Annual training plan · U9–U13

Week 45: Dribbling at Speed

2 complete training sessions with 8 drills – created by licensed coaches. Open every drill in the easy2coach web app with one click.

This week’s focus

Dribbling to beat an opponent is hard to train in times of coronavirus. Players can beat dummies with feints, but not “real” opponents, which means the training focus “dribbling to beat an opponent” can only be trained to a limited extent.

However, the current situation lends itself to practising another form of dribbling – dribbling at speed, also known as dribbling to cover ground. This way of running with the ball is needed above all when open space is to be covered as quickly as possible. Dribbling at speed is often needed after a switch of play or a pass in behind. The aim is to cover as much ground as possible or to get right in front of goal without getting drawn into a duel.

Good dribbling at speed starts with the first touch. The ball is taken straight into the movement at pace. Because the space is to be covered quickly and there are no opponents nearby, the ball can also be pushed further ahead. But while dribbling, players have to keep an eye on what is happening in the game in order to see onrushing opponents and to spot possible follow-up actions.

Another important tip for dribbling at speed is crossing the running line. If the player on the ball is chased by a defender after a pass in behind, he can simply cross the defender's running line. This makes it harder for the defender to get into a duel. The defender may also have to slow down so that he does not clip the attacker's heels and commit a foul.

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

4 drills

When training dribbling at speed, follow-up actions should definitely be integrated into the drills. This forces the players to look up from the ball. At the latest when the follow-up action is carried out. There are many options when choosing the follow-up actions – a simple pass, a finish, a cross, a 1 vs 1, …

Through the follow-up action, the players also perform a technique while dribbling at high speed. This makes a considerable difference. For example, delivering a cross at full speed is much more difficult than crossing a dead ball.

In addition, the follow-up action is made more difficult by pre-fatigue. Especially when the dribbling at speed is performed over a longer distance. A situation that can arise during a counter-attack, for example. If a player is played in behind from their own half and still has to dribble 20-30 m to the goal, the finish is made more difficult by the high-tempo run.

Coaching points for this session
  • Look up from the ball
  • Take the ball straight in your stride
  • Cross the opponent's running path
Drill 1

Passing Rotation

20 min
  • Player A passes to Player B and goes through the agility ladder.
  • Player B dribbles to the goal line and passes to Player C.
  • Player C takes a short first touch, carries the ball and passes diagonally to Player D.
  • Player D plays on to Player E and runs over the agility ladder.
  • Player E dribbles to the goal line and passes to Player F.
  • Player F takes a short first touch, carries the ball and plays on diagonally to the next player at A; the drill runs continuously in this way.
  • All passers follow their pass to the next position.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Eight cones mark positions A to F, with two agility ladders in between.

Equipment: 8 cones, 2 agility ladders and several balls.

Players: One player at each of positions A to F; the first player at A has the ball.

Coaching points
  • As the receiver, take the ball with the first touch straight into the forward movement wherever possible.
  • Play with two touches.
  • Pay attention to the pace of the passes.
  • Demand calls.
  • At the ladder, work on the balls of the feet and use the hands correctly.
Drill 2

Passing Rotation with Free Movement

20 minFrom the penalty area to the halfway line

The three players in a group pass the ball to each other in a fixed order, always through one of the cone goals. The following requirements apply one after the other:

  1. The ball is played to the next team-mate via a one-two through a cone goal; the second, first-time pass goes through the goal.
  2. Player A plays to Player B, who plays first time through a cone goal to Player C — playing through the third man. Player C then plays to Player A, who in turn plays first time through a cone goal to Player B.
  3. Player A plays to Player B, Player B lays the ball off to Player A, and Player A plays first time through a cone goal to Player C.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Several small cone goals are set up across the whole area.

Equipment: Cones and one ball per group.

Players: Groups of three with Players A, B and C.

Coaching points
  • Take the balls straight into the movement.
  • During the one-two, carry out an explosive change of pace after the first pass.
  • Pay attention to the distance between the players.
Drill 3

Dribbling at Speed III

20 min
  • Players A and B set off dribbling at the same time from the bottom left-hand pole.
  • Player A dribbles through the slalom poles, Player B takes the ball around the square.
  • Both count the poles they have dribbled around.
  • The players then swap tasks.
  • Whoever has dribbled around the most poles wins.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Poles form a square; in the middle five poles stand one behind the other as a slalom.

Equipment: Poles and one ball per player.

Players: Players A and B.

Coaching points
  • Keep the rounds short but intensive.
Drill 4

Dribbling at Speed with a Finish

20 min
  • Both goalkeepers start the action at the same time by rolling the ball into the path of the player next to them.
  • The players take the ball into their stride, set off dribbling at speed through the poles and finish on goal.
  • They then join the queue on the other side, so that a rotation is created.

