Freeze Tag - Passing, Dribbling, and Delivery

This exercise is great for beginning players who are new to soccer but already familiar with the game of freeze tag. This drill is a great warm up activity and can be played as players are arriving and getting ready for a game. Ball handling techniques and dribbling are the skills that are introduced in this drill. It is in game format and it provides every player an opportunity to work their ball, practice moving and dribbling the ball away from a defender, and has everybody active at the same time, thus, eliminating lines and kids who are idle and waiting for their turn.

You will need to set up a playing area that is inbounds. Every player on the team is given a soccer ball except for one. The player without the ball is "it". Players are instructed to practice dribbling their balls around the inbounds area. They can go in any direction as long as they are in the designated playing area. They are instructed never to touch the ball with their hands but to dribble around, establish space for themselves and practice turning and going in different directions controlling the ball with their feet. The added challenge is that the player who is " it" tries to freeze each player by touching the soccer ball. (touching, not kicking the ball away) The player whose ball is touched is then frozen. The frozen player has to immediately pick their ball up and hold it above their head and spread their legs apart to create a goal and stand still. In order for them to become "unfrozen" another player who is not frozen has to successfully dribble their ball between the legs of the frozen player. Play until all the players are frozen or until "it" is exhausted. If you see that it may impossible to complete the game by freezing everyone and "it " is exhausted, another player or two can be designated as "it" at the beginning of the game. The inbounds playing area can also be adjusted according to ability and age of the players.

Important skills emphasized in this drill are controlling the ball, dodging opposing defenders, and changing direction and spee d. It also improves the ability to focus as they are using the frozen player as a goal, as they must kick the ball through their legs to unfreeze them. All of these are beginning skills that have to be mastered before more extensive drills and training can successfully be implemented.