Football Dribbling Drills: Close Control and Turning

Start with five football dribbling drills: close control, cone weaving, turning, gates and carrying the ball past a defender. Begin at walking pace, then adjust the space and defender involvement to suit the player’s control. For parents organising football training, this guide explains each exercise without assuming you have played. The Giro X sells Curl Master One for striking practice, which I would include alongside this work on moving with the ball.

How Do You Start With Close Control?

Start by asking the player to carry the ball around an open area at a comfortable walking pace. Choose a clear space where they can turn without running into furniture or other players. Ask them to use the inside and outside of either foot, keeping each touch within reach of the next step. For girls and boys alike, choose the pace according to their current control. A parent can watch whether the player can stop the ball when asked.

Make the close control exercise more demanding by calling out a direction for the player to travel towards. Give them time to look up before making the next call, leaving room for their own decisions. If the ball keeps travelling beyond comfortable reach, ask for a gentler touch and a slower approach. In my opinion, this is a useful starting exercise because a parent can describe exactly what happened, including whether the ball stayed within reach.

What Makes a Cone Weave Useful?

A cone weave gives the player a route to follow while choosing touches around each marker. Lay out a loose line of cones, leaving gaps that allow a comfortable change of direction. Ask the player to travel through at walking pace, using whichever foot puts the ball into the next gap. Watch the route of the ball as they move. Each touch should leave a clear path towards the following marker, with room to adjust the next step.

On the return journey, encourage the player to try their other foot wherever the route allows. Move a marker sideways to change the problem once the original route feels familiar. In my opinion, changing the layout is a useful next step before asking for more speed, because it gives the player another choice to consider. Leave enough room around the moved cone for the player to adjust their approach without having to stop the exercise.

How Can You Practise Turning With the Ball?

Practise turns by dribbling towards a marker, changing direction and carrying the ball back into open space. Begin with an inside foot turn: approach under control, bring the inside of the foot around the ball and guide it back towards the starting area. Let the player walk through the movement before adding pace. Watch where the ball finishes after the turn and whether the player can reach it comfortably with their next touch.

How Do Gate Drills Add a Decision?

Gate drills ask the player to choose a route through pairs of markers spread around the practice area. Make each opening generous enough for the player to dribble through without squeezing between the cones. Ask them to travel through an available gate, turn into space and find another opening. Leave counting aside initially, watching whether the player looks towards the next opening before arriving. Allow a pause whenever they need to find their route.

A parent can change the gate drill by naming the next opening while the player is moving. Give the call early enough for them to respond without rushing, then let the player choose their own route again. For a shared session, girls and boys can take turns choosing gates for each other. Keep the challenge tied to the individual player, widening an opening or simplifying the choice when the route becomes difficult to follow.

When Should You Add a Defender?

Add a defender when you want the dribbler to practise choosing a route around another person. Begin with a partner who walks and leaves an obvious side open. Ask the attacker to approach under control, notice the opening and carry the ball through it. Mark an end area beyond the defender so the attempt has a clear destination. Swap roles regularly, and agree beforehand how actively the defender should try to win possession during each attempt.

Where Does Curl Master One Fit Into Practice?

Curl Master One fits into the striking part of practice alongside these football dribbling drills. It trains contact and spin control, giving a separate focus after carrying and turning with the ball. In my opinion, it deserves a place in a home training programme because it gives parents a defined activity to pair with movement practice. A coach can guide the wider programme while Curl Master One supports work on how the foot contacts the ball.

Curl Master One

Curl Master One works with a standard ball and offers six speed settings for players from around age eight to adults. It requires no app or subscription.

For parents choosing equipment, I would buy Curl Master One to give striking practice a regular place between coaching sessions. Choose a dribbling exercise according to what your player wants to practise, then set aside a separate part of the session for contact and spin work. Players aged eight to twelve should use the device with an adult nearby. Get Curl Master One and plan where both activities will fit into your next training session.

Make Time for Striking Practice

Choose Curl Master One to practise football contact and spin control.

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