Soccer requires capable dribbling, passing and receiving, and teaching these skills starts at the youth level. Incorporate the drills into a youth soccer practice that starts with a light warmup jog and group stretching before moving into the drills. Divide the players into teams and ask that they apply what they learned in their drills in a scrimmage before concluding with a cool-down stretch.
Passing One-Minute Drill
The coach can encourage hard work and clean passes with good speed or "pace" with the one-minute drill described by the online site SoccerXpert. Place three cones in a triangle with about 5 yards between each cone, with the point of the triangle pointing away from the coach. The player starts at a cone at the far right and receives a ball from the coach, passing it back crisply and running to the cone at the far left, rounding the middle cone. For one minute, the player shuttles in an arc on the outside of the cones, receiving and returning passes during the run. Have the player work for one minute on each of these types of passes: inside and outside foot passes and volleys with the top and inside of the foot.
Aggressive Receiving
Youth players profit by drills teaching to receive a pass correctly. David and Kay Huddleston of SoccerHelp.com note that receiving the ball involves than just waiting for the ball to arrive at the youth player's feet. The player must move aggressively to the ball and stop the pass, no matter how bad it is. Divide the players into two teams for this drill. Space two cones about 10 steps apart. Players dribble from the starter cone to the turning cone, dribble around the cone and send a pass to a teammate, who repeats the dribbling run, turn and pass. Passing players focus on passing quickly after the turn, and receiving players work on anticipating the pass, being alert and moving to the ball.
Zigzag Drill
Exercises, such as the zigzag, drill teach players how to dribble in tight spaces. Set up a course consisting of two starter cones, two turning cones, and alternating rows of two and three cones in between set in diamond patterns. Place one player at each of the starter and turning cones, and have them use any dribbling technique they like to zigzag from one cone to the next, recommends Peter Schreiner in "Coaching Youth Soccer." Ask the players to focus on good control and sharp turns.
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