5 short technique videos, each with a challenge players can repeat to measure their progress.
By Terry Barton, founder of The Coaching Manual and 15 years in coach education · Updated October 2026
There are a lot of components to dribbling and running with the ball, and ball mastery is a big part of it. These techniques cover the key skills for close control and for driving into space.
Master the techniques and you'll be playing like Messi in no time.
Watch the technique, teach the coaching points, then set the challenge.
Changing direction and close control are hard skills to master. A simple exercise like this gives players so much repetition that they can't fail to improve.
Before the tricky beat-the-player moves, players need quick feet and close control. This is how they build the foundations of dribbling.
Lots of changes of direction and lots of chances to vary the weight of touch. All essential for dribblers.
Knowing when and how to take bigger touches to move into space quickly is often the difference between getting one-on-one with the keeper and being caught by defenders.
Combining big touches at pace with slowing down and taking smaller touches matters for every player. This simple activity shows you how.
Every technique and challenge lives in The Coaching Manual app. Players record their scores, coaches see who is improving, and clubs get the whole programme alongside sessions and season plans.
