Dribbling warmup
Focus of the Drill
This drill helps players to learn how to touch the ball with all parts of their feet, and so it is a great warm up drill. If your players’ footwork and dribbling skills need improvement, then this is the perfect dill with which you can begin practices.
Setup
You can either utilize the center circle of the field, or build yourself a circle with cones. Have the players each pick a ball and start dribbling inside the circle one at a time.
How to play
The players may dribble in any way while they are inside the circle, but they must use both feet for 2 minutes.
Get the players to juggle the ball from one foot to the other, alternating from right to left, for 1 minute.
Get the players to follow this pattern when dribbling, by using both the inside and the outside of their feet: right foot - inside, outside, inside, outside; then repeat with the left foot: inside, outside, inside, outside and continue to switch feet. This needs to be done for 2 minutes.
Get players to juggle the ball with their thighs and feet, switching continuously for 1 minute.
Get the players to work on cuts and turns by cutting the ball quickly, and follow that up with a short sprint. The players need to be using both the inside and outside of their feet, and they must stay with the ball when they cut. This must be done for 2 minutes.
Tell the players to juggle the ball with their feet and pop the ball to their chest before letting the ball fall back down to the feet. This must be done for 1 minute.
Get the players to play as fast as they can on cuts and turns while also avoiding collisions. They must work hard for 1 minute completely.
Coaching Tips
As a coach, make note of the following:
The player must be aware of his surroundings and should lift his head to do so. This will assist players in avoiding other players and finding space to dribble the ball.
The players must keep the ball very close by while moving about in congested areas. This allows them to maintain greater control over the ball, for avoiding other players and obstructions.
The players must utilize all parts of their feet while dribbling (inside, outside, top, bottom).