Variations:

  • Start on the other side and dribble and shoot with the other foot.
  • The coach calls out whether to dribble through the poles, around the outside or around the inside.
  • The players play a ground pass and a lofted pass to each other at the same time and take it into their stride.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Two goals, with poles and tall cones in between as shown in the graphic.

Equipment: 2 goals, 4 poles, 6 tall cones and 4 to 8 cones.

Players: Two goalkeepers as well as one group of players next to each goal.

Coaching points
  • Take the ball straight into the stride.
  • Look up from the ball once more before the finish.
The complete session as a ready-made training plan – with animated drills in the web app. Go to the web app

Session 2

4 drills

Most of the time, the ball is carried with the inside or outside of either foot. Especially in tight spaces, sharp changes of direction are made again and again, which can be carried out well with the outside and inside of the foot.

If, on the other hand, a player has a lot of space ahead and can therefore carry the ball at high speed, the instep comes into play. For this, the toes are pointed downwards and the ball is touched with the top of the foot. The ball can be pushed a long way ahead. The only important thing is to keep control of the ball and keep an eye on the game.

If this succeeds, enough options for follow-up actions can be recognised even at high speed, set up ideally and carried out at the right moment.

Coaching points for this session
  • Cross the opponent's running path
  • Carry the ball with the instep and the outside of the instep
  • Push the ball well ahead. However, always keep control of the ball
  • Dribble with both feet
  • Dribble with the foot furthest from the opponent
  • Keep an eye on what is happening in the game
Drill 1

Warm-Up Course

15 min
  • The red player passes the ball to the yellow player.
  • The red player then runs with skipping steps over the hurdles to the other side.
  • The yellow player passes the ball back and runs with side steps through the cones to the other side, so that the ball is always kept moving and a rotation is created.

Variations:

  • Play the ball only with the left or only with the right.
  • Play with one or two touches.
  • Run clockwise or anticlockwise.
  • Run backwards through the cones.
  • Jump sideways over the hurdles.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four hurdles as well as four red and four yellow cones form a rotation.

Equipment: 4 hurdles, 8 cones and several balls.

Players: Red and yellow players facing one another.

Coaching points
  • Pay attention to good passes.
  • Also build commands into the drill.
Drill 2

Opening Passing with Dribbling at Speed and a Pass in Behind the Defence

15 min

Player A passes to Player C. Player C controls the ball or plays first time to Player B and plays a one-two with Player B. Player C then attacks the goal line between the goal area and the edge of the penalty area with dribbling at speed and then passes to Player D.

After the action the players change positions: A to B, B to C and C to D.

Variations:

  • Set the drill up on both sides and run it at the same time. Player C then joins the strikers on the left side, Player D the starting players on the left side.
  • Player B does not play a one-two, but plays the ball back to Player A, who passes into the run of Player C.
  • A passive or active defender chases Player C a few metres behind, so that Player C carries out the dribbling at speed under pressure.
Equipment & set-up

Players: The players spread out across the positions A, B, C and D as shown in the graphic.

Coaching points
  • Consistently direct the dribbling at speed towards the goal.
  • Pay attention to a clean preparatory movement before the first touch.
  • Common sources of error are inaccurate passes and a pass in behind the defence that is played too late.
Drill 3

Competition Format - Dribbling Relay I

20 min
  • Two teams work against each other as a relay.
  • One player from each team starts the course and passes the ball to a team-mate after the last cone.
  • The obstacles are dribbled around as quickly as possible — the drill is a competition format.

Note: As an incentive, the losing team can be given an additional task, for example short sprints or squats.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Two identical lanes are set up next to each other, one per team. Each lane starts at a starting cone, leads through a slalom of poles or cones, then around a ring and back to the start in a straight line.

Equipment: Two sets of 7 poles or cones as well as two sets of 2 to 4 rings.

Players: Two teams, who line up one behind the other at their starting cone.

Note: Depending on the level of development, the distances and the number of obstacles can be varied.

Coaching points
  • Beforehand, have the players complete two or three rounds without competition so that they get used to a high dribbling tempo.
  • Pay attention to the first touch as well.
  • Look up from the ball.
Drill 4

Finishing Duel

25 min
  • Two teams take turns competing against each other in finishing.
  • The player dribbles around the cone at position 1 and gets a shot in on goal as quickly as possible.
  • Only once a player from a team has scored from position 1 may all players of that team shoot from position 2; and so on.
  • The aim is to be the first team to have scored from all of the given positions.
  • To train the other foot as well, the side is changed accordingly when setting off.

Variations:

  • Increase the number of positions.
  • Both teams start at the same time; the next player may only set off dribbling once the player in front has finished. This increases the dribbling speed considerably.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark five shooting positions, of which positions 1 and 5 lie at a slightly tighter angle; plus four poles and two goals.

Equipment: 2 goals, 4 poles, cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams with at least ten outfield players; plus two goalkeepers.

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