Soccer Dribbling & Ball Control Drills

Enhance your dribbling skills with these effective soccer drills. Perfect for all levels, these drills focus on ball control, agility, and technique. Start improving today!

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Dribbling is a fundamental soccer skill that helps players maintain possession, evade defenders, and create scoring opportunities. This page offers a variety of drills to improve ball control, agility, and confidence in game-like situations.

Dribbling Drills

4-Goal Game Medium

4-Goal Game

The 4-Goal Game drill simulates match conditions, encouraging players to switch the point of attack while maintaining team shape. This drill focuses on quick ball circulation to retain possession and balance the field to prevent counterattacks. The objective is to develop players' spatial awareness, movement, and strategic positioning under game-like pressure.

9+ yrs. 4-16 players 20 min. 25x35 yds. GK: no
1v1 Reaction Gate Challenge MEDIUM

1v1 Reaction Gate Challenge

This drill enhances 1v1 attacking and defending skills by training quick decision-making, reaction speed, and close ball control. Attackers learn to use deception, while defenders focus on anticipation and body positioning.

4+ yrs. 6+ players 20 mins. 10X10 yds. GK: no
5 43,269 Colton Roundtree
4v4 Soccer to a Small Gate Easy

4v4 Soccer to a Small Gate

In Soccer, 4v4 is the smallest version of a full-sided game. While on the attack, to be successful in a four vs. four soccer match, players must penetrate via the pass, dribble, or shot; players must provide support to the player with the ball, and players need to create width to the field. On the defensive side, a player must pressure the ball to delay the attack, another player should cover for the player pressuring the ball, and the remaining two players balance the field of play. This 4v4 practice focuses on all aspects of the match, including attacking, defending, passing, receiving, supporting, penetrating, and spreading the field.

4+ yrs. 8 players 20 min. 25X35 yds. GK: no
Pirates of the Pugg EASY

Pirates of the Pugg

This soccer dribbling drill is a great soccer drill using a Pugg Goal that can be tweaked to focus on many aspects of the game. For younger players ages 8-11, the primary focus should be on proper dribbling technique in traffic which requires vision and awareness. The coach can also focus on the transition from offense to defense if the ball is lost, or recovering from a tackle and finding safety. Defensively, this allows defenders to steal the ball from attackers and play to a particular goal or target.

8-12 yrs. 8+ players 15 mins. 30X30 yds. GK: no
4.25 752,576 John Bychok
The Flag Game - Dribbling in Tight Spaces EASY

The Flag Game - Dribbling in Tight Spaces

This soccer drill is designed to focus on young soccer players learning to dribble in tight spaces. This dribbling drill will help young players keep their eyes up and to become aware of their surroundings. This soccer drill also helps players keep close possession while dribbling.

4-8 yrs. 6+ players 10 mins. 10X25 yds. GK: no
4.23 217,290 Chris Johnson