Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Dribbling technical

DRIBBLING TECHNICAL

Mechanics of dribbling 

1. Keep ball close

2. Vary surfaces of the foot (inside/outside/sole)

3. Keep head up but know where the ball is

4. Look to change of pace

5. Look to change of direction

Key Factors: 

• mechanics of dribbling 
• progression by dribbling 
• high intensity 
• close control 

• Before technical starts coach demonstrate, some skills that they will be calling out and once that skill move is called the player should replicate the skill move show at the start of the technical 
• Players can dribble around the square through the gates, once the coach shouts a skill they have to perform it 
• after 2 minutes of that, the coaches will add in different dribbling techniques. E.g. laces, outside the boot, ball rolls, inside and outside. 
• Also the coaches can add ball taps, pendulums and ball rolls into the calls as well to use a bit of ball mastery getting used to dribbling 
• once the coach shouts "GO" they players must change direction and accelerate to a gate that is further away from them while keeping close control of the ball  
• once they go through the gate they leave their ball and go find someone else's and start dribbling with that ball

• Add competition, how many touches can you get in 30 seconds x2 see their scores, how many gates can you get through in 1 minute. 
• when coach shouts "GO" we go round blocking off some gates, seeing if they are paying attention and using the mechanics correctly

• Adapt and not do the go allow the players to do it themselves 

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SSG - Overloads and Underloads

• Objective:

  • To develop players' ability to create overloads and underloads through dribbling, enhancing spatial awareness and decision-making in attacking situations.

• Set-Up:

  • Divide players into two teams.
  • Split pitch up into three equal sectors.
  • Place cones to create boundaries or zones where overloads and underloads can be implemented.

• Drill Progression:

• Phase 1 (Overloads):
  • One player with the ball dribbles into a zone, attempting to attract multiple defenders towards them.
  • Teammates move into the adjacent zone to create a numerical advantage (overload).
  • The dribbler then passes to a teammate in the overloaded area for a quick attack.
• Phase 2 (Underloads):
  • The dribbler attempts to create isolation by drawing defenders away from a specific area.
  • This opens up space for teammates in underloaded areas, who can receive the ball and exploit the space for a 1v1 or 2v1 situation.
• Phase 3 (Combination):
• Players combine both overload and underload tactics, utilizing dribbling to manipulate defenders' positions and create space in different zones.

• Key Coaching Points:

  • Overloads: Encourage players to draw defenders in and pass quickly to teammates in open space.
  • Underloads: Encourage players to isolate defenders and take advantage of 1v1 opportunities.
  • Decision-Making: Players should assess the number of defenders and choose whether to dribble to create overloads or pass to exploit underloads.
  • Movement Off the Ball: Teammates should be actively moving to create space for overloads or positioning themselves in underloaded areas.
  • Change of Pace: Emphasize the importance of quick dribbling and changes of direction to unbalance defenders and create opportunities.

• Variations:

• Adjust the number of defenders or size of the playing area to increase or decrease the difficulty.
• Introduce time limits for each phase to encourage quick decision-making and transitions.
• Progressions 

• If the attacking team loses possession, the defenders immediately counter-attack, challenging the attacking team to quickly recover and adapt their overload/underload tactics.
• introduce a point system for a successful underload or overload.

• Increase the size of the grid to give more space for the attackers to operate, making it easier to create overloads or find underloaded areas.