Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): Session 5 - Dribbling

Up or Down (10 mins)

Set-Up -

Split the group up into 2 equal teams. Place 20 cones in the area 10 up and 10 down. Team 1 has to turn cones down and Team 2 has to turn cones up. 30-second game. The team with the most cones facing their way at the end of the 30-seconds are the winners. Mix up, teams.

Key Coaching Points -

Explain briefly and demonstrate the game

• Players should understand the rules of the game and focus on having fun.

  
  Enthusiasm
  
  

• Make sure the players are working hard to increase their heart rate and have fun.

  
  Encourage players to use different movements
  
  

• Walking, running, sprinting, dodging, and jumping.

1v1 (10 mins)

Set-Up -

Set up two areas, as seen in the above image, with 2 goals in the corners and 6 players per square.

To begin, the defender passes through the legs of the defender and tries to land the ball on the cone on the opposite side of the defender and attacker (weight of pass). Once the pass is made, the attacker is active and needs to sprint to the ball to try and lose the defender. The defender is also active and should try and win the ball.

Once the attacker has the ball, they should aim to get to one of the two goals to their left or right behind them.

The attacker receives one point for dribbling through one of the goals. If the defender wins the ball, they must also dribble to one of the goals to score a point. The player who has the most points per square wins.

Once the attacker has attacked, they then join the defending line and vice versa.

Key Coaching Points -

First touch

• Players need to take their first touch towards a goal they have selected or that is more open depending on the position of the defender. The first touch should be an inside or outside hook, whilst also looking to us body feints to confuse the defender.

  
  Retain possession
  
  

• Checking their shoulder and putting their hand out to feel what is behind them, attackers can see if the defender is close. Players need to retain the ball by 'hiding' the ball with their back, with the attacker being in-between the defender and the ball.

  
  Power away into space
  
  

• Once getting past the defender, players should look to power into space at speed to get to one of the goals as quickly as possible.