Soccer footwork: Check out some of the best soccer dribbling and footwork drills from experts in the game. To become a high level soccer player you’ll need to have exceptional soccer skills – and that means having the ability to control the soccer ball with every part of your foot. Some of moves are simple ways to manipulate the soccer ball from one side to the other or into the space, footwork patterns, but these skills are the key to beating defenders and keeping possession of the ball. It’s all about spending time with the soccer ball at your foot and getting more and more comfortable with it.
All the soccer skills and moves listed below will help you get to the highest level of soccer and improve your touch on the ball. Check out these daily footwork drills that will help you reach your highest potential as a soccer player:
These moves and footwork skills are based on the Coerver Coaching method. Credit to the great Yael Averbuch for the videos below and the image at the top of this page.
Here are 6 simple ways to improve your control of the soccer ball! Try these footwork patterns to get better using various surfaces of both feet. Master the pattern, find your rhythm, and then challenge your pace! Soccer footwork is a the foundation of becoming a top player.
Fast Footwork (explanations of the terms)
Moves to Beat an Opponent (explanations of attacking moves)
The Daily 7 Minute Footwork Drill (7 minutes a day to excellent footwork)
1. Inside Roll — Roll the ball across your body from outside to inside with the inside and sole of the foot and stop the ball with the inside of the other foot.
2. Outside Roll — Roll the ball across your body from inside to outside with the outside and sole of the foot and stop the ball with the inside of the same foot.
3. Side to Side Push-Pull — Tap ball back and forth with inside of feet, push ball forward with one foot and pull it back the sole of the opposite foot.
4. Side to Side Step-On — Roll ball to outside with the sole by stepping lightly on the ball, then tap ball back to the inside with the inside of the foot.
5. Side to Side Front Roll –Tap ball back and forth with inside of feet, push ball slightly forward then pull the ball across your body with the front part of the sole.
6. Pull Instep Push — Push ball forward and pull it back with the sole, then tap ball forward with the instep of the same foot.
7. Pull a Vee — Push the ball forward and pull it back the sole of the foot while turning and then take the ball with the inside of the same foot.
8. Pull & Take with Outside of Foot — Push the ball forward and pull the ball back with the sole then push the ball diagonally forward with the outside of the foot.
9. Pull & Roll Behind — Push the ball forward and pull the ball back with the sole of the foot then pass the ball behind the standing leg with the inside of the foot. Control the ball with the sole of the other foot. feet.
10. Pull turn –Push ball forward with one foot and pull it back with the other while turning toward ball and take the ball in the opposite direction with the inside of the first foot.
11. Inside of foot turn — Push ball forward, move past ball and turn toward ball and take it with the inside of the foot in the opposite direction.
12. Outside of foot turn — Push ball forward, move past ball and turn toward ball while taking it with the outside of the foot in the opposite direction.
13. Cruyff — Push the ball forward, fake kick with inside of foot, but instead pull ball behind the standing leg and change directions.
14. Stepover Turn — Push ball forward, step over ball with one foot, turn toward ball and take it in the opposite direction.
15. Full Sole Roll — Roll the sole of one foot forward over the ball and to the outside so the ball stops against your heel. Turn and take the ball with the sole of the other foot with a Step-On.
16. Scissors — Starting with the ball to one side, step over or in front of ball so that the ball ends up on the other side of you. Take theball in the opposite direction with the outside of the other foot and then stop ball with the sole of the first foot.
17. 360 — Push ball forward, stop it with the sole of one foot while stepping past it, turn and drag ball back with sole of other foot, continue turning all the way around and take the ball with the inside of the first foot.
18. Kick Over ball — Kick over ball with inside of foot then pull it back with the sole of the same foot.
Soccer Footwork: Moves to Beat an Opponent
1. Hip Swivel — Fake with inside of one foot by swivelling hips toward ball, then reverse direction and take the ball with the inside of the other foot.
2. Matthews — Fake with inside of foot nudging ball by dipping shoulder, then take ball in the opposite direction with the outside of same foot. (explode)
3. Cap — Cut ball with inside of foot slightly backward and take ball ahead with the inside of the opposite foot.
4. Stepover — With ball moving, stepover ball so ball is outside of stepover foot, turn and take the ball with the other foot.
5. Scissors over ball — Step behind ball as if preparing to take it with the outside of one foot, then step over the ball and take it with the outside of the other foot.
6. Rivelino — Same as stepover, but take the ball with outside of stepover foot.
7. Vee — Fake pass with instep (across body), pull ball back with sole and take in opposite direction with the inside of the same foot.
8. Cruyff — Fake kick with inside of foot, but instead pull ball behind the standing leg and change directions.
9. Inside of foot cut — Cut the ball across body with inside of foot while simultaneously stepping over it and take with outside of opposite foot.
10. 3/4 Inside of foot turn — Cut ball back with inside of foot, continue turning 3/4 of the way around and take the ball with the inside of the same foot
11. 3/4 Outside of foot turn — Cut ball back with outside of foot, continue turning 3/4 of the way around and take the ball with the outside of the same foot
12. Scissors behind ball — Step behind ball as if preparing to take it with outside of one foot, fake, then take it with the outside of the opposite foot. (easy to learn)
13. Scissors in front of ball — Step behind ball as if preparing to take it with outside of one foot, then step around front of ball and take it with outside ofthe other foot.
14. Double Scissors — Push ball forward, make alternate scissors steps and take with outside of first foot. (ineffective close to opponent)
15. Reverse Matthews — Fake with outside of one foot, step behind and take with outside of opposite foot. (also called body swerve or Touch ‘n go)
16. Stepover – Scissors — Ball rolling. Stepover followed by scissors with same foot and take with outside of other foot.
17. Front Roll — While moving forward, pull ball across body with sole and take with outside of opposite foot.
Seven Minute Soccer Footwork Drill
Rolls (4 each foot)
1. Inside Roll
2. Outside roll
Foundation (4 each foot, alternating feet 3 touches between moves)
1. Side to Side
2. Push-Pull
3. Side to Side Step-On
4. Side to Side Front Roll
Pull back and go. Do sequence with one foot then switch (4 times each foot )
1. Pull, Instep Push
2. Pull a Vee
3. Pull & Take with Outside of foot
4. Pull & Roll Behind
Turns: Travel 10 feet turn 180 degrees use 3 touches between turns (4 times each foot)
1. Pull Turn
2. Inside of foot turn
3. Outside of foot turn
4. Cruyff
5. Stepover Turn
Change of direction with fakes, 3 touches betweens turns (4 times each foot)
1. Hip Swivel
2. Matthews
3. Cap
4. Stepover
5. Scissors
6. Rivelino (You can substitute any of the “Moves to Beat an Opponent”)
Complete Seven Minute drill is more than 575 touches on the ball.
Spend another ten minutes passing against a wall, both feet, both one and two-touch, instep and inside of feet, include fake kicks. Keep feet moving and work on accuracy.
Spend ten minutes juggling the ball trying to get 100 consecutive juggles.
Do 50 to 100 sit-ups, then stretch.
Try to do complete this soccer workout every day. This workout can be done anywhere that there is little danger of breaking things, for instance in a basement, at the gym, a playroom or outside, of course.
Learn more about Coerver Coaching methods and training ideas here.
Note: the following collection of footwork and dribbling moves was put together by Dennis Mueller, a boys’ U16 competitive coach in Princeton, NJ (USA) from the tapes by Wiel Coerver (1-2-3-Goal, Coerver Coaching), Frans van Balkom (On the Attack), Hubert Vogelsinger (Videocoach Vogelsinger) and Dario Gradi.