Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): Ball Mastery - Foundations

Ball Mastery - Foundations15 mins

Set up: 

• Set up a few lines of cones, player stand between cones of the same color with a ball.
• Start with ball mastery drill while waiting for players to gather.

Rules/Gameplay:

• Cones represents defenders, player to do ball mastery skill in the space between defenders, imitating the coach in front.

• Toe taps
• Tic Tocs
• Sole rolls (L-to-R & R-to-L)
• Outside-Inside (same foot-L than R)
• Push-Snatch & Pull "Push & Pull" (same foot-L than R)
• Pull backs (180° belly to ball/L&R)
• Sole rolls (square/circle)
• V-drag & push (same foot & both feet/inside & outside )
• L-drags (same foot-L than R)
• Shuttle (L-to-R & R-to-L)
• Etc.

Ball mastery skills (dynamic movement between the cones, alternating left and right direction):

• In-Sole roll-In(COD)
• Out-Out-Out(COD) 
• Out-Out-In(COD)
• Out-Scissor-Out(COD)
• In-Out(COD)-Sole roll(COD)-Out
  
• L turn-Out-V turn(COD)-Pull-Shuttle(COD)-Out
• Etc.

Ball mastery skills (dribbling/in motion - create two lines and dribble long ways through the cones):

• Speed dribble (pinky toe/every other step)
• Dribble start and stops
• Sole roll Stops (down-alternate-back)
• Del Pieros
• V-turns
• Croquetas
• Etc.

CP'S:

• Lots of small/soft touches, CONTROL!
• Use the right touch points on foot - outside foot, inside foot, soles
• Knees bent, head/chest over ball, shoulder-knee alignment
• Arms out to balance
• Try to complete without touching the ground in between touches
• Attack the space beyond the ball/between the ball and defender(cone)
• EXPLODE INTO SPACE WHEN MAKING FINAL MOVE!
• We are moving the ball, taking it with us....NOT chasing it!

Progression/Regression:

• Slow to get technique rather than faster.
• Heads up, how many fingers?
• Max number of touches within time limit (up).