Dribble Across A Square (U6 and up)

U-6 Coaches Read This:
For U-6, make the square 5 or 6 adult steps wide and have the players just dribble across and stop (don't have them turn and dribble back). As soon as they have all dribbled across, have them all face inward and dribble back across to the opposite side and stop. Continue this approach of dribbling across and stopping each time until they have crossed the square 6 to 8 times (each trip across is "one"). Don't try to teach turns and don't keep score, just encourage them all and have fun. The benefit of this for U-6 is learning to dribble in traffic. Tell them to focus on their own ball and to NOT try to kick anyone else's ball.

Comment:
This is the best way to teach dribbling and how to use the bottom of the foot & the inside & outside of the foot to stop the ball and turn. Easy set-up & everyone has a ball. This is a great warm-up. It is 10 times better than dribbling through cones & is a good way to evaluate dribbling skill. This game helps children's brains to learn to process a lot of activity, to use peripheral vision, and to make correct, instinctive decisions and maintain composure when under pressure and in heavy traffic..
Teaches:

* Control dribbling, to look up while dribbling & how to do a "Pullback" (aka "Drag Back"), "Stop/Turn", "Cutback" & "Hook Turn". Players learn to use peripheral vision, to shield the ball when in traffic, and that they can speed up if they get in the clear. It is a "self-teaching" game and playing the game really teaches these skills and self-confidence & composure in heavy traffic & under pressure. It also teaches composure in chaotic situations and how to recognize openings in traffic and when it's safe to speed up. You will notice an improvement in "field vision" and "field awareness" (the ability to see opportunities in a crowd and across a field, and to make quick, instinctive, correct decisions).

Set-up:

* Use 4 disk cones to make a square about 10 or 12 steps wide (smaller or larger depending on age & number of players)

* Every player has a soccer ball

* Spread players around the square, all facing inward:

The Game:

* All players start on "Go" & each player dribbles across the square & back. (Tell them to dribble to the imaginary line on the opposite side of the square, make a turn & dribble back to where they started. Point out at the first of the game that the cones create an imaginary "Starting Line" and "Turning Line" for each player).

* " Must do a "Pullback", a "Stop/Turn", a "Cutback" or a "Hook Turn" to turn. (Do a Pullback, aka a "Drag Back", by putting the bottom of the foot on top of ball to stop it & pull it back in the direction you came from. Do a Hook Turn by pulling the toes up & turning the foot so the outside of the foot can "hook" the ball, stop it & pull it back. A Cutback uses the inside of the foot to hook the ball). See photos of a Pullback (called a "Drag Back"), Hook, Cutback & Stop/Turn at www.fa-soccerstar.com (click "Turning" on the left side and then "How To Master" on the right side above the photo).

* Tell players to look up while they dribble so they don't run into each other (don't worry, there won't be many collisions).

* Each player keeps count of his or her trips across the square. The first to 12 is the winner (each time he turns is "one"). Tell players to yell "Done" when finished and ask each soccer player his score after each game.

* Play 3 games; 1st to 12, then to 10, then to 8. Play at the start of practice as a warm-up and at the end of practice until dribbling skills improve or your team gets tired of this game. For beginners, let them decide how to turn using the method they are most comfortable with. For advanced or select players, require a Pullback one game, then a Hook, then a Cutback. Let a "Stop/Turn" count for a Pullback.

* After your team has played this game in a few practices, make the square larger so it is less crowded. This will let players speed up when they get in open space. Tell them that they can go faster if they kick the soccer ball in front of them, but they MUST still keep control of the ball. If they kick it too far, they won't be able to make their turn. In most games, a player will lose the game if he or she loses control of the ball even once. The game is self-teaching, but it is helpful for the coach to be encouraging and to point out how players can improve their performance.

Teaching Points:

* "Control Dribbling" - When in traffic, keep the ball close to your feet so you can protect it ("shield" it) and learn how to look up while dribbling by keeping the ball close to your feet so you know where it is.

* "Speed Dribbling" - When you get "open" (out of traffic), you can kick the ball using the inside of foot or the "laces" & run to it so you can go faster, but you must still keep it under control so you can turn.

* How to do a "Pullback", "Stop/Turn", "Hook Turn", and a "Cutback".

Article Source: http://www.sportspracticedrills.com

This soccer practice drill provided by: www.soccerhelp.com

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