Anytime Soccer Training

Line Cone Dribbling: A Complete 15-Minute Session

January 22, 2022

A line of cones is the most common dribbling setup in youth soccer and the most commonly wasted. Players queue, take one run, and stand around. Done properly, the same four cones give a player two hundred touches in a quarter of an hour.

This is the session, start to finish.

The setup

Four to six cones in a straight line, two yards apart. Closer than most people set them. If a player can run through without their touches changing, the cones are too far apart.

Two yards. Almost everybody sets cones at four or five, which turns a dribbling drill into a running drill with obstacles.

The session

1. Inside-inside

Weave through using only the inside of each foot, one touch per gap.

How to set it up: Line of cones, two yards apart.
How long: 4 runs through.
What good looks like: One touch between each cone, both feet used equally.
The usual mistake: Two or three touches per gap. Move the cones wider until they can do one, then bring them back in.

2. Outside-outside

Same line, outside of the foot only. Much harder, and the one that builds the escape touch.

How to set it up: Same cones.
How long: 4 runs.
What good looks like: The ball travels on the outside of the boot the whole way.
The usual mistake: Inside-foot rescue touches when it gets tight.

3. Sole roll weave

Use the sole to drag the ball across the body at each cone.

How to set it up: Same cones, walking pace.
How long: 4 runs.
What good looks like: Smooth drags, the ball never bounces away from the foot.
The usual mistake: Stabbing at the ball rather than rolling it.

4. Timed run

Whole line, any surface, against the clock.

How to set it up: Same cones, phone timer.
How long: 4 timed runs, keep the best.
What good looks like: The time drops week to week with no extra touches.
The usual mistake: Knocking cones over and carrying on. A knocked cone is a lost ball in a match.

Why this beats a queue at practice

At team training a line of cones usually means one player working and eight watching. At home the same setup is continuous. That is the entire advantage of training at home, and it is worth more than any drill.