By Anthony Hazelwood -
The ability to successfully control a ball during a receiving or dribbling action is crucial to meet individual and team tactical agendas. This activity aids the player to practice a first touch into a vacant space action and to follow it up with a dribbling change of direction activity.
Technical Activity:
Area Size:
Pair of red cones 1 yd. away from each other.
A pair of blue cones located left and right 5 yards away from the pair of red cones.
One yellow cone located 7 yds. above each pair of red cones (see diagram below).
Total Activity Time: 10 minutes.
Sets: 1 set.
Activity Repetitions: 10 repetitions for each player.
Time of Activity Repetition per player: 30 seconds.
Intensity: Moderate.
Objectives:
Technique: Different receiving, dribbling, and passing variation patterns at moderately high ball speed.
Concentration Level: High.
Setup:
Players are placed into pairs. Each pair goes to a passing station.
Each passing station includes a pair of red cones one yd. away from each other.
A pair of blue cones located left and right 5 yards away from the pair of red cones.
One yellow cone located 7 yds. above each pair of red cones.
Exercise 1:
To start, the player on the black cone will pass to the teammate at the red cones.
The player in black will play a first touch (punch the ball) in between the red cones.
Then a dribbling action in between the two blue cones.
Once this is accomplished, the player will change directions and quickly dribble to the yellow cone go around it and make a pass to the teammate (see diagram below).
Once the ball is passed to the teammate, the yellow player will make a run to the starting space and perform the activity on the other side.
Each player repeats and performs the activity five times for 30 seconds with these variations.
Variation:
If variation is needed, then the routine may be performed with corporal restrictions.
Hands behind the back.
Hands behind the head.
Hands on shoulders.
Hands on hips.
Hands extended straight up into the air.
Coaching Points:
Make sure to practice receiving with different foot surfaces and to complete first touch and dribbling accuracy in between and around the cones.
Always alert and on their toes, focus is key.
By Anthony Hazelwood
Current Seattle Sounders Academy Performance Coach with previous European academy coaching experience as an assistant fitness and strength/conditioning soccer coach with Levante U.D. (2013-2014) and Getafe SAD CF (2015-2016) in Valencia and Madrid, Spain respectively. A USSF “A” licensed coach with a BSc in Physical Education and an MSc in Sports Training and Nutrition.
