Purpose

This drill will help players keep good control of the ball while being pressured by the opponent.

Setup

Players should form two lines and face each other stretching all the way down the field. There should be a little more than a yard between the lines. The space between the lines will be a chute where players dribble through.

Moving Gauntlet Soccer Possession Drill
Moving Gauntlet Possession Drill

Execution

  1. This drill will start at one end of the field and go all the way to the other end of the field.
  2. The first two players in the lines will have a ball and they will dribble down through the other players.
  3. The players forming the lines can’t move forward but they can try to kick the ball away from the players dribbling through the chute.
  4. The player dribbling through must try to dribble straight through without allowing the other players to kick the ball away.
  5. One player should go first and then the other player should go once the first player is half way through the chute.
  6. The players with the balls will finish the drill by curling to the outside and then passing back to the next two players at the beginning of the line.
  7. The passing players will then take their place at the end of the gauntlet. So the gauntlet will slowly move down the field.
  8. The drill doesn’t end until the gauntlet reaches the other end of the field.

Coaching Tips

  • Make sure your players understand that this isn’t a drill to just kick the ball away from the players running the gauntlet but it’s important to focus on dribbling down field with distractions.