Drills / Team practice

Traffic lights

Everyone dribbles in a box. The coach calls colours: green to go, amber to slow down with the sole, red to stop the ball dead. An easy, active start for the youngest.

Players
Any number, one ball each
Space
20 × 20 m
Kit
A ball each, 4 cones
Time
8 minutes
Age
All ages
FREEZECoach
  • Us
  • Them
  • Pass
  • Run
  • Dribble

Set up

  • Mark a 20 m square. Each player has a ball.

How it works

  1. Players dribble anywhere in the square.
  2. "Green": dribble quickly into space. "Amber": slow down and roll the ball with your sole. "Red": stop the ball with your sole and freeze.
  3. Add a new colour each week, such as "blue" for a turn, or "purple" to swap balls with someone.

What to work on

  • Small touches, ball close, so you can stop on "red".
  • Look up for space between calls.
  • Use both feet and every part of the foot.

Easier

Fewer calls, and slower changes.

Harder

The coach holds up coloured cones instead of shouting, so players must look up to see them.

Planning a whole session? The session planner builds one around this kind of practice.

Try next

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