Coaches of youth teams (ages 5-8) often ask me how to teach their players to pass the ball. Usually this comes from the realization that X team is winning lots of games because their players can pass the ball, making a nice progression to the opponent’s goal and scoring.
Seen from this perspective it appears that passing is the missing ingredient to turning an average or losing team into a winning team. The truth is quite the opposite, when you take in consideration the final objective of the soccer learning process, which is to play 11 a side, where tactics and strategies have a great impact on the game.
At the older stages, passing is restricted by the offside rule, we can no longer place a player near the opponent’s goal to cherry pick. Zone play also limits the space where a ball can be passed and finally, older players have learned to anticipate the pass. If we watch professional soccer players, we notice a tendency to dribble, or to progress with the ball before passing, running into space, or shooting at goal. The best players in the world are those that show a great extent of these particular skills. With the popularization of zone play and faster players, free space has been reduced, and dribbling is the tool necessary to break open those spaces. For example, Leo Messi, Iniesta, Cristiano Ronaldo, to name a few, are often seen dribbling with the ball, changing direction, attracting the opponent, and creating space for their teammates, before passing or crossing the ball.
Dribbling, then is the key factor in creating great teams. This does not mean we do not teach how to pass, but rather that we should not teach passing at the expense of dribbling as is the case now, at least in the United States. It may take a bit longer for your players to master the art of dribbling, but if acquired it will pay off dividends in the future.
Teaching young players how to dribble is not difficult at all. Below is a progressive process to teach young players the art of dribbling. It is not necessary to learn ten or twenty moves, just two or three. But those two or three moves must be executed with perfection. Of course, as you can see, it takes years to develop a skillful dribbler. The end result is soccer played with imagination and passion, “jogo bonito” at its best.
| Dribbling Learning Progression | ||
|---|---|---|
| U6 - U7 :: Ball Control | ||
| Each time the player receives the ball insist that he controls the ball and dribble it. If the player kicks the ball, stop the play, pass the ball again to the player so he can execute as discussed earlier. | ||
| U8 - U9 :: Change of Direction | ||
| In the earlier ages players will most likely dribble in a straight line. Now you must emphasize for them to change direction as they dribble to get past opponents. | ||
| U10 - U11 :: Fakes & Feints | ||
| Now it is time for your players to add a few moves to their dribbling skills. Top professional players have two or three moves to help them get past their opponents. Let them choose a few moves of their preference and have them master them. | ||
| U12 - U13 :: Shielding | ||
| Without proper shielding, a young player will not be able to keep possession of the ball. To shield a ball properly, the body must be placed between the opponent and the ball. | ||
| U14 - U18 :: Speed of play | ||
| With puberty setting in, we must develop speed of play. This means, players must practice dribbling at higher speed than before while incorporating moves, fakes, and the ability to shield the ball. | ||