Ball control games for all ages

Pig-in-the-Middle

Break the team up into groups of three, with one football to a group. Volunteer one player to be the pig-in-the-middle. The two other players try to pass the ball past the pig without letting her control it. Once the pig traps the ball, one of the other players takes her place. The two outside players must control the ball, or they will have to switch with the pig.

Rapid Fire

Have the team form a circle around a single player. Every player except the middleman should have a ball. Have each team member take turns passing the ball to the player in the centre. This player tries to trap and control the ball, and then passes it back to the original player. Have each team member take a turn as the middleman.

Continue Down the Line

Divide team members into groups of four players with one ball to a group. Select one player to be the server. The three remaining players should line up, side by side, facing the server. The server will take turns serving the ball to each player who must trap and control before returning it to the server. Continue in this fashion, alternating the server.

Flight ball

Divide team into pairs, giving each pair one ball and a grid. One player will be the server, who is to serve the ball in the air to any location in the other player’s half of the grid. This player must move to the ball, trap it, and return it to the server. Alternate roles after every 10 serves.

4 v 1 keep-away

I’ve used this drill many times with great success.

It demands total concentration and good ball control. It also encourages children to look up (not at their feet) otherwise they will run into each other.

Use a square grid about 10 x 10 yards. 4 v 1 with a player at each corner. Play keep away from defender in middle while keeping ball in the square grid. For more advanced players use 3 v 1 or 3 v 2 with one open corner (player must move to support).

Tips: Shorten grid as players get better. Keep score by counting passes. Don’t be too strict in keeping ball in square – let play continue unless blatantly out of square.

Attacking moves

How to improve technical aspects of ball control.

Objectives

To improve technical footwork.

To practice different ways to get around a player or to change direction.

Setup

Make a box, roughly about 15 x 15 yards (varies on player abilities and age), and place a cone at each corner. Place a cone in the middle, as illustrated below, and have about 2/3 players behind each cone, EXCEPT the middle cone.

I’ll usually make 2 boxes depending on number of players.

Performing the Drill

The first player in each line will start with a ball. The first portion of the drill is changing direction. So, each line will attack the cone at the same time and do a turn. Following turns that can be done are: outside of the foot cut, inside of the foot cut, Cruyff, step over, and sole roll. You want to go through using both right and left foot. Also, you want to emphasize going at the cone, but making sure to slow yourself down as you approach the cone and really sell the turn. You don’t want to wait until you are on top of the cone, just like you wouldn’t wait till you are on top of a defender.

The second piece is now attacking moves at the cone. Now, only diagonals will go at one time. Again, attack the cone with some pace but under control and do a move. Following moves that can be practiced are: scissors, double scissors, Stanley Matthews, reverse Stanley Matthews, Revalino, etc (below are additional moves and descriptions). Once one diagonal goes, the next diagonal goes, and so on and so forth. Again, remember to be going to the right and left when attacking to work on both feet.

Equipment Needed: 5 cones and 4 balls

Summary

The idea is to work on handling the ball and being able to practice different moves and turns with both feet. It’s important that you attack the cone with speed, but as you begin to approach the cone to slow down at a controlled pace to do the move or turn. Once you do the move, the EMPHASIS is to accelerate to the line. The sequence is not over just because you did a turn or a move. The sequence is over when you do a turn and move and then accelerate to get comfortable and use to exploding into new space away from the opponent.

Description of Attacking Moves and Turns

• Scissor, ball is between both legs or in front of right foot, swing right foot behind ball toward left leg then around front of ball and plant to the right of your body, bring left foot to opposite side of ball and take to your left with the outside of your left foot. Can add 2 or more of these together to make double, triple scissors.

• Step over, ball is between both legs, take right foot and swing over ball and step past your left foot, then knock ball back toward your right with the outside of the right or same foot.

• Revalino, like move above but will take ball behind you. ball is between both legs, take right foot and swing over ball and step past your left foot, then take your left inside of foot and touch ball behind you, turn and dribble.

• Roll back or “L”, right sole of foot on ball, roll or pull back straight behind you, when it gets past your left standing leg, use the inside of
your right or same foot and push ball behind your left standing leg. The path of the ball makes a backward L on the ground with right foot and normal L with left foot.

• V or Vee, ball is in front of your left foot, with the sole of your right foot pull the ball back toward where your right leg was standing, then take the inside of your same foot, right, and push it towards your right. The path of the ball makes a V on the ground.

