Soccer Ball Control Drills

Soccer ball control drills help players develop one of the most important skills in the game: the ability to stay comfortable and confident in possession. Whether receiving under pressure, dribbling through tight spaces, or protecting the ball from opponents, strong ball control gives players more time and more options on the field.

For younger players, ball control drills are often focused on developing confidence, coordination, and familiarity with the ball. As players progress, the emphasis shifts towards close control, dribbling under pressure, shielding, and maintaining possession in game situations.

The ball control drills below are organised by the specific skills they help improve, making it easy to find the right activity for your players, session objectives, and age group.

What Soccer Ball Control Drills Improve

  • Ball Mastery: Develop confidence using different surfaces of the foot and increase the number of quality touches on the ball.
  • Close Control: Improve the ability to keep the ball under control while changing direction, accelerating, and avoiding opponents.
  • Dribbling Under Pressure: Teach players how to protect possession and stay composed when challenged by defenders.
  • Awareness & Decision-Making: Encourage players to scan, react to pressure, and make better decisions while in possession.
  • Confidence On The Ball: Help players become more comfortable receiving, carrying, and controlling the ball in a variety of situations.

Individual Ball Mastery

Individual Ball Control

  • Objective: Improve ball mastery, coordination, confidence, and the number of quality touches players take on the ball.
  • How It Works
    • Each player has their own ball and works through a series of ball control exercises within the training area. Activities may include toe taps, foundations, dribbling, throwing and catching, juggling, and other technical challenges designed to maximise touches on the ball.
  • Coaching Focus
    • Take lots of quality touches
    • Use different surfaces of the foot
    • Keep the ball close and under control
    • Stay balanced while moving
    • Build confidence through repetition
  • Progression
    • Challenge players to perform the exercises at a higher speed while maintaining control of the ball.

Dribble Gates

  • Objective: Improve close ball control, dribbling technique, and awareness while moving with the ball.
  • How It Works
    • Each player has a ball and dribbles freely around the training area. Players score points by dribbling through coloured gates while maintaining control of the ball and avoiding collisions with other players.
  • Coaching Focus
    • Keep the ball close to your feet
    • Use different surfaces of the foot
    • Keep your head up while dribbling
    • Change direction under control
    • Accelerate after passing through a gate
  • Progression
    • Call specific gate colours so players must scan and react while dribbling.

Killer Ball

  • Objective: Improve ball protection, close control, and dribbling under pressure.
  • How It Works
    • Each player starts with a ball inside the playing area. Players attempt to protect their own ball while trying to knock other players’ balls out of the area. The last player still in possession of their ball wins the game.
  • Coaching Focus
    • Keep the ball close to your body
    • Use your body to shield possession
    • Stay aware of nearby opponents
    • Change direction to escape pressure
    • Stay composed when challenged
  • Progression
    • Introduce two defenders from outside the area who enter on the coach’s signal and attempt to knock players’ balls away.

Ball Protection & Close Control

1v1 Dribble Kings

  • Objective: Improve dribbling, ball protection, and the ability to beat opponents in 1v1 situations.
  • How It Works
    • Players compete in a series of 1v1 games across multiple areas. Winners move up to a higher pitch while losing players remain or move down. The goal is to continue winning games and reach the highest pitch, where the “Dribble King” is crowned.
  • Coaching Focus
    • Attack space with confidence
    • Keep the ball close when under pressure
    • Use changes of direction to beat defenders
    • Protect possession when challenged
    • Compete with intensity
  • Progression
    • Limit players to scoring only after performing a skill move or change of direction.

Dribbling Races & Challenges

X Dribble

  • Objective: Improve dribbling technique, close control, and coordination while moving with the ball.
  • How It Works
    • Players race through a dribbling course consisting of cones, poles, and other obstacles before returning to their team. Teams compete to complete the course first while maintaining control of the ball throughout.
  • Coaching Focus
    • Keep the ball close through obstacles
    • Use both feet when dribbling
    • Stay balanced when changing direction
    • Accelerate into open space
    • Focus on control before speed
  • Progression
    • Require players to complete the course using only their weaker foot.

Steal

  • Objective: Improve dribbling, ball control, and coordination through a fun, competitive race.
  • How It Works
    • Players are split into teams and start in separate corners of the playing area. On the coach’s signal, one player from each team races to the centre, collects a ball, and dribbles it back to their team’s area before the next player goes. The team with the most balls at the end wins.
  • Coaching Focus
    • Keep the ball close while dribbling
    • Turn quickly and under control
    • Accelerate into space
    • Stay focused on the task
    • Maintain good technique at speed
  • Progression
    • Allow players to steal balls from other teams’ areas once all centre balls have been collected.

Clean Your Bedroom

  • Objective: Improve dribbling, ball control, and coordination while encouraging maximum participation.
  • How It Works
    • Players dribble around the area collecting equipment such as bibs, beanbags, or cones and return them to their team’s base. All players work at the same time, creating a fast-paced activity that encourages lots of touches on the ball.
  • Coaching Focus
    • Keep the ball close while moving
    • Dribble with your head up
    • Change direction under control
    • Accelerate after collecting equipment
    • Stay aware of players around you
  • Progression
    • Add a defender whose job is to disrupt players while also dribbling their own ball around the area.

Reaction & Ball Control

Chase Me

  • Objective
    • Improve reaction speed, acceleration, and ball control while moving at pace.
  • How It Works
    • Two teams line up side by side and react to the coach’s command. One team becomes the attackers and races towards their target cone, while the other team must react quickly and chase them down before they arrive. A ball can be added to increase the dribbling challenge.
  • Coaching Focus
    • React quickly to the coach’s signal
    • Accelerate into space
    • Keep the ball close at speed
    • Stay balanced when changing direction
    • Compete with intensity
  • Progression
    • Add a ball and require players to dribble while racing and chasing.

Game Based Ball Control

5v5 Dribbling End Zones

  • Objective: Improve dribbling, ball control, and the ability to carry the ball under pressure in realistic game situations.
  • How It Works
    • Teams compete in a small-sided game with end zones instead of goals. To score, players must successfully dribble the ball into the opposition’s end zone while under pressure from defenders.
  • Coaching Focus
    • Dribble with purpose into space
    • Keep the ball under close control
    • Recognise opportunities to attack
    • Protect possession under pressure
    • Commit defenders before changing direction
  • Progression
    • Limit players to a set number of passes before they must attempt to dribble into the end zone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are soccer ball control drills?

Soccer ball control drills are activities designed to improve a player’s ability to receive, manipulate, protect, and move with the ball. They help players become more comfortable in possession and develop confidence in game situations.

Why is ball control important in soccer?

Good ball control allows players to keep possession under pressure, make better decisions, and execute skills more effectively. Players who are comfortable on the ball generally have more time and more options during a game.

What age should players start ball control drills?

Players can begin basic ball control activities as soon as they start playing soccer. Younger players benefit from simple games that encourage lots of touches on the ball, while older players can progress to more advanced dribbling and possession-based exercises.

How can players improve their ball control?

The best way to improve ball control is through regular practice and repetition. Activities that encourage lots of touches, dribbling with different surfaces of the foot, and controlling the ball under pressure can all help players develop better technique and confidence.