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Dribbling & Close Control

Soccer (Individual Skills) / Popular

Move with the ball at speed under tight control.

What coaches agree on

  • Dribble from a low, athletic position - a slight bend in the knees with your chest just over the ball - because that is what lets you turn sharply and hold defenders off.
  • Move the ball with the inside, the outside and the sole of both feet, so you can shift it around a defender's feet in a tight space and come out with it still at your feet.
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  • Change gears as you dribble: travel at a controlled tempo, then push the ball into the space and accelerate hard, because a defender matching one steady speed cannot react to the change.

Common mistakes

  • Knocking the ball too far in front and running after it - with defenders around, that heavy touch is the one they step in and intercept.