Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): U10s Dribbing Session 1

Warm-up (5 mins)

Key Factors

• Ball familiarisation
• Dribbling and touch familiarisation
• Dribbling through cones
• Avoiding contact

Organisation

• 4 squares, 2 with no cones, 2 with cones
• Split players into two groups
• Start off with getting familiar with touch and dribbling
• After 2-3 mins each group moves clockwise into area with cones
• Ask players to dribble through cones and avoid contact and collision with others 

Skill Practice 1 (15 mins)

Key Factors

• Add pressure to the previous technique
• Concentrate on the mechanics in a more realistic opposed environment
• Pair similar level players together to maximise effort and compatibility.

Organisation

• Moving on from Skill session where the areas have previously been defined.
• Reds now become attackers during the initial drill and blues become defenders.
• Building on the technique session now a defender is introduced to put pressure on the dribbling player.
• The dribbling player should look to beat the defender using the dribbling techniques previously used.
• Successful dribble past player and pass to the opposite end score 1 point for the red team. 
• Successful interception score 1 point for blue team.
• Half-way through period, swap the red and blue (or whatever colours are being used) such that the previous attackers become defenders and the previous defenders become attackers.
• Same scoring exists.
• Add up scores within individual areas and then as a whole.

Progression:

• Weaker foot for strong dribblers
• Narrow area or lengthen area for strong dribblers

• Widen the area or shorten the length
• Delay the defender or as defender to use weaker foot

Penalty Shoot-out (10 mins)

Key Factors

• Fun
• Opportunity to level up scoring between teams throughout session

Organisation

• Teams have previously been split
• Penalty shoot-out to end on a bit of fun