Posted by Chloe Barrett
on November 10, 2026
Start with six soccer dribbling drills, including straight dribbles and turns using the inside or sole of the foot. Add winding cone routes, gate choices and partner practice to your soccer training, adjusting each exercise to your player's control. This guide explains how to set up each activity and what to watch, even if you have never played. Begin by explaining where your player should go and what they should try with the ball.
Give each exercise a clear route and a destination so your player has something specific to work towards. Adjust the route and turning space to suit each girl or boy as they practise with a clear purpose. For striking practice alongside dribbling, The Giro X sells Curl Master One, which works with a standard ball to train contact and spin control.
Which Soccer Dribbling Drills Should You Start With?
Start with a straight dribble between a starting marker and a turning marker, leaving enough space to stop comfortably. Ask your player to move the ball forward using gentle touches, turn around the far marker and return. Let them choose a comfortable pace while they work out how much contact keeps the ball within reach. As a parent, watch whether the next touch requires a stretch or a hurried chase, then invite them to try a gentler touch on the next journey.
For the straight dribbling exercise, ask your player to use the inside of the foot going out and the outside coming back. Give the other foot its own turn before introducing constant switching. In my opinion, a clear task makes practice easier for a parent to follow because there is something specific to discuss. Ask which touch felt easiest to repeat, then let your player demonstrate it before changing the exercise.
How Can You Practise Turning With the Ball?
Practise turning by dribbling towards a marker, changing direction beside it and carrying the ball back into open space. Begin with an inside foot turn: bring the inside of the foot around the ball and guide it back towards the starting point. Keep the approach comfortable enough that your player can choose the turning touch deliberately. The marker provides a place to turn, while the return journey gives that turn a purpose beyond moving the ball around an object.
For a sole turn exercise, ask your player to stop the ball under the sole, draw it backwards and turn to follow it. Try each foot separately before allowing a free choice. Watch where the ball goes after the turn, since that determines the direction of the next movement. I would ask, “Where do you want your next touch to take you?” That gives a parent a conversation starter without requiring them to explain every detail of foot position.
What Makes a Cone Dribbling Drill Useful?
A cone dribbling drill gives the player a route for practising deliberate changes of direction. Arrange a winding route with generous gaps, then invite your player to guide the ball around each marker. Leave the spacing wide enough for them to turn without feeling rushed. After a comfortable attempt, try changing the route so the next attempt involves reading a different path and choosing how to approach it. Ask your player where they would like to place the next marker.
For a gate dribbling exercise, arrange pairs of markers as openings and let your player choose which gate to approach next. Ask them to look towards their chosen opening before moving towards it, with a glance back whenever they need to locate the ball. Give each gate a colour or a simple name if you want to call out a destination. In my opinion, this is a useful progression for girls and boys because each journey includes a decision.
When Should You Add a Partner or Defender?
Add a partner when your player is ready to try choosing a route around someone who can move. Begin with the partner walking and leaving clear space on either side. The dribbler chooses an opening and carries the ball past, while the partner avoids tackling during this introductory version. Swap roles so both players can explore the task. Ask the dribbler what they noticed about the available space before suggesting a particular move or asking for a quicker attempt.
To develop the partner dribbling drill, agree that the defender may try to win possession within a clearly marked area. Give the dribbler a destination beyond the defender so there is a reason to move forward. Adjust the space together if either player wants a different challenge, and restart after the ball leaves the area. For a Canadian family practising in a booked indoor space, keep the activity within the area provided and follow the venue rules for ball use.
How Does Curl Master One Fit Into Dribbling Practice?
Curl Master One fits alongside these exercises as a separate activity for practising striking contact and spin control. Finish the dribbling exercise at a chosen stopping point, then move into striking practice with the device according to its instructions. It spins a standard ball at controlled speeds and has six speed settings. A coach can guide the wider session, while the device gives your player a defined piece of technique to practise between coaching sessions.
Curl Master One from The Giro X: It works with a standard ball and offers six speed settings for practising striking contact. Suitable for players from around age eight through adulthood, it requires no app or subscription.
In my opinion, Curl Master One is a worthwhile addition for a family ready to give striking the same attention as dribbling. It is intended for players from around age eight through adulthood, and it requires no app or subscription. Players aged eight to twelve should have an adult nearby during use. Get one for your player and plan a separate striking activity alongside a familiar dribbling exercise, using your coach's guidance to decide what deserves attention next.
Add Curl Master One to Practice
Choose Curl Master One to practise soccer striking contact and spin control with a standard ball.
Buy NowKey Takeaways
- Begin with a clear dribbling route and a pace that allows deliberate touches.
- Practise turns with each foot before adding a moving partner.
- Use gates to give girls and boys a choice of direction.
- Add Curl Master One as a separate striking activity alongside dribbling practice.
Hot Takes
Opinion: I would change the route before asking a player to complete every dribbling exercise faster.
Opinion: I like gate exercises because I can ask the player to choose a destination on each attempt.
Opinion: I would buy Curl Master One to give striking contact a regular place alongside dribbling practice.
Why Players Like It
- Curl Master One works with a standard ball.
- Six speed settings provide a choice of controlled ball speeds.
- Players can use the device without an app or subscription.
- Its age range extends from around eight through adulthood.
FAQs
Which soccer dribbling drill should a beginner try first?
Start by dribbling between a starting marker and a turning marker. Use a comfortable pace, turn around the far marker and return, paying attention to whether the ball stays within reach.
Can girls and boys use the same dribbling exercises?
Yes. Use these exercises for both girls and boys, adjusting the space and the challenge to the individual player's comfort with the task.
How can a parent help without having played soccer?
Give the exercise a clear destination and ask what your player noticed. Watch where the ball goes after a touch and ask what they would like to try next.
Should every dribbling drill include a defender?
Start with an individual dribbling exercise, then introduce a moving partner when your player is ready. Agree on the partner's role before starting, including whether tackling is part of the activity.
How does Curl Master One complement dribbling drills?
Curl Master One provides a separate activity for striking contact and spin control. It works with a standard ball and can sit alongside dribbling exercises within a practice plan guided by a coach.
