Description
A simple and competitive dribbling drill where players try to beat a defender and dribble through small cone gates to score points. The drill helps young players practice close control, changes of direction, acceleration, shielding, and decision-making in 1v1 situations.
Set up several small gates with cones inside a marked area. Blue player starts with the ball and yellow player defends. The attacker scores by dribbling through any gate under control. After a set time or number of attempts, players switch roles.
Coaching Points
- Keep the ball close when approaching the defender.
- Attack space with confidence and speed.
- Use changes of direction to unbalance the defender.
- Accelerate after beating the defender.
- Use body shape, arms, and hips to protect the ball.
- Keep the head up to scan for open gates.
- Encourage creativity: feints, stepovers, cuts, stops, and turns.
- Defender should stay low, patient, and avoid diving in.
Progressions
- Award extra points for using a skill move before scoring.
- Adjust the size of the gates.
- Add more defenders or reduce the playing area.
- Let the defender score by winning the ball and dribbling through a gate.