The diamond - Dribbling and ball control
Goal
Equipment
- 8 cones
- 4 poles
- Balls
Preparation
- Playing Area: 20x20 meters / 22x22 yds
- Players: 8+
- Duration: 16 minutes
- Series: 8 of 2 minutes each (8 technical gestures per series per player)
| Summary | Secondary Objectives |
|---|---|
|
Technical station focusing on dribbling and ball control with passing to teammates |
Creating space, Passing, Receiving, Running with the ball, Dribbling, Receiving to turn, Reaction time, Coordination, Awareness, Timing, Differentiation, Visual perception, Peripheral vision, Inside of the foot, First touch, Oriented control, Dribbling, Dribbling with feints, Ball control, Pass, Losing your marker |
Organization
In an area measuring approximately 20x20 meters/22x22 yards, create a diamond-shaped station. Each vertex of the diamond is represented by a small gate formed by two cones, positioned vertically with respect to the diagonal sides (gates arranged as shown in the picture). Each gate measures approximately 1 meter. Place a pole halfway along each side of the diamond, on the players' running line, for a total of four poles. The players are positioned two per vertex. In the pair at each vertex, one player starts with the ball, while the other waits for a pass from an oncoming teammate before starting.
Description
- The first four players (A, B, C, and D) positioned at the four corners of the diamond start simultaneously, dribbling the ball to their right as shown in the picture. The exercise is therefore performed counterclockwise
- All players, when they reach the pole halfway around, turn around it using the inside of their right foot
- After turning around the pole, they pass the ball to their teammate (E, F, G, and H) waiting at the next corner. The pass must be made through the small gate formed by the cones, into the running space of the teammate. The players who have passed the ball then line up to receive the ball from the next teammate and start again
- The teammate who receives the ball, after receiving it in the direction of the drill, starts running the course
- Four players work simultaneously, using four balls
- When all players have completed the circuit of the work station, returning to the starting position and thus tackling all the poles along the course, the direction of rotation of the exercise is changed. The players will then work with the inside of their left foot on running around the poles and on oriented receiving.
Rules
- Pay attention to timing (running speed and ball passing), as you are working with four balls at the same time, and maintain the distances between the four players performing the technical drill. A player who is behind their teammates increases the speed of the technical execution, while a player who is too far ahead slows down the pace
Variations
- Players circle around the pole using the outside of their foot
- Players face the pole, moving the ball into the free space with the sole of their foot
- Players face the pole, passing it with a feint decided by the coach at the start
- After passing the ball to their teammate through the small gate, the player gives the “man” signal to get the ball back from them with a back pass, then returns the ball to their teammate beyond the small gate on a deep run (forming a tight triangle with their teammate: short-long)
Coaching Points
- Pay attention to timing, perhaps letting the players themselves manage the four-man starts (giving them time to start independently)
- Pay attention to the precision of the pass through the small gates and the players' body posture when receiving the ball
- Increase the intensity of dribbling and the execution of technical moves on the poles once the exercise has been automated
- Encourage players to lose the marker to receive the ball through the small gate at the right time: do not receive the ball while stationary but while running, moving into space at the right time
