In this post, you’ll read about improving your dribbling skills in football, through drills incorporating opponents/ defenders. To first understand the technique behind dribbling, please read the previous post in this blog series.

The important skill to build with dribbling is to be able to beat the defender with quick turns and split-second decisions on the field. This won’t come easy to beginners, but with practice you can definitely master it. Dribbling is the basis of mobility on the football field, so you have to give it due importance.

1v1 Dribbling Exercise

In this 1v1 practice exercise, the player runs towards the goal, dribbling the ball and evading a defender in order to score. Pace and control are both crucial to succeed in this attempt, so be mindful of both as you run.

A few words of caution here to improve your technique and increase chances of scoring. Ensure you don’t try to shoot at the goal until you’ve beaten the defender by dribbling past him. Also, make sure you’re in the scoring zone before you even try to shoot. Else, it will be a futile attempt as the defender or goalkeeper will easily clear the ball away from danger.

3v3 Dribbling Exercise

Now that you’ve got a hang of dribbling, we move on to a 3v3 game situation – 3 attackers dribbling and passing the ball, trying to beat 3 defenders, and edging closer to the goal. It boils down to speed and skill when it comes to dribbling the ball to victory.

To be successful at dribbling, one needs confidence and a fearless attitude. These are foremost to get you ahead on the field. The thing is, it’s okay if you fail a couple of times, you just need to keep at it and practice until it comes naturally to you.

Both the exercises you’ve read about are important to further your dribbling skills. You’ll need to practise them regularly to derive maximum benefit. Once you’re comfortable with this, keep reading the next post to learn how you can effectively control the ball while it is still in the air, and beat the defender to score a goal.