A simple drill to master controlling the soccer ball with all parts of your foot

In soccer, being fast, strong, and explosive will not be enough to make you a great player. You must also be able to control the ball. 

‍

The best way to improve ball control in soccer is to spend more time with the ball. Put simply, the more time you put into intentionally practicing ball control—the better you will become.

‍

Ball mastery is developed through the repetition of technical drills performed in tight spaces, using multiple different surfaces of the feet. Every professional soccer player can manipulate the ball with the outside, inside, top, sole, toe, and heel of their foot.

‍

The best drills allow players to get hundreds of touches on the ball in a short time. Training in tight spaces conditions players to keep the ball close to their feet, taking complete care and control with each touch.

‍

If you perform ball mastery drills at game speed, you will become more comfortable and confident with the ball. And this will translate to an improved ability to outmaneuver opponents on the field.

‍

To take us through ball mastery for soccer, we’ve got technical training expert and founder of Beast Mode Soccer, David Copeland-Smith.

‍

A Complete Soccer Training System

Since 2010, David’s Beast Mode Soccer training system has helped players of all ages and skill levels improve their technical ability and mindset. The program is used by professional players and clubs all over the world. 

‍

Copeland-Smith is especially active with the US Women’s National Team, having trained 13 of the players from the tournament winning squad from the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.  

‍

Alongside several other legends from U.S. and international soccer, including Tim Howard, Ali Krieger, Ashlyn Harris, Tyler Adams, and Kelly O’Hara, David has partnered with Versus to develop a unique training program for soccer players of all ages and skill levels.

‍

The Versus soccer program includes more than 60 exclusive video training sessions and over 1000 answers to questions across 30 soccer related topics. 

‍

We’re making some of this content available through articles like this one, but getting access to the whole program is easy. All you need to do is choose a plan, download the Versus app, and start learning.

‍

For a sneak peek of what’s available in the app, keep reading for our overview of the main points from David Copeland-Smith’s video on ball mastery for soccer. 

‍

Most of the lesson centers around a simple, yet effective drill that we cover in detail below.

‍

Soccer Ball Mastery Drill

David starts the video by explaining,

“There’s no point in being able to shoot a great shot or make a great pass, if you can’t dribble the ball to get out of danger or exploit some space.”

‍

To master these two crucial skills for soccer, Copeland-Smith demonstrates a drill where you can practice using every part of your foot to control the ball. Plus, execute a well timed separation touch.

‍

“Both of these skills are essential for ball mastery.”

‍

Set Up

For this drill, you will need nine cones and a ball.

‍

To set up, closely line up the cones in sets of three, with larger spaces between the sets, like this.

‍

‍

“I want you to set them out so they work according to your goals,” states David.

‍

So adjust the spacing based on your skill level or anything you are specifically working on at the moment.

‍

Completing the Drill

During each rep of the drill, you are going to practice scooping the ball, rolling, and a separation touch.

‍

Start by using the inside of your foot to scoop the ball while weaving through the first three cones.

‍

Once you have reached the end of the first set of cones, correctly weight the ball so that you use one touch to reach the next set.

‍

When making your way through the second set of cones, you should roll, touch, roll, touch. 

‍

While rolling the ball, ensure that you roll across and not diagonally. If you go diagonal, you’ll be showing your defender the ball. 

‍

Take another heavy touch to the next group of cones. 

‍

At the last set of cones, you can freestyle through them, using any part of your foot that you desire.

‍

Following the freestyle, immediately turn and go back through the cones following the same pattern as before (starting with freestyle).

‍

Rest for 10-15 seconds, then complete another rep.

‍

Push Yourself

The goal of this drill is to push yourself out of your comfort zone, both with the speed of weaving through the cones and the weight of the separation touch.

‍

“I want you to test yourself,” states David. “Because if you mess up it doesn’t matter—it’s a learning moment.”

‍

You will make mistakes, especially as you get tired. And practicing how to navigate this is one of the key lessons of the drill. 

‍

One false touch can easily really ruin the rhythm. But if you mess up, practice continuing to the next cone without skipping a beat.

‍

“If you mess up in a game and the ball is still at your feet, you don’t just stop—you carry on with it” explains Copeland-Smith. “And that’s exactly how I want you to train.”

‍

Own Your Development

“This exercise is very, very simple,” states David. “But you can tailor it exactly to what you are working on.”

‍

“You can shift the weight of the pass between the cones. Use different parts of your feet. And stagger the cones at different distances to make it more difficult,”

‍

“Remember, you own your development.”

‍

Performing ball mastery drills every day will truly change the way you play soccer. 

‍

The more reps you complete the more you become a master at handling the ball. And the work you put into practice will translate to your performance on the field.

‍

The only question is—how much do you want to get better?

‍

If you want to go deeper on technical skills in soccer and learn what it takes to have a winning mindset, head over to Versus and check out our Game Plans. Any of our packages will get you access to David’s lessons, plus tons of other training sessions, interactive content, and more. 

‍

Related Articles:

• How to Master 1v1 Domination in Soccer
• Soccer Footwork 101
• Soccer Passing and Receiving
• How to Develop a Mindset of Greatness

‍