
Staying on the ball – Warm-Up
in Soccer dribbling drills, Warm Ups
Allow your players to develop confidence and technique in this three-part session. By HANNAH DUNCAN MORE
All across the country you will hear the instruction “take him on”, but you cannot expect your players to have the confidence to take on and beat an opponent in a match, unless you practise in training.
Warm up | Session | Developments | Game Situation | Warm Down |
---|---|---|---|---|
10 minutes | 15 minutes | 15 minutes | 15 minutes | 5 minutes |
Divide the area into nine, five-yard sections, as in the top picture. Place one defender in alternate zones, with neutral zones separating them (i.e. defender-neutral-defender-neutral etc.)
Attackers take turns to try and dribble the ball the length of the grid past each defender in turn. Defenders cannot enter the neutral zones. After a set time the defenders and attackers switch roles.
Attackers try to dribble the ball past defenders in alternate zones.
Play 5v5 on a pitch as in the middle picture. Both teams defend their goal line and attack the opposition’s line.
Players can pass to each other until one of them can dribble the ball across the opposite goal line to earn a point.
But they treble their points if an individual reaches the opponent’s goal line after dribbling the ball past an opponent.
Two teams face each and try to dribble across the opposite goal line. Treble points if one does so after beating an opposition player.
Play a small-sided game in an area similar to the one shown in the bottom picture – make it larger or smaller depending on how many players you use.
Split the area into three zones and impose the following restrictions:
There are no restrictions on players moving between zones.
Players can pass in their defensive third, pass and dribble in the centre and must dribble the ball in the attacking third.