• Maradona, almost like Train. ball is in front of your right foot, put sole of right foot on top of ball, then put right foot directly in front of your left foot, then with the sole of your left foot place on top of ball and spin with back toward the ball. Stop, step, and spin. Doing a 360 degree turn.

• Stanley Mathews, basically taking the ball first with inside of right foot and then quickly with outside of right foot, foot never leaves the ball. Lean to your left with ball in front of right foot, push ball with inside of right foot toward your left, then hop toward left, quickly take ball back to the right with the outside of the foot. Push, hop, take.

• Reverse Stanley Mathews, same as above except don’t take with outside of right foot. Push to left, hop, then scissor to right and take ball
back with outside of left.

• Roll scissors, do a rollover forward with your right foot, then do a scissor with right foot, faking to right, and come back to your left with
the outside of your left foot.

• Roll stepover, do a rollover forward with your right foot, then do a stepover with your left foot and take back toward your left.

• Swivel hips, dribbling forward, slightly touch ball with inside of right foot like you are going to pass back to someone behind you, you are now facing sideways, then with inside of left foot knock it back in front of you and take off. Dribble, cut with right, then cut back with left. You are faking like you are slowing down do go back behind you then you take off in your original direction.

• Inside cut move: dribble forward at a slight angle, pull right leg back like you are going to shoot then cut the ball with the instep or inside of right foot, Must cut ball back toward left plant leg and then move left plant leg before the ball hits and take with outside of left foot.

• Outside cut move: dribble forward toward defender, act like you are going to shoot, pull right leg back and right before you strike the ball
take toward your right with the outside of your right foot.

• Cruyff, dribble toward right at a slight angle, act like you are going to shoot with your right foot, place left plant foot a step past the ball, then cut the ball behind that left leg with the inside of your right foot.

Across the line

Improves dribbling, ball control and communication

Two teams play soccer on a field without goals. A point is scored when a player dribbles the ball over and stops the ball within three feet of the end line.

COACHING POINTS

“Push the ball into space” – move ahead into open space.

“Keep control of the ball” – when crossing the line.

“Pass the ball if a teammate is open for a pass” – passing is more efficient than dribbling.

“If you can’t dribble forward, look to pass the ball backward” – use this game to teach players the concept of support.

VARIATIONS

Harder: Stop the ball on the end line for a point.

Easier: Vary the field size. Wider field makes it easier for the offensive team.

Make smaller teams (2 vs. 2 or even 1 vs. 1). Winning team stay on.

Anything goes!

This soccer drill is NOT meant to teach or condone unfair physical contact.

But it is does help players to cope with such contact when they encounter it!

Age: U12 and up.

Equipment: Coloured bibs, footballs, access to a small field with full goals, or cones and flags to create a small, pressure-cooker type of field.

Players: Typical team of 16 or so.

Space: Pressure Cooker Field (small field 30×30 – 40×40 or so, with full sized goals).

Introduction: Physical play is part and parcel of the game of soccer. Getting players used to “mixing it up” is a necessary part of team preparation. This game focuses on preparing the players for physical contact in a game setting. It is NOT meant to teach or condone physical contact that is against the Laws of the Game. But it is meant to teach the players how to “play through” such contact when they encounter it. “Play through” refers to using your body and skills to allow you to continue the play without injury and while maintaining an attack.

Setup: A small, pressure-cooker style field, which measures anywhere from 30×30 to 40×40 with full sized goals. You can also use corner flags to create appropriate goals, and cones to delineate a field of appropriate size. Split the team into 2 equal groups, each identified by a different coloured bib.

Execution: Keeper plays in each goal. Each team protects a goal. Essentially, this is an 8v8 (or similar numbers) game played in a very small space. Explain the purpose of the exercise: To prepare them to play physically, within the Laws of the Game, and to react appropriately (not retaliate) when they encounter overly physical play. Conditions for this game are that the defensive players can use their hands, push, shove, pull shirts, anything safe to try to win the ball from the ball carrier. Girls and boys typically react differently to this exercise. With boys it will start out with shirt pulling and holding of the arms, and quickly degenerate to full blown rugby style tackling. This is OK as long as it is being done safely. DO NOT allow hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, or tripping.

Girls do not naturally take to this type of exercise with their teammates. You need to encourage them to hold, pull, push, etc. for the exercise to have good effect.

