Click on the cover to learn more

3: The Hexagon

“I am an admirer of dribbling. Two dribbles together change the content of a game; they clear things up, supply fresh oxygen, make the match more healthy.” Marcelo Bielsa

Dribblers are special. At one time, they were a dying breed in the game. Thankfully, that has changed, and we are seeing the return of players who are able to produce magic on the ball. We can thank the lawmakers who are offering greater protection to those who dribble; the often-crude challenges that would side-line players are being punished more harshly than they once were.

Dribbling is one of the most exciting strands of football. The sight of Jadon Sancho skipping around defenders consistently gets people out of their seats. We might consider there to be different types of dribblers: the player who relies on being fleet of foot to put their opponent off balance before accelerating away, or the player that uses body movement to shift the defender. Then we have the trickster – Neymar-like – using elaborate tricks to beat defenders (some might say humiliate defenders). All such players elicit reactions from crowds, team-mates, and opponents.

The reaction of opponents is of great interest. The idea of ‘humiliation’ is important as it makes defenders wary of getting too close to the dribbler, creating more time and space for that player on the ball. Not all 1v1 situations are equal. The player who can dominate a 1v1, either defensively or offensively, is at a great advantage. The dominant defender is not concerned by the opponent, not fearful of humiliation, and confident in their own ability to regain possession. The dominant 1v1 dribbler is not fearful of the defender. They have no concerns that the presence of an opposing player will lead to the loss of possession.

It is my assertion that the key to effective dribbling is mentality. If a player has been constantly encouraged to pass the ball when faced with an opponent, that is likely to be their response when confronted by a defender in a match. However, if they have been encouraged to take on opponents, that is likely to be their response. The more they are exposed to 1v1 dribbling situations, the more likely they are to have success; they will gain confidence and competence, becoming more willing to dribble in game situations. Through 1v1 practices, players can gather the preparation they need and take that into our 3v3 situations, where the players will experience 1v1 but also 1v2 and 1v3. Should dribblers become competent in situations where they are outnumbered, we really will have game changers and potential match winners.

Imagine, for one moment, the Diego Maradona goal against England at the 1986 World Cup (no, not that one; the other one. The far greater, but less infamous of his two World Cup quarter-final goals). Maradona utilised his legendary low centre of gravity to spin, slalom, and trick his way past the England defence. To Maradona, the sight of an entire team in front of him was not enough to dissuade the mercurial number 10 from taking them on.

Likewise, in 1984, John Barnes scored a goal of legendary status against Brazil at the Maracana, coming in from the left side of the pitch, before holding off and going beyond several defenders and the goalkeeper, then scoring.

Lastly, the Brazilian Ronaldo – playing for Barcelona – captured the imagination of the world by dribbling at high speed past the Compostela defence in 1996. Starting in his own half, and using a combination of strength, speed, balance and exceptionally fast footwork, he scored a stunning goal. Football history is gilded with brilliant players scoring brilliant goals.

“Football is about joy. It’s about dribbling. I favour every idea that makes the game beautiful.” Ronaldinho

Exceptional dribblers can do other things to fearful teams. As alluded to, previously, dribblers often attract extra defenders. Teams will want to avoid the chaos created by an attacker slaloming their way through defensive lines, and the extra defenders concentrated on the dribbler will create space elsewhere. If our player has high levels of awareness and decision making, they will be able to exploit this. Indeed, a combination of 1v1s and other practices will help players to develop this skill.

Many of the great possession footballers have had fantastic ball manipulation skills. In recent times, Pirlo and Xavi are two of the greatest passers that football has seen. Yet both possessed the dribbling skills to retain possession in tight situations, eliminating opponents if they got too close too soon. Not all 1v1 situations are face to face, the defender may be approaching from the side or from behind, and players will need to have a picture of how to handle such scenarios. It was once said of Xavi that he never lost the ball because, by the time the opponent was there, the ball had gone. Because of Xavi’s dribbling skills, he was also able to initiate pressure in order to pass around opponents, even though it was less apparent than the skillset of Neymar and co.

In a similar vein to the warming-up chapter, the set up here is designed to generate a high number of different practice options without having to change the practice layout too much. ‘Repetition without repetition’ is an oft-used term in relation to coaching. There are advantages to utilising the same set up as, once players have learned how it works, adjustments are easily picked up.

If a single set up is flexible enough to include 1v1s that occur face to face, from the side, and from behind – as well as connecting dribbling, possession, and finishing – then the practice will be of value to coaches at all levels.

The choice of shape is key to creating different angles and different options. As per below, players are maintained around the outside while still enabling players to face off in the centre. The Hexagon best fits a six-player design, while an Octagon might be used for eight players. For an odd number, two players may share a