and 1v1 moves. If you don’t have multi-colored cones, you can use pinnies or even other soccer balls. With the different colored cones, the players must keep their heads up and be aware of their specific responsibilities. Encourage every player to focus on proper technique while performing their moves.
1v1 to Two Goals -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=488 -- Once your players become comfortable dribbling the ball and have experimented with different moves, you can run an exercise like this where they get to explore the techniques they have learned. Be careful not to over-coach because you want your younger players to be creative, try new things, and learn from their failures. Using a situation with two goals allows you to develop the concept of using moves to fake one intention and execute another.
1v1 Endzone -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=418&pro=1 -- This is another option for practicing 1v1 attacking and defending. Notice how the angled approach by the defender creates an opportunity to introduce the importance of the attacker’s first touch. Encourage your players to use their first touch to their advantage. A productive first touch gives the attacker a huge leg up and promotes the all important soccer concept of knowing what you want to do with the ball before you receive it. Also, note the quick restarts, allowing the players plenty of repetitions and touches.
Numbers Game -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=525&pro=1 -- This is a common game used in practice to promote one-on-one attacking and defending. It can be a great follow-up game after practicing proper technique. When I run this with younger teams, I change players much more frequently than the coach in the video (I hate having young players stand around for too long). But I do love the fact that the coaches always have balls ready in order to enable fast restarts and not disrupt the flow of the game. You can advance this game by calling two or three numbers so that the 1v1 now becomes a 2v2 or 3v3.
Mini World Cup -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=268 -- Most of us know the popular practice game “World Cup,” but the problem with the traditional form of this game is that is usually resembles a chaotic form of half court basketball and often falls short in addressing important soccer concepts. This new version of World Cup incorporates a directional element as well as demands other tactical and technical ideas. Note how when a team gets scored on, the player on the field is replaced by his or her teammate. If that team is scored on again, then they are eliminated and the game continues with three teams. If need be, you can add a third player to each team, although this adds to the total number of players standing around. Have a number of balls ready for quick restarts so as not to disrupt the flow or tempo of the game.
