Dribbling a Soccer Ball

The best technique when dribbling is to use the outside of the foot where ever possible. This enables you to run normally, and so more efficiently and faster. Of course if you change direction or make a feint, then you will use the inside of your foot or the instep (the top of your foot), but practising running and dribbling with the outside of your foot is the way to go!

You need to keep the ball as close to you as possible, so that the opposition cannot get the ball. How close is that? Well it depends on where the opposition is and how fast they are. If they area is congested and there are lots of defenders, then you will need to keep the ball within touching distance at all times, that is about a foot or so away. If there is a lot of space, and you want to get forward very quickly, then keeping the ball about 5 yards away whilst running fast allow you to run faster. There are times when you are not really dribbling but running with the ball, and there will be times when it is to you advantage to "knock" the ball past the defender and chase it, especially if you are confronted with the last defender and there is a lot of space behind the defender. Can you guess what the advantages are? The knock and run turns the challenge into a foot race, so if you are faster, then you will probably have a chance to shoot. If the defender gets there first, you still have an advantage because he is facing the wrong way and you will get the chance to put pressure on him while he is facing the wrong way, and may get a throw in or even better, a corner.