Ball Mastery

Ball Mastery Maze: 1-to-1 Session

Build comfort on the ball in tight space

Ball Mastery
Dribbling
First Touch

Ball Mastery Maze: 1-to-1 Session is a 12-minute ball mastery drill for 1-2 players, suitable for Under 5 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.

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Ball Mastery
Dribbling
First Touch
Technical Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
1-to-1
Minimal Equipment
Foundation Phase
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Individual Development
Small Group

Duration

12 min

Players

1-2

Pitch size

20 x 20 yards

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Pitch diagram

Pitch set-up: Ball Mastery Maze: 1-to-1 Session12C20 x 20 yards

Ball Mastery Maze: 1-to-1 Session — Cone maze — dribble in traffic · 20 x 20 yards

Step 1 of 4Players dribble around the maze without touching a cone.

  1. 1. Players dribble around the maze without touching a cone.
  2. 2. Coach calls a surface: sole, inside, outside, laces.
  3. 3. Every 45 seconds players exit through a gate and re-enter.
  4. 4. Run as an individual session: coach serves, one player works through the reps with rest built in.
  • Cones mark the area
  • Scattered cones = obstacles / targets
  • Ball
  • C = coach / server
  • Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble

Objectives

  • -Build comfort on the ball in tight space
  • -Repeat sole, inside and outside touches
  • -Improve control at speed

Setup

  1. 1Scatter cones randomly across a 20 x 20 square.
  2. 2Every player has a ball inside the area.
  3. 3Mark four exit gates on the outside.

Coaching instructions

  1. 1Players dribble around the maze without touching a cone.
  2. 2Coach calls a surface: sole, inside, outside, laces.
  3. 3Every 45 seconds players exit through a gate and re-enter.
  4. 4Run as an individual session: coach serves, one player works through the reps with rest built in.

Coaching points

  • -Small touches close to the body
  • -Head up between every touch
  • -Use both feet equally
  • -Detailed feedback after every rep
  • -Quality of contact over volume

Common mistakes

  • -Ball too far ahead
  • -Only using the strong foot
  • -Eyes fixed on the ball

Where this drill fits

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