Equipment needed:

• 4 soccer balls
• 2 cones

Jousting dribbling drill set-up:

• Set out 2 cones approximately 12-15 yards apart
• Line at least three players up behind each cone
• Each player has a ball

Jousting dribbling drill execution:

• The two players at the front of the lines dribble towards each other at the same time
• Just before they meet in the middle, they perform a trick (coach to decide which trick to use and with which foot), ensuring the don’t bump into each other
• They then dribble the ball to the back of the opposite line
• The next two players in line follow on

Coaching tips:

• Start the drill slowly, perhaps even at walking pace, to get the players used to the timing and execution of the trick; then speed it up as they progress
• The focus of this drill is on the quality of the trick so you may need to teach the players how to perform each move
• Examples of moves/tricks include:
  • Step-over using either foot (switch feet so players practice the move with both feet)
  • Double step-over
  • Feint one way – push off other way
  • Double feint (e.g. feint left, then right, then move off to the left)
  • Flip-flap (elastico)
  • Double drag-back
• Encourage players to keep their heads up, so they can see how far away the opposite player is
• Players should time their dribble and trick so both players do the trick at the same time using the same foot in the center of the square and move away from each other at the same time

Progressions & variations:

• Start with more simple tricks and move on to more complex ones such as the ‘double’ examples above
• Players perform a trick and then a turn in the middle, and dribble to the back of the line they started from

Simplification:

• If the drill keeps breaking down, simplify it by placing a cone in the middle
• One player goes one side of the cone, the other player goes the other side
• Or, one player goes at a time, and they use the cone as a defender instead