SOCCER DRIBBLING
Dribbling is what we call moving the ball with our feet. The purpose of dribbling is to move the ball from
one spot on the field to another.
A dribbler needs to:
A good dribbler can:
Keep the ball under control.
Keep the ball until a team mate is in a clear position to receive a
pass.
Keep the ball close to his feet.
Get past a defender to assist in an attack.
Be able to quickly change directions.
Clear himself for a shot on goal.
Be able to quickly change the pace (or speed) the ball is
moving.
The ball should be touched on the side of the toe using either the top, inside, or outside of the shoe.
TRAPPING
Trapping the ball means to stop the ball and holding it with the top of your foot. The reason
that you might want to trap the ball is to hold it for a short pause while you
decide whether you need to dribble the ball, shoot at the goal, or shield the ball.
BASIC PASSING
For the youngest players, basic passing is done by hitting the ball with the
inside of your foot using your leg like a hockey stick.
As skills improve, the player will gain confidence to pass
while dribbling and occasionally pass while using the outside
of his foot.
TACKLING
Tackling is when you block the ball with your foot to stop or take it away from the other team. You need to
attack the ball and not the other players foot.
The idea is to seperate the ball from the
other player and thus win the possesion of
the ball for your team. Care must be taken
not to hit the other player as this will result
in a penalty (if you are playing with
referees). It is especially important not to
injure the other player!
SHIELDING
Shielding means to protect or “shield” the ball from your opponents. To shield the ball from the other team
you need to keep your body and feet between the ball and the other teams players. Keep the ball and your
feet moving to protect the ball from the other team’s kicks, pokes, and prods.
As you advance in skill, you can continue to shield
the ball while dribbling by keeping the ball on the
side opposite your opponent.