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Some Beginning Moves to Develop Touch

Some Beginning Moves to Develop Touch

There are many different moves to develop ball control and ball touch. Many of those listed below were popularized by Weil Coerver, a noted Dutch coach.  Indeed, when you hear other coaches talking about “doing coervers”, they are referring to assorted footwork drills designed to improve ball touch.

Hat-Dance (toe-tap)

Lightly tap the top of the ball using the front sole of the foot, alternating taps with either foot. Try to keep the ball from moving by tapping gently from the top. When the ball can be kept still, try “Around the World” by taking slightly larger steps as you come down from each tap so that you manage to circle the ball.

Inside roll

Roll the ball to the inside of your body, using the sole of one foot. Try to position the sole of the foot on the ball towards the outside edge, so that the ball rotates just enough to allow you to put your rolling foot down briefly so that you can keep moving in the same direction. Repeat, going in the opposite direction with the other foot.

Outside roll

Roll the ball towards the outside of your body, using the sole of one foot. Try to position the sole of the foot on the ball towards the inside edge, so that the ball rotates just enough to allow you to put your rolling foot down briefly so that you can keep moving in the same direction. Repeat, going in the opposite direction with the other foot.

Drag Back

Alternating feet and using a skipping-type step, pull the ball backwards with light touches.

Push Forward

Alternating feet and using a skipping type step, push the ball forward with light touches.

Tic-Toc (Boxing)

Using the inside front edges of the feet, knock the ball back and forth rapidly between the feet, so that the ball is in constant motion and the ball is redirected with every touch. Basically, the ball is being “boxed” from one side to the other, then back again.

Pull-Back/Push Forward

Use sole of foot to pull ball back, then immediately use front of same foot to push it forward. Alternate feet.

Vee

Make a V-shaped pattern, starting at the top of the V, pulling the ball down towards the center of the body, then pushing the ball back out to the other leg of the V. Variations include switching legs after each Vee, and alternating inside or outside start of the Vee.

Multi-Directional Roll

Assorted moves (often coach/player invented) in which the ball is rolled in various directions before being pulled or pushed or cut back behind the leg or tapped to the other foot for a repeat.

Inside/Outside Cuts (Snake)

Do a series of easy cuts/taps with the inside, then outside, of the same foot so that the ball “snakes” across the field as you move along. Repeat with opposite foot. As they progress, encourage the players toexaggerate the moves so that they must stretch and reach to cut the ball back.

[source:  excerpt from chapter “A compilation of dribbling moves” in the Soccer-Coach-L manual.  Updated 3 April 1999. 
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