Annual training plan · U14–U23

Week 39: Individual Training – Dribbling & Feints

2 complete training sessions with 6 drills – created by licensed coaches. Open every drill in the easy2coach web app with one click.

This week’s focus

Training alone, with or without a coach, cannot be compared with team training and brings some advantages but also disadvantages. If individual training is done with a coach, the coach can give the player a lot of motivation and feedback, which also allows very detailed work. This is much harder when training with the team, because there is simply no time to respond to every single player.

If a player trains completely alone and without a coach, he has to motivate himself and assess his own performance. But this also improves these abilities, and the player develops self-discipline.

Another advantage of individual training is that the content can be tailored completely to the player training. This makes it very easy to work on weaknesses. In addition, the practices can address position-specific demands. For example, the winger can work on feinting, the central midfielder on peripheral vision and the centre-back on heading.

Besides the content, the level of difficulty can also be adapted completely to the player training alone. This individual adaptation is much harder to achieve when training with a group or even a whole team. However, it is much easier to create pressure and match-realistic situations when training with the team.

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

3 drills

In today's individual training, a total of 3 drills are carried out in 45 minutes. It starts with work on dribbling, then coordination and speed are trained. And finally, the focus is on improving feinting and finishing.

Depending on the training location and equipment, the drill can or must be adapted. In the 1st drill, a dribbling course is set up. The cones can, for example, be replaced by items of clothing or plastic bottles. The only important thing is not to choose objects that are too hard, which would increase the risk of injury. If the available space is not sufficient, the course can be set up a little smaller, with fewer cones. In that case, a few more rounds should be completed.

In the 2nd drill, an agility ladder is used. This can also be replaced by small, soft objects. The steps are then simply performed in the spaces between the objects. If there is not enough space for the final sprint, skipping steps on the spot can be done. These should be performed at top speed for at least 15 seconds.

In the last drill on finishing and feinting, the players do not necessarily have to finish. The shot can be replaced by another feint. For example, a shot feint or a scissors.

Coaching points for this session
  • Replace the cones with soft objects (plastic bottles, items of clothing)
  • Skipping on the spot instead of sprinting (use the arms, sufficient knee lift, work on the balls of the feet)
  • The finish can be replaced by a feint or a kick at a target (for example a pass against a plastic bottle)
Drill 1

Ball Mastery

20 min
  • The player starts dribbling at the inner marker.
  • The cones are approached with the ball alternately from the side and diagonally.
  • Technique tasks are carried out within the course.

Variations — dribbling techniques:

  • Right foot only.
  • Left foot only.
  • Alternating right and left.

Variations — feints before cutting:

  • Step-over.
  • Sole drag.
  • Cutting behind the standing leg.
  • Shot feint.
  • Scissors.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: 16 cones form four cone goals, each five metres apart.

Equipment: 16 cones and several balls.

Players: Groups of equal size.

Coaching points
  • Keep the ball close.
  • Look up from the ball again and again.
  • Carry out a change of pace after the feints.
Drill 2

Coordination and Sprint

10 min

The course is completed clockwise. The following exercises are carried out:

  1. Hop on the right leg and land next to every cone.
  2. Hop on the left leg and land next to every cone.
  3. Hop over the hurdles on both legs.
  4. Go through the agility ladder as instructed — for example two steps per square or in-out.
  5. Run backwards for about five metres.
  6. Sprint to the target cone.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: The course is set up in a line: first two staggered rows of cones, then a row of hurdles, then the agility ladder and at the end a coloured cone. From there the sprint distance leads back past two more coloured cones.

Equipment: Cones in different colours, hurdles and 1 agility ladder.

Players: The players go through the course one after the other.

