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Change of Pace Dribbling

Slow a defender down, then accelerate past them with a big touch into space.

By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth soccer coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026

Set up

Dribble slowly toward a cone 10 yards away.

Core: Medium. Beat your own best out of 10.

Ages
14 and up
Time
12 min
Players
Just you
Space
Yard or field
Bring
Soccer ball, 4 cones
Level · skill
Advanced · Dribbling

The steps

How it works

  1. Dribble slowly toward a cone 10 yards away.
  2. Two yards before it, make a sharp touch past it.
  3. Accelerate hard for 10 more yards.
  4. Do 12 reps and rest 30 seconds between them.

Coaching point

Slow, slow, then explode.

Safety: Warm up first and run on grass or a flat, dry surface. Walk back between reps and stop if anything hurts. On hot days drink water and rest in the shade; if you hear thunder, go inside.

Make it fun

Play it, don't drill it

Game version

Traffic game: dribble slowly past the first cone, then speed up after the second when a parent calls “go”. Your pair counts smooth changes.

Challenge

Levels: Less (a small change), Core (medium), More (a big change). Beat your own best out of 10.

Story

You are a fox sneaking past the farmer, then dashing home.

My best

Beat your own count

Beat your own best out of 10. Only your own number counts: today against last time.

Practice makes progress

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