Often a defender will be pressuring from behind or alongside our players. The best dribbling technique includes two technical points which will make it more difficult for these defenders to win the ball.
Firstly, players should run with the ball on the side furthest from the pressure. This will put their body between the defender and the ball and create a barrier to incoming tackles.
Secondly, players should push the ball with their front foot rather than dragging it with their trailing leg.
Technical Point
Push the ball forwards with your front foot on the side furthest from the defender.
Imagine a scene from ‘The Fast and The Furious’ with two evenly matched muscle cars revving their engines on the start line – the only difference is that one has a football taped under the hood and the other has a ball in the trunk. As the starting pistol explodes and the cars bolt forwards in a flurry of smoke and screeching tyres which ball is likely to pass the chequered flag first?
Assuming you forgave the American terminology, you’ll know it’s the ball in the hood (the bonnet) because it is at the front. In fact even if the other car is slightly quicker the result might be the same because the ball at the back has further to travel.
When our players run with the ball they should force the defender to be much quicker than them if they want to tackle.
This means they should push the ball with their front foot.
