Dribbling
Tempo Escape Square Dribble
Protect the ball under real pressure
Dribbling
Ball Mastery
Possession
Premium
Tempo Escape Square Dribble is a 12-minute dribbling drill for 6-18 players, suitable for Under 5 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, bibs. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.
Back to drill libraryDribbling
Ball Mastery
Possession
Skill Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Foundation Phase
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Tempo
Duration
12 min
Players
6-18
Pitch size
20 x 20 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Tempo Escape Square Dribble — 4 gates — score by travelling through · 20 x 20 yards
Step 1 of 5Dribblers keep the ball alive in the square while two thieves try to kick it out.
- 1. Dribblers keep the ball alive in the square while two thieves try to kick it out.
- 2. A dribbler can escape through any gate and re-enter on the opposite side.
- 3. Thieves swap in every 90 seconds.
- 4. The clock starts the moment the first pass is played in.
- 5. The sequence must reach the end action inside eight seconds or the rep is void.
- Cones mark the area
- Cone gates to dribble / pass through
- Ball
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Protect the ball under real pressure
- -Use turns and shielding to escape tight areas
- -Keep the head up in traffic
Setup
- 1A square with four exit gates, one on each side in a 20 x 20 yards area.
- 2Set a visible timer or have an assistant count aloud from the side of the area.
- 3Balls for the dribblers, bibs for two ball-thieves.
Coaching instructions
- 1Dribblers keep the ball alive in the square while two thieves try to kick it out.
- 2A dribbler can escape through any gate and re-enter on the opposite side.
- 3Thieves swap in every 90 seconds.
- 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
- -Body between the thief and the ball
- -Turn away from pressure
- -Escape through the quiet gate
- -Pass with pace and intent — under-hit passes cost the clock
Common mistakes
- -Dribbling into the busiest corner
- -Panicking and hitting the ball away
- -Slow, sideways passing that burns the clock
Where this drill fits
- More football dribbling drills
- More football ball mastery drills
- More football possession 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