Intruders Game

To develop dribbling skills with subtle defensive pressure.

Beginner

• 5 soccer balls
• 4 large game markers
• 6 small game markers

10 minutes

1. Position players in a 30- by 30-yard grid as shown in the figure.
2. On your signal, the players without balls turn their backs to the players with balls.
3. Give a hand signal to the players with balls to begin dribbling toward the players with their backs turned.
4. The players with balls try to dribble through one of the 2-yard-wide chutes spaced between game markers 3 and 4 without being tagged. If they are successful, they earn 1 point and return to a space between game markers 1 and 2 to repeat the action.
5. If you blow the whistle during the action, all players with balls must return to spaces between game markers 1 and 2, by dribbling, while being chased by the players without balls. Dribbling players who are tagged put their balls on the sideline and become taggers.
6. Players assume starting positions with all taggers positioned between game markers 3 and 4 and all dribblers between game markers 1 and 2.
7. The game ends when no dribblers remain.
8. The dribbler who scores the most points is the winner.
9. Select new taggers and begin the game again.

This is a fun way for beginning players to practice dribbling skills. If players are being tagged too easily, reduce the number of taggers, increase the size of the grid, or blow the whistle before the dribblers get too close to the taggers.