Dribbling in Soccer: Skills and Drills to Know to Become a Better Dribbler

Dribbling is a fundamental soccer skill—one that can help you move a game forward, score goals, and keep possession of the ball. If you want to improve your game, then you’ve got to make sure you’ve mastered the art of dribbling. Read on to get the basics of dribbling and the many drills you can practice to improve it.

How to master dribbling a soccer ball

First: you have to practice. A lot. Repetition and consistency is what will help you improve your dribbling. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Know when to use the inside and outside of your foot: You can use both the inside and outside of your foot to control the ball. Use the inside for more control and precision, whereas the outside helps for quick changes in direction.

• Tap don’t kick: Kicking the ball too far in front of you gives your opponent too much space to steal the ball. You want to keep it close to you. Instead tap it to stay agile and in control of the ball.

• Keep your head up: Always keep your head up while you’re dribbling. This allows you to see the movement of your teammates and opponents so you can make better decisions of where to go.

• Keep a low center of gravity: Having your body low to the ground will give you better balance and agility for when you need to quickly change direction.

• Change up your pace: Speed up to create space for yourself, and to get away from defenders. Slow down to maintain control of the ball.

Specific dribbling drills to practice

There’s a variety of drills you can do to help you improve your dribbling skills:

• Cone Dribbling: Set up cones in random formations and dribble through them using quick touches. This will help you work on control and agility.

• Close Control Dribbling: This will help you keep control in tight spaces. Tap the ball with the inside of your feet, and then gradually move on to tapping it with both the inside and the outside.

• One-on-One Dribbling: Practice against a friend or a teammate. Start in the middle and try to dribble around the person.

• Small Scrimmages: Play a smaller game against a few people, this will help you learn how to dribble around other players and how to get through limited spaces.

• Wall passing: Pass the ball against a wall—this helps improve first touch and ball control

• Speed dribbling: Start dribbling at a moderate pace, and as you progress down the field, start dribbling faster until you’re all out sprinting.

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