Coaching points
  • In both hopping exercises stay on the balls of the feet and keep the balance.
  • When hopping over the hurdles work synchronously and smoothly on both legs, keep the arms close to the body and use them for momentum.
  • In the agility ladder always stay on the balls of the feet, work cleanly and smoothly and keep the arms close to the body.
  • When running backwards look forwards and stay on the balls of the feet.
  • Carry out all exercises cleanly and at the highest possible speed.
Drill 3

Dribbling with a Feint and a Shot

10 min
  • The player dribbles towards the dummy.
  • The player carries out a feint and goes past on the left or on the right.
  • The player then finishes.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: One starting cone, in front of it a dummy as an opponent; behind that the goal.

Equipment: 1 cone, 1 dummy, 1 goal and several balls.

Players: The players start one after the other; plus a goalkeeper.

Coaching points
  • Pick up speed.
  • Start the feint in good time.
  • Carry out a change of pace and direction after the feint.
  • If no chance to finish arises, use a shot feint.
The complete session as a ready-made training plan – with animated drills in the web app. Go to the web app

Session 2

3 drills

In the 2nd individual training session, the focus is mainly on feinting and dribbling. Feints for cutting sharply play a particularly important role in the 1st drill. Pay attention to a change of pace and a sharp cut. What matters here is that the ball is not simply stopped after the feint. Instead, the ball should be played a few metres in the new direction immediately after the skill move. This allows the player to get away from the opponent more quickly, and no extra touch is needed, which would cost unnecessary time.

Feints that are particularly suitable for cutting sharply include scissors or pass feints. The following should be observed with the skill moves mentioned:

Scissors: The foot is moved around the ball from the outside to the inside. The centre of gravity is then shifted to the side of the other foot. Immediately afterwards, the ball is taken backwards with an explosive burst. The ball is taken with the outside of the foot that performed the feint. The scissors can be combined very well with a subsequent body feint.

Pass feint: The movement should be almost identical to a “real” pass. The backswing of the kicking leg must be clearly recognisable. Just before the foot reaches the ball, the player cuts. There are several ways of doing this. The cut can be made with the outside of the foot, but also with the sole or with the inside of the foot behind the standing leg. Another option is to move the sole of the foot over the ball until the ball rests against the outside of the foot. At that moment, the ball is then taken backwards with the outside of the foot.

Coaching points for this session
  • Close ball control
  • Look up from the ball
  • When feinting, make sure the movement is fluid
  • After the feint, make a change of pace and a sharp change of direction
  • Perform feints with both feet
Drill 1

Feint Star

15 min
  • The player dribbles head-on at the pole in the middle and performs a feint.
  • Then the player dribbles at a cone and performs a turning technique there.
  • After that the player dribbles at the pole again, and the sequence starts again from the beginning.

Variations:

  • Specify the order of the colours.
  • Specify particular feints for the cone colours.
  • Later give the players' creativity room and let them choose the feints themselves.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: A pole stands in the middle, around it five cones in different colours are spread out in a star shape.

Equipment: 1 pole, 5 cones in different colours and 1 ball.

Players: One player with a ball.

Coaching points
  • Cut sharply.
  • Perform a change of pace after the feints.
  • Shift the centre of gravity sufficiently.
  • Perform the feints with both feet.
Drill 2

Sprinting in the Square

15 min5 x 5 metres

The course is completed following the lines drawn in:

  • The long sides of the area are covered with side steps, facing outwards.
  • The diagonal stretches are completed at a sprint.

Variations instead of the side steps: crossover running, heel flicks, high knees, ankle work as well as angling in and out.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Five tall cones mark out a square and its centre point.

Equipment: 5 tall cones.

Players: The players go through the course one after the other.

Coaching points
  • Variations to the side steps: crossover running, heel flicks, high knees, ankle work, angling in and out …
Drill 3

Timed Slalom Dribbling

15 min
  • The cones are dribbled around as fast as possible.
  • The time is measured while doing so.
  • It is then assessed which player or which group was the fastest.

Variations: Extend the row or have the players dribble back again as well.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Three cones stand in a row.

Equipment: 3 cones and one ball per player.

Players: The players start one after the other; the time is measured.

Coaching points
  • Keep the ball close.
  • Dribble with both feet.
  • Dribble through the course by the shortest route.
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