Dribbling

Counter Gate Hunt Dribble

Encourage travelling with the ball into space

Dribbling
Ball Mastery
Speed & Agility

Encourage travelling with the ball into space. Set up the area, follow the steps and use the coaching points below.

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Dribbling
Ball Mastery
Speed & Agility
Skill Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Counter Attack

Age

Under 9 to Adults

Duration

14 min

Players

4-20

Area / pitch size

28 x 28 yards

Difficulty

Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Equipment

Balls, Cones

Coaching focus

Encourage travelling with the ball into space

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Objective

  • -Encourage travelling with the ball into space
  • -Develop scanning while dribbling
  • -Reward quick changes of direction

Setup

  1. 1Ten two-yard gates scattered randomly in a 28 x 28 yards area.
  2. 2Place two mini goals on the halfway line for the counter-attacking side to aim at.
  3. 3A ball each, bibs for any defenders.

How to play

  1. 1Players dribble through as many different gates as possible in 90 seconds.
  2. 2The same gate cannot be used twice in a row.
  3. 3Between rounds players share the route that worked best.
  4. 4The team in possession starts each rep in their own half and must build forwards.
  5. 5Turnovers earn a direct counter at the mini goals worth two points.

Coaching points

  • -Look up to pick the next free gate
  • -Touch into the gate, not at it
  • -Change speed after each gate
  • -Counter in a straight line — the first pass forward beats the recovery run

Progressions

  • +Counter must be finished inside five seconds
  • +Raise the demand once the group is consistently successful

Regressions

  • -Award the counter goal for simply carrying over halfway
  • -Simplify the area or the service until success returns

Variations

  • -Swap the counter goals for a dribble-through gate
  • -Run the practice on the opposite side of the pitch

Common mistakes

  • -Following the player in front
  • -Big touches through crowded gates
  • -Dribbling into traffic when the counter is on

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