Ball Mastery
Tempo Figure Eight Mastery
Develop close control through continuous direction change
Ball Mastery
Dribbling
Premium
Tempo Figure Eight Mastery is a 10-minute ball mastery drill for 2-16 players, suitable for Under 5 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, poles. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.
Back to drill libraryBall Mastery
Dribbling
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Foundation Phase
Youth Friendly
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Quick 10 Minutes
Tempo
Duration
10 min
Players
2-16
Pitch size
18 x 12 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Objectives
- -Develop close control through continuous direction change
- -Link ball manipulation to a change of pace
- -Repeat quality touches with both feet
Setup
- 1Two poles eight yards apart with a figure-eight route marked around them in a 18 x 12 yards area.
- 2Set a visible timer or have an assistant count aloud from the side of the area.
- 3A ball each and a rest cone at the start of the route.
Coaching instructions
- 1Players dribble the figure-eight using inside and outside of the foot only.
- 2Each lap finishes with an explosive three-yard burst out of the last turn.
- 3Swap the leading foot every lap.
- 4The clock starts the moment the first pass is played in.
- 5The sequence must reach the end action inside eight seconds or the rep is void.
Coaching points
- -Ball stays inside the frame of the body
- -Outside foot on the way out of the turn
- -Accelerate after the turn
- -Pass with pace and intent — under-hit passes cost the clock
Common mistakes
- -Slowing to a walk around the poles
- -Only using the strong foot
- -Slow, sideways passing that burns the clock
Where this drill fits
- More football ball mastery drills
- More football dribbling drills
- football drills for U8s
- football drills for U10s
- football drills for U12s
- football drills for U14s
- football drills for U16s
- football drills for beginners
- Football session plans built around this theme