DRILL ONE
How do I set this drill up?
Place two discs five yards apart with a football in-between.
How do I do this drill?
Position yourself over the top of the ball, with your feet either side. Jog on the spot with your feet as close to the ball as possible without touching it. Start knocking it from side-to-side with the inside of your feet using a cutting action. Keep the ball under control between the two discs.
What are the key coaching points?
Start slowly and add speed to the movement once you’ve perfected the mechanics. Work both feet equally to achieve technical balance. When performing the ball mastery moves stay loose, with your knees slightly bent and your weight forwards so you’re on the balls of your feet. Keep your head up so you can see what’s going on around you.
How do I progress this drill?
As you're performing toe taps have a partner move around in front of you, randomly flashing up two coloured discs, which you have to look up and identfy with a verbal call. See how many toe taps you can perform in 30 seconds, record your score and see if you can improve it each time. Perform toe taps on the move in-between your two discs - forwards, backwards and sideways.
How will this drill help?
It develops technical skill, improving your ability to control the ball with both feet. The progression challenges you to keep your head up while in possession, which is great when you're in a game and scanning the field for on-rushing opponents and teammates calling for a pass. It also forms the building blocks for more advanced moves for beating defenders in a 1v1 situation.
DRILL TWO
How do I set this drill up?
Place two discs five yards apart to create a starting gate and another 10 yards away from the starting gate (positioned centrally to act as a defender reference point). Then put down two discs five yards apart to create a gate diagonally to the left and right of the central disc. These gates should be six yards away from the central disc. Finish by placing a football in-between the starting gate – your set-up should resemble a ‘y’ shape.
How do I do this drill?
Dribble from the starting gate towards the central disc using your right foot. Once you’re close to the central disc, perform a side step 1 v 1 move, feinting right and taking left. Drive away with the football towards the gate to your left with your left foot. When in line with the gate, perform a right foot inside cut 1 v 1 move to change direction. Drive away with the ball with your right foot back through the starting gate. Go back to the start position and now repeat the opposite way - make sure to repeat using both sides equally to ensure technical balance (right & left foot).
What are the key coaching points?
Use the laces part of your foot to travel with the ball and make sure you have your eyes up so you can see everything going on in front and around you. Try to make a slight diagonal approach to the defender to move them away from the space you want to move into. Make sure you are not too close when performing your 1 v 1 move so the defender could tackle and not too far away so the defender could recover easily - 2-3 yards away is ideal.
When performing the move, make sure you’re over the top of the ball for balance and control and have soft knees so you can feint and change direction quickly. The feint needs to be believable, treat it like a fake outside of the foot pass. Also, use your upper body (dip your shoulder) to sell the feint to the defender
Try to take a fast, diagonal touch away so you can accelerate into the space you have created and push the ball away with the furthest foot from the defender for maximum ball protection. Reach as far as you can to cut the ball with the inside of your foot and make sure to turn the opposite way to the foot that you use to cut the ball - e.g. right foot cut, turn left; left foot cut, turn right. This will ensure you use your body (upper and lower) to protect the ball.
Travel away with the cutting foot, which will be the furthest from the defender to your side. Try to take a fast touch away so you can accelerate into space preferably with your laces for maximum speed. Use your upper body throughout for balance and to protect the ball.
How will this drill help?
This drill will help you to develop 1 v 1 skills to beat a defender trying to block you in front and to the side. You’ll also learn the 1 v 1 skills to create space for yourself to run, shoot or pass.
How do I progress it?
Add speed by taking fewer touches - what is the minimum amount of touches you can complete the action in while being in full control of the football? Have a partner pass you a ball so you can receive it on the move. Your partner can now act as a limited pressure defender, which is a defender that
closes you down but does not tackle. Still too easy? Get a partner to stand behind the start gate so you can practise passing after the inside cut 1 v 1 move, you could add a mini target goal to allow this to happen if you do not have a partner.
DRILL THREE
How do I set this drill up?
Place two discs 5 yards apart with a ball to the right of one disc.
How do I do this drill?
Position yourself behind one disc and perform the pull-push ball mastery skill, alternating between your left and right feet. When the football gets in-line with the disc, pull it back and repeat.
How do I progress this drill?
Get a partner to hold two coloured discs. They must move around in front of you, randomly flashing the discs. It’s your job to call out the correct colour, while performing the pull-push move with the inside and outside parts of your feet. See how many times you can do the pull-push move in 30 seconds, record your score and see if you can improve it each time.
What are the key coaching points?
Start slowly and add speed to the movement once you’ve perfected the mechanics. You’re looking to create a v-shape movement with the ball. As you pull the ball back with the sole of your foot, rotate your hips and shoulders in the direction you want to push it. Alternate between using the inside and outside of your foot when pushing the ball forwards, again moving your hips and shoulders to face the direction you want to push the ball. Use your arms to maintain balance and keep your head up so you can see what’s going on around you.
