Under 8 Lesson Plan - Dribbling

First Activity - Gate Dribbling

Description:

• Every player with a ball
• Six gates for every five players playing
• Must dribble through free gate
• 1 point for each gate
• Play again, improve by 1 point

Coaching Points:

• See ball through bottom of eyes - Keep Head Up
  
• Keep ball rolling
• Use foot brake
• Use the different surfaces of the foot

Second Activity - Stop & Go

Description:

• Every player dribbling a ball
• On command, players stop ball and then go with speed
• Coach demonstrates stop & go, and players try to copy
• Players invent their own stop & go
• Coach observes, and choose players to demonstrate their stop & go for others to copy

Coaching Points:

• See ball through bottom of eyes - Keep Head Up
  
• Speed up after stop
• Change of direction (North-South-East-West)
  
• Different surfaces of the foot
• Use of both feet

Third Activity - Pac-Man

Description:

• Playing area needs to be confined to 20x20 to 25x25 grid
  
• Two or three players are “IT” to start, and have balls
• If you are “IT”, try to dribble and hit others with passes below the knees
• Players who are not “IT” may run and jump to avoid being hit
• If you are hit with a pass, you become “IT” too
• If ball leaves grid, coach should put new ball in for those that are "IT". Keep the game moving.

Coaching Points:

• Keep ball rolling
• Eyes up to find space and who is “IT”
• Change direction and speed
• Fake passes

Fourth Activity - Knockout!

Description:

• Every player dribbling a ball
• Try to kick other players’ balls off the field
• If your ball is stops rolling or is kicked out, then you must do two ball juggles before you return to the game.

Coaching Points:

• Keep ball rolling
• Body between ball and other players (Shielding)
  
• See ball through the bottom of your eyes

Fifth Activity - 2v2 Get Outta There!!

Description:

• Set up a small playing field with two goals
  
• Coach as "Boss of the Balls"
• Coach passes ball onto field to start play
• Two players from each team play until a goal is scored or the ball goes out of bounds
• Out of bounds, coach yells “get outta there,” and two new players from each team go on with the next ball
• Goal is scored, 2 who scored stay on, and two new players from the other team play against them

Coaching Points:

• See ball through bottom of eyes
• Keep ball rolling
• First try to solve game by dribbling
• Player w/o ball find big, easy spot to receive a pass

Finally, scrimmage them out with a 10 minute full game.