You should see the physical play break down the technical skills of the ball holder initially. The ball holder must become aggressive as he or she protects the ball. And as the defensive players close down on the ball carrier, knowing when to pass the ball, rather than try to hold it against the extreme defensive pressure becomes important. As does moving to support the ball carrier, and the ball carrier knowing at all times where his available passing options are located, and which direction they are moving. The number of players on the small field should create an environment where there is immediate, intense pressure brought to bear on the ball carrier after every pass. It should also create a crowded environment where passing is quite difficult, resulting in the ball carrier having to work through traffic (and intense pressure and physical play) himself, or herself.

Coaching Points:

1) Keep a low centre of gravity and a wide stance to keep from being pushed off the ball.

2) When being held, especially if it is shirt or shorts grab, it is often best to quickly and decisively move away and break the hold, rather than try to steadily pull against it.

3) Always have a plan: What would you do with the ball RIGHT NOW, if you received it from a teammate. Where would you put the ball with your first touch, and what are your shooting or passing options?

4) Try to play the ball into space with your first touch (there should be precious little space available to do this), and sprint onto it.

5) Use your first touch to set yourself up for a shot with your second touch.

6) Try to receive the ball in an area outside the reach of any defenders.

7) Try to place all passes in such a way that your teammate is either outside the reach of any defenders, or can immediately one-touch a shot on goal.

8) Don’t coach the defenders. You don’t want them thinking that you condone this type of play. Make certain they understand that you will not condone the type of defending that you are encouraging in this exercise!

Animal Ball

This game works on aggressiveness, winning balls, passing, defending and finishing.

It can be done with as few as 8 players or as many as 18.

The field should be approximately 30 yards long and the width of the 18-yard box (44 yards wide). A full sized goal is on each end line with a keeper in each goal. There are two teams on the field. A server starts out wide and serves balls into the playing area in the air. Whichever team wins the ball tries to score by shooting into EITHER goal. This means you have two teams trying to win the ball in the air, and get a shot hit as quickly as possible. If the first team that wins the ball then loses it to the second team the second team then tries to score in either goal.

Animal ball works on winning the ball in the air (if a team doesn’t like to win balls in the air you can put in a requirement that if the ball hits the ground from the initial serve without a player touching it first, it is a “dead ball” and a new ball gets served in it’s place) and getting to goal quickly. While there is some passing in this game, it’s more about the willingness to take a chance and shoot rather than passing the ball around till the perfect opportunity arises for a shot. This game is more about finishing than it is about shooting (when you work on shooting you frequently work on proper technique and placement of the plant foot etc but when you work on finishing it’s frequently a case of being willing to put any part of the body on the ball to get it on goal).

First team to score 10 goals in Animal Ball wins the game.

Anatomy dribbling

Focus: Dribbling, quick reaction

Area: 10 yard square

Players: Any number

Equipment: One ball for each player

Formation: Players dribble freely inside the square.

Procedure: While players dribble, coach calls out a body part such as “left foot”. Players put that part of the body on the ball as quickly as possible. Let anticipation build between calls. Body parts can include hand, elbow, shoulder, nose, ear, knees, buns, etc.

Variations:

1) Use two or more parts, such as “nose, right elbow and left knee”.

2) For older players, include combinations that require teamwork such as “two left hands” or “six right feet and three knees”.

All up and all back

How to play: In an area approximately 60X40 yards, with portable goals on the end lines and a half-way line marked on the area, two teams play soccer with the following condition of play: for a goal to count, the entire team must be over the half-way line and into the opponents’ half of the area when the final header or shot is struck.

Development: A team can be awarded two goals if they score with their players over the half-way line and if they catch ‘stragglers’ from the opposition who have not managed to get back into their defensive half of the area when the goal is scored. Attackers who cannot get back are punished by a free-kick being given to the opposition from the point at which they were caught.

All skills warm up

I first saw this practice being used by an English professional club’s Academy coaches.

I have used it with my kids with some success. It’s fun, fast and reinforces basic skills in a competitive atmosphere. It also has an element of conditioning.

Set up

Set up as for shuttle races (teams of 4/5 kids facing a line of cones evenly spaced about ten metres apart). In the plan below, Xs mark the children and the cones are shown with a ‘C’.

Start with simple shuttle races (the children run to and from each of the cones in turn. When they’ve run to each one they hand over to the next in line. The first team to finish is the winner).

Then tell the children that the handovers require the successful completion of a basic skill.

For example, place a ball between each line and the first cone. The runner must handover to the next in line by passing the ball to her, receiving a return pass and then passing it back. This exercise has to performed correctly before the next in line can go on their shuttle run.

After passing, get them to practice other skills: heading, side foot volleys etc