Category: Ball control

Objective: To improve ball control, passing, support play and communication.

Age group: U10 upwards.

Number of players: Whole team.

Equipment: Flat cones to mark the playing area, one football.

Set up: Mark out a 40×30 yard grid with a 2×3 yard grid in the center of the larger grid. Divide your squad into two teams, Team A and Team B (you can give the teams more exciting names if you wish!).

How to play: Team A puts a player in the small center grid. They score a goal every time they can play the ball into the center grid player and back out again to a Team A teammate (ground passes, volleys, headers all count as goals if successfully played back out to a Team A player).

Team B tries to keep Team A from scoring. Team B scores a goal if it completes five consecutive passes. Team A tries to disrupt Team B and intercept passes.

Reverse the teams regularly.

Progressions: If your players find this game difficult, award team A a goal for simply getting a pass into the centre grid player (who now doesn’t need to return it to a team-mate) and team B get a goal for three consecutive passes.

If your players find the game easy, make the space smaller to put more pressure on the ball carrier and make them take quicker decisions.

During a ball control coaching session you are sure to notice some of your players having difficulty getting their body in line with the ball, choosing the wrong part of their body to receive it or allowing the ball to bounce off before they can get it under control.

Problem 1 – Your player misreads the path of the ball and misses it.

This is a really common problem for young players. When they begin to play football, almost all children see a pass coming and just stick out a leg and hope that the ball hits them.

How to fix it: pass a ball at your players from varying distances and at different speeds. Encourage them to keep their eyes on the ball and talk them through what they have to do: “move left”, “move right”, “turn to face me” etc.

Problem 2 – Your player chooses the wrong part of their body to receive the ball or has trouble deciding which surface to use.

How to fix it: working in pairs, one player shouts out the part of their body they want to receive the ball with and the other serves a ball towards that body part.

Problem 3 – The ball bounces off the player and they lose possession.

How to fix it: working in pairs again, encourage the receiving player to exaggerate the correct cushioning movement so a ball served in the air drops down at their feet and a ground pass “sticks” to the foot.

You could also try using a futsal instead of a regular ball. The slightly increased weight and much reduced bounce of a futsal makes it far easier to control.

Once you have worked on correcting these common faults, it’s time to let your players practise their ball control skills in the more pressured environment of a small-sided game.

One of my favourites for children aged 10 and up is based on Paul Cooper’s Xavi Game, named after Barcelona’s Xavi Hernandez who is, perhaps, one of the most skilful players in the game today.

This is a 5v5 game with the condition that players in their own half of the pitch may only touch the ball three times but when they are in the opposition’s half they can have unlimited touches. Goalkeepers must roll the ball out.

This game is great for encouraging quick, decisive passing and, at the same time, allowing players to express their individuality when going towards goal.

Younger children can practise their ball control skills in a less structured 4v4 where the coach awards extra “goals” for good examples of getting into line with a pass or a nice, soft first touch.

Basic ball control drill to develop players’ first-touch soccer skills

Age group: All ages

Set up

Cones, 1 ball per group of 3 players, players are in groups of three with a ball to each group, two players with the ball on one side of the square and the third player on the opposite side

Action

Player 1 (the player with the ball) passes to the opposite player (player 3) and sprints around the back of him.

Player 3 taps the ball to the side, first touch, as the sprinting player 1 comes around him.

The sprinting player passes first or second touch to the player facing him (player 2) who repeats the action.

After a couple of minutes change player 3.

Coaching points

Make this drill competitive by seeing how many passes each group can make in a minute or how long they can go without making a mistake.

Ball control drill to get players using one-touch and shooting skills

Age group: All ages

Set up

Mark out a short, wide pitch with big (10-yard wide) goals at either end and a halfway line. Divide the players into two teams of 3 or 4. Each team defends a goal

Action

The game starts with each team spread out in their half of the pitch.

The coach stands on the centre line and rolls a football to one of the teams.

Their objective is to score a goal by shooting from within their own half.

Rules

No goalies.

Players must stay in their own half of the pitch at all times. Each player on the team must touch the ball at least once before a shot can be taken.

The ball must not be allowed to stop – if it does, possession is passed to the other team.

Age group: All ages

Description

This is a simple, unopposed soccer drill designed to improve the push pass and first touch. It allows the soccer coach to work with a number of players in a fairly small area.

Set up

Make a 15-yard by 15-yard square grid with marker cones at each corner.
Between two and four players stand at each cone.
One football at two adjacent cones.

Action

Players pass – two touch – to the player diagonally opposite, then run to disc on their right.

Coaching points

• Is body language relaxed and balanced?
• “Play on your toes”
• Eye contact and communication.
• Accuracy and pace of pass.
• Strike through mid-line of ball, keep it down.
• Contact with inside of foot – not with toe end.
• Follow through in direction of pass.
• First touch – withdraw foot on contact.
• Get receiving foot off the ground, “soft ankle”.
• Move quickly following pass.
• Encourage players to aim for a high standard.
• Older players should be able to recognise and correct their own faults.

Age group: all age groups

Set up

Use a 10 by 10 yard square grid marked out with a cone at each corner.

Put players in groups of three.

One ball to each group.

Two players with the ball (players 1 and 2) are positioned on one side of the square and the third player (player 3) faces them on the other side.

Action

The player with the ball (player 1) passes to the player on the opposite side of the square (player 3).

Player 3 receives the ball with the inside of the foot and takes the ball a couple of yards to the side in one action.

On his next touch he passes the ball with his other foot back across the square to player 2.

After two or three minutes change player 3.

Coaching points

Remind players that it’s important to give a good pass so it is easier for their team mates to receive the ball and control it away with their first touch.

Allow two touches to start before limiting players to one touch.

Remind the receiving player to move toward the ball.

This game is called “Keep your yard clean” and is one of those simple, fun games that young children never tire of playing.

It’s very easy to set up and explain and you can play it with as few as four and as many as 24 players.

Objectives: To improve kicking technique.

Set-up: Create a playing area with flat cones big enough for the number and age of your players. With 10 six-year-olds I would use a 20-yard square area. With 20 eight-year-olds, 40 yards square would be more appropriate.

The playing area needs a halfway line.

Divide your players into two equal teams and put one team in each half of the playing area.

Each player has a ball.

How to play:

When you shout “go!”, the players try to keep their half (i.e. their “yard”) clear of balls by kicking their ball over the halfway line and kicking back any balls that their opponents kick into their yard.

Players are not allowed to cross the halfway line.

After a couple of minutes, call time.

The team with the fewest balls in their yard wins the game.

Progression: Kick with your non-kicking foot only.

Players have dribble the ball around a cone that has been set up in the middle of their “yard” before kicking it back.

Create a “neutral area” between the two teams where no player is allowed. This area can be as small as one yard and as big as 10 yards wide. The width is determined by how far the players can kick the ball.