How will this drill help?
It will help you become comfortable using the sole, inside and outside parts of your feet to control the ball. The progression challenges you to keep your head up while in possession, which is great when you're in a game and scanning the field for on-rushing opponents and teammates calling for a pass. It also breaks down the mechanics of a skill that can be used in a 1 v 1 situation to create space for a shot, pass or dribble.
DRILL FOUR
How do I set this drill up?
Start by placing two discs five yards apart (horizontally) and position a football in between them. Ten yards away put down an additional disc (vertically). Use an additional two coloured discs when progressing to visual skills with a partner.
How to do this drill?
Start to perform the inside/outside cut ball mastery skill (right foot) as you move forwards. When you get to the opposite disc, turn and repeat the above back to your starting position. Now repeat the sequence, this time performing the skill with your left foot.
What are the key coaching points?
Make sure you're positioned over the top of the ball for balance and ensure your weight is leaning slightly forwards on the balls of your feet (nose in front of toes). Have soft knees so you can change direction with the ball quickly and use your arms to maintain balance.
It's also important to use diagonal touches with the ball each time your foot makes contact and keep your eyes-up while on the move (in front / to side). Start slowly and add speed when you have perfected the mechanics.
How will this drill help?
This drill will help to develop ball mastery on the move with the inside/outside parts of your foot (left and right equally) and develop your visual skills while in possession of the ball. You will also begin to train the mechanics to make you a more effective dribbler.
How do I progress it?
Get a partner to hold two coloured discs. They must move around in front of you as you travel forwards, randomly flashing the discs. You have to call the correct colour out while performing the inside/outside cuts on the move.
Try adding speed, see how many inside/outside cuts you can perform in 30 seconds and record your score - see if you can improve it each time. If you're feeling confident, introduce an extra touch on each part of your foot, take two touches with the outside of your foot then two touches with the inside of your foot.
DRILL FIVE
How do I set this drill up?
Place two discs five yards apart (horizontally) and leave a football in between them. Put down a third disc 10 yards away (vertically). Use an additional two coloured discs when progressing to visual skills with a partner.
How to do this drill?
Start to perform the dribble cut ball mastery skill (right/left foot alternately) as you move forwards. When you get to the opposite disc, turn and repeat the above back to your start position.
What are the key coaching points?
Make sure to be over the top of the ball for balance and ensure your weight is leaning slightly forwards on the balls of your feet (nose in front of toes). Soft knees will mean you can change direction with the ball quickly.
Use your arms to maintain balance and make diagonal touches with the ball each time your foot makes contact. Make sure to have eyes-up while on the move (in front/to side). Start slowly and add speed when you have perfected the mechanics.
How will this drill help?
This drill will help to develop ball mastery on the move with the inside/outside parts of your foot (left and right equally). It will also enhance your visual skills while in possession of the ball and train the mechanics to make you are more effective dribbler.
How do I progress it?
Get a partner to hold two coloured discs. They must move around in front of you and flash the discs at random as you move forwards. Your task is to call the correct colour out while performing dribble cuts on the move.
Try adding speed, see how many dribble cuts you can perform in 30 seconds, record your score and see if you can improve it each time.
You can also introduce an extra touch with each part of your foot. Take two touches with the outside of your right foot then two touches with the inside of your right foot. Repeat with your left foot.
DRILL SIX
How do I set this drill up?
Place two discs five yards apart (horizontally) and leave a ball in between them. Then put down an additional disc 10 yards away (vertically). Ensure you have an additional two coloured discs when progressing to visual skills with a partner.
How to do this drill?
Start to perform the outside cut side step ball mastery skill (right/left foot alternately) as you move forwards. When you get to the opposite disc, turn and repeat the above back to your start position.
What are the key coaching points?
Make sure your body is positioned over the top of the ball for balance and have your weight leaning slightly forwards on the balls of your feet (nose in front of toes). Soft knees will allow you to change direction with the ball quickly. Use your arms to maintain balance throughout and apply diagonal touches on the ball each time your foot makes contact.
When performing the side step movement, keep your feet low to the ground and dip your shoulder. Make sure to have eyes-up while on the move (in front/to side). Start slowly and add speed when you have perfected the mechanics.
How will this drill help?
This drill will help to develop ball mastery on the move with the inside/outside parts of your foot (left and right equally) and enhance your visual skills while in possession of the ball.
The movement mechanics trained will prepare you for when you're in a 1v1 situation with defenders and need to create space to run, shoot or pass when a defender is trying to block you.
How do I progress it?
Get a partner to hold two coloured discs and move around in front of you as you travel forward. They must randomly flash the discs and your task is to call the correct colour out while performing outside cut side step on the move.
You can also add speed, see how many outside cut side steps you can perform in 30 seconds, record your score and see if you can improve it each time. Still too easy? Use an extra touch with the outside of your foot each time before you perform the side step move.
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