Soccer Dribbling - The salt and pepper of the beautiful game

soccer dribbling
Fundamentals of Dribbling | Types of Dribbling | Practice Soccer Dribble

A dribble is spectacular but it doesn't just hold entertainment value, since a successful dribble can dish out a substantial tactical advantage for the attacking team, creating numeric superiority, clearing up a shot or a passing opportunity or simply causing panic in the opposing team's defense, ruining their tactical setup.

Need inspiration? Check out C. Ronaldo's spectacular dribbling skills below:

You've seen Ronaldinho, Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry or Cristiano Ronaldo dribble countless of times and stood in awe in front of your TV screen, or on the stadium. The sheer "magic" that a soccer dribble outputs is incredible and you'll hear a wave of cheers whenever a player manages to perform a spectacular dribble.

But dribbling does not always have to be spectacular. A successful dribble doesn't always mean a fancy rainbow backheel kick over your head, a double spin a-la Zidane, or a flipover trademarked by the Brazilians.

There are often less spectacular dribbles in a match, but those dribbles are usually the most effective. For example, when a player receives the ball and simply traps it avoiding the defender's tackle, he managed to take out his direct opponent with a short, effective dribble that isn't necessarily spectacular, but one that managed to create offensive superiority. But let's take a look at some of the basic rules and fundamental laws of the soccer dribble.

The Angle – the way you position yourself on the pitch when having the ball, opens up (or closes) dribbling opportunities. Theoretically, the easiest way to dribble is by moving parallel to the goal lines, which allows you to get some space and delays the defender's tackle. You don't actually create offensive superiority with this type of side-ways soccer dribble, but it does open up several passing opportunities and maybe even a shot.

Luring Opponents and Creating Offensive Superiority – a soccer dribble is efficient against both zone and man-marking defenses, considering the way you can destabilize both of these defenses.

Zone defenses require one defender to cover a specific zone of the pitch (central left area, central right area, etc) so if you manage to outwit one defender with a dribble, another one will have to leave his zone and cover you (since for defenders, the rule of thumb is that the player with the ball is always the most dangerous). This can easily destabilize an entire defense, leaving you with offensive superiority. Same goes for man-marking defenses, with the addition that these are even easier to confuse with a well timed dribble.

Dribbling Technique – Soccer can employ tactic to a point, but after that it's the player's own creativity and inspiration that comes into play. Therefore the dribbling technique you will use will have to be "invented" right there on the spot, seconds before you actually initiate the soccer dribble. There are of course certain guidelines and certain "trademarked dribbles" you can try out, but ultimately the dribbling technique will be based on your skills and your skills alone.

The hard part about Soccer dribble is using it effectively in a real match. We have the soccer tips to help you become better, but you have to practice and develop confidence. Practice makes good, confidence and heart makes perfect.

The Scissors – The scissors dribble is equally effective as it is spectacular and hard to counter by the opposing defender. It involves moving one foot over the ball in a quick motion, allowing your entire body weight to press on this foot, then immediately cutting the ball with the outside of your other foot and accelerating. In order for it to be effective, the scissors dribble must be done quickly and it's usually more efficient against defenders that stay "on guard", rather than a defender that attacks you decisively.

The Fake Kick – This is one of the most effective dribbles in soccer when you're near the enemy penalty box. I'm sure you've all seen it: the attacker fakes a shot, making the defender jump or attacks him to try to block the would-be shot, but instead of actually releasing the shot the attacker stops the initial move and cuts the ball past the defender and accelerates.

The Lunge – One of the basic one-on-one soccer dribbles that every player should start with. The lunge is all about using your body to trick the defender into thinking you're going one way or the other. Simply take a small sideways jump around the ball, pushing your shoulder and your entire body on the sustaining foot, and then cut the ball in the opposite direction, with your other foot.

The 360 – What this soccer dribble involves is placing your sole on the ball in front of you, pushing it slightly further, "climbing" on the ball and spinning, then pulling the ball back with the sole of your other foot.

I know it sounds complicated, but once you try it you'll realize there's not really much to it and you can master it in a few minutes.

These are just a few examples of dribbling in soccer, but there are obviously a lot more that you can practice and use. Some of these dribbles will come in naturally in a match, but you can always prepare something special for your opponent beforehand. Just don't think like "I'm going to make a 360 dribble next time I have the ball" during the match. It almost never works that way, unless you have the perfect setting, perfect body and ball positioning and so forth.

Remember, in a match environment, no defender will give you the time to think out what dribble to use, so you'll have to be quick on your toes. Some of the best dribbling skills are acquired naturally by professional players, they are not studied beforehand.

Grab a friend and take turns in dribbling: this way you will improve the way you counter dribbles as well and you'll also learn to think like a defender, which improves the way you set up your dribbles.

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