Hi All,

Just wanted to post what I have personally found to be one of the most effective Ball Control drills. http://www.coachzone.com.au/drills/technical/fundamentals/ I have used this drill constantly at club level as a coach of Juniors to Seniors (varying levels), and adapted the actual drill from my time playing in Germany (this was typically a drill we did the day after a match, or, if the trainer wanted us to work hard on the Tues/Wed). While I say Ball Control, the exercise itself does have quite a broad application, but let's deal just with Ball Control.

I will be updating it to include Directional Control. Also a youtube video from Zidane talking about Ball Control. Quite possibly my favourite video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V09eL_Cjl48

Enjoy

I don't usually come here on Friday or Saturday nights.:)


With the 1 -6 exercises, I've separated 1) ground foot passing, from 2) -6).

With the side of the foot, I get better players to stand about 2-3 metres apart, passing with both feet and incorporating outside of the foot and instep with both feet, as well as the basic inside of the foot. Then they move backwards and forwards.

Also, Everton Academy have a drill where they use left, right, left, right, and so on, with the inside of the foot.





For 2) -6), most of those techniques can be learnt by two players facing each other, about 2-3 metres apart.

At first they don't juggle the ball more than five times each, before they return the ball to their partner. Eventually the aim is to one touch it backwards and forwards to partners, apart from chest, thigh and knee, where the aim is to two touch it. By doing this it involves players being active the whole time.

This also develops two footedness.







Edited by Decentric: 9/3/2013 12:09:23 AM

[quote=Decentric
With the side of the foot, I get better players to stand about 2-3 metres apart, passing with both feet and incorporating outside of the foot and instep with both feet, as well as the basic inside of the foot. Then they move backwards and forwards.

Edited by Decentric: 9/3/2013 12:09:23 AM[/quote]

surely its better to encourage this as part of pre session work while waiting at the training venue.

To really get ball control developed you have to do it with the ball moving at speed in my opinion.
Better off have sets of two standing at varying larger distances apart and instruct players to hit the ball at each other on the full and then they have to try and control the ball. You will get the full range of situations, though I don;t get what this business is about trapping a ball from the foot onto one's chest.
I have seen guys great at group juggling and then once the ball is moving at speed they have no control.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TemczLwUM48

Agree, NIckk.

The above drill form Barca Academy introduced by Tito Vilanova is a good exercise for receiving hard hit balls, as you suggest players need to learn to do. There is a little structure in Tito's exercise - Control Pass..

One can also use the instep for this exercise.

Also, practising against a wall, hitting balls harder and harder as one improves receiving, is a good drill for this too.