Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): Zone Dribblers & Ball Smugglers

Warm Up - Zone Dribbling (15 mins)

Setup

Using cones, mark out a 15 x 20 yard field

Inside the field, mark out two 15 x 5 yard dribbling zones, plus a center circle (6y in diameter)

Form two teams, one in each dribbling zone (each player has a ball)

Sequence

Players start out dribbling inside their zones. At the coach's signal, they leave their balls behind and run into the center circle.

Inside the circle, the players run around freely, avoiding physical contact.

The coach assigns the running speed as well as the activity: skipping, turning, shuffling or rolling, etc.

At the coach's next signal, players run back into their zones and resume dribbling.

Variations

At the coach's signal, players dribble out of their zones and into the circle. Which team can get all of it's players there first?

While dribbling, each team tries to defend it's own balls and shoot its opponents' balls out of the circle. After one minute, which team has more balls inside the circle?

Final Match - Station to Station (20 mins)

Setup

Mark out a 25 x 40 yard game field

Teams play 4 v 4

Sequence

Players score one point for each goal scored during the game

Which team can score the most goals in four minutes?

Variation: when the attacking team scores, they keep the ball and attack in the opposite direction

Variations

Rotate small groups of 3 or 4 players into an agility & finishing exercise while the games are played.

See "exercise A" - dribble two agility poles quickly (faints & turns) and finish on a small sided goal.