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Drill: 1v1 Dribbling Drill with Main Object Dribbling (good for defending too) (U7 and Up)

Organization:

Set up a 15x15 meter area with two gates (goals) at opposite ends of the grid.

Divide the players into two teams: one team with the ball starts on one end, and the team without the ball starts on the other end.

The drill starts when a player from the team with the ball passes to their opponent from the other team.

After making the pass, the passer immediately presses the receiver.

The player receiving the ball must attempt to dribble through one of the gates to score by dribbling, not shooting. If the pressing player (defender) wins the ball, they must counter-attack by dribbling through the gates in front of them. Once the attack finishes (either the dribbler scores, the defender wins the ball, or the ball goes out), the roles switch, and a new pair repeats the exercise.

The teams switch roles after a set number of repetitions or after a set time period, they can change the roles after every attack too.

Progressions:

Add Time Pressure: Limit the time the attacker has to score by dribbling through the gates.

Smaller Gates: Reduce the size of the gates to make it more challenging to score.

Weaker Foot Only: Encourage players to use their weaker foot for dribbling and controlling the ball.

Key Coaching Points:

1v1 Dribbling Skills: Focus on the attacker using changes of speed, direction, and feints to beat the defender and dribble through the gates.

Defensive Pressing: The defender should close down the space quickly after the pass, applying pressure while maintaining good body positioning to win the ball.

Decision-Making: Both attackers and defenders must make quick decisions—attackers must recognize when and where to accelerate or change direction, and defenders must decide when to press aggressively or wait for the right moment to tackle.

Transition Play: Emphasize the speed of transitioning from attack to defense and vice versa, especially for defenders who win the ball and immediately look to counter-attack.

Good First Touch: Attacker should make a good first touch.

Coaching Questions:

To the players:

"How can you use quick changes in direction to beat the defender?"

"What’s the best way to apply pressure as a defender after the pass?"

"How quickly can you transition from attacking to defending and vice versa?"

To the coach:

"Are attackers using a variety of dribbling moves to beat defenders?"

"Are defenders pressing effectively and recovering well after losing the ball?"

"Are players reacting quickly and making good decisions in defend/attack?"

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