Special Olympics Football Coaches Quick Start Guide Dribbling Teaching Dribbling When dribbling, the most important aspects are balance and coordination. To be able to go around a player, the body must be flexible enough to change direction by shifting weight quickly, while still maintaining balance and the ability to think quickly. When asking a player to jog round the field to warm up, it is better to do this with a ball at his/her feet to help increase confidence in ball control when running. A lot of skill in dribbling develops from players’ confidence, therefore it is important to praise and motivate at training. Dribbling essentials are close control, changing direction or pace and disguise. Players are not robots; always encourage them to express themselves. 1. 2. 3. To help develop touch and control of the ball, the player dribbles forward using the top of the foot along the outside of the laces. Point the toe down toward the ground. Keep the ball close, within one yard from the body. Key Words • Keep it close—light touches • Toe down Encourage players to use the inside of the foot to quickly change direction and beat an opponent. Use short even strides, while keeping the ball close to the feet. You want athletes to progress from using a line marker to practice going in a straight line to moving up to a quicker pace without cones or having to follow a line marker. Football Quick Start Guide – September 2004 39