Around the Flag - A Controlled Dribbling Drill

Dribbling the ball is a skill that soccer players young and old must practice to become better at the game. In order for this drill to be done successfully, coaches need to remind the players that when they dribble around the flag, they must stay as close to the flag as possible. This prompts the player to keep his eyes up and is designed to help players to keep their teammates from spreading too far across the field during an actual game.

You will need a 20 by 20 open square playing area. Coaches may need to chalk the area, as this is where the routine dribbling exercise will take place. Outside of this 20 by 20 area, you need to place a large numbered flag several feet outside of the area at each corner. Each team member lines up with a soccer ball and is told to practice dribbling the ball anywhere inside the lines of the grid area. After they establish a routine dribbling motion inside the grid area, the coach blows his whistle, calls the name of a player in the line and shouts the number of a flag. That player immediately dribbles his ball around that flag and the others must also dribble behind him as quickly as possible and make a complete circle around that flag and then return to dribbling back inside the grid area. A point to remember, players must not bump into each other and keep their eyes up to prevent that from happening. The last one completing the task, steps out and watches or has a designated area to practice maneuvering his ball around a pole on his own. The procedure continues until there is a winner or only a few remaining dribblers who can then demonstrate their dribbling ability to the others.

This drill requires several skills a player will use when actually engaged in a soccer match. Coaches need to use this drill to emphasize the importance of using the different parts of the foot to dribble the ball. It requires the player to change direction quickly, speed up and slow down, keep the ball close to the body and under control, and also requires the player to dribble with their heads up and eyes focused on something other than their feet and the ball. Using the correct parts of the foot while performing this drill will definitely make it easier for the learning player to succeed.

This drill is fun and exciting, and it provides a bit of competitiveness among the team which is an opportunity for them to do their best. It provides practice for a variety of skills that will be used during an actual game. When drill is coached properly and players are encouraged, it provides a fun learning environment for all involved.