Dribbling
Shield And Escape: Tempo Clock
Protect the ball with the body
Dribbling
Receiving
Defending
Shield And Escape: Tempo Clock is a 12-minute dribbling drill for 4-16 players, suitable for Under 8 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
Receiving
Defending
Skill Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Foundation Phase
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Speed of Play
Tempo
Competitive
Duration
12 min
Players
4-16
Pitch size
10 x 10 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Shield And Escape: Tempo Clock — 4 gates — score by travelling through · 10 x 10 yards
Step 1 of 5The player in possession keeps the ball for twenty seconds then escapes through a gate.
- 1. The player in possession keeps the ball for twenty seconds then escapes through a gate.
- 2. Defender is live but must stay on their feet.
- 3. Swap roles every rep.
- 4. The ball must reach the end action inside six seconds or the rep restarts.
- 5. Rotation: Swap roles every rep.
- Cones mark the area
- Cone gates to dribble / pass through
- Ball
- Dotted arrow = rotation between repetitions
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Protect the ball with the body
- -Escape a defender who is touch-tight
- -Stay calm with back to goal
Setup
- 1Mark a ten yard square with a target gate on each side.
- 2Pairs work inside: one in possession, one defending.
- 3Balls stored on the outside.
Coaching instructions
- 1The player in possession keeps the ball for twenty seconds then escapes through a gate.
- 2Defender is live but must stay on their feet.
- 3Swap roles every rep.
- 4The ball must reach the end action inside six seconds or the rep restarts.
Coaching points
- -Arm and hip between defender and ball
- -Roll away on the defender's touch-tight side
- -Feel the defender rather than watching them
- -Pass with pace and intent
- -Move before the ball arrives, not after
Common mistakes
- -Turning blind into the defender
- -Standing square and losing the ball
- -Panicking and kicking it away