Dribbling Coaching Points | Improve Your Ball Control and Agility

Master dribbling with our expert coaching points. Enhance ball control, agility, and technique with detailed guides suitable for all skill levels. Elevate your game with practical tips and drills designed to improve your dribbling skills.

Below you will find a comprehensive list of dribbling coaching points. These are topics that should be in the back of your head when teaching dribbling in soccer. Since dribbling is one of the skills that is learned at an early age, these dribbling coaching points should be etched into your young players minds.

Drill Coaching Points

Here is a bullet list of soccer dribbling coaching points:

• Head Up: Encourage players to keep their heads up and know their surroundings, including teammates, opponents, and space.
• Close Control: Teach players to keep the ball close to their feet to maintain control, using both the inside and outside of the foot.
• Use Both Feet: Emphasize the importance of dribbling with both feet to increase versatility and unpredictability.
• Body Position: Instruct players to lean slightly forward with knees bent and arms out for balance and protection against defenders.
• Change of Pace: Show players how to vary their dribbling speed to keep defenders off balance.
• Change of Direction: Teach techniques like the inside cut and outside cut, and Cruyff turns to change direction quickly and effectively.
• Shielding: Demonstrate how to use their body to protect the ball from defenders, using their arms and body positioning.
• Using Fakes and Feints: Encourage using moves like step-overs, scissors, and shoulder drops to deceive defenders.
• Small Touches: Focus on taking small, controlled touches, especially in tight spaces or when approaching defenders.
• Accelerate Past Defenders: After a successful move or change of direction, instruct players to accelerate quickly to create separation.
• Awareness of Space: Teach players to recognize and exploit open spaces on the field.
• Confidence: Encourage players to be confident and take risks when dribbling, fostering creativity and individual flair.
• Don't Panic: Keep your body under control at all times when dribbling.
• Use Your Arms: Use your arms to balance and protect your space, "holding off" defenders.

These coaching points help players develop their dribbling skills, making them more effective and confident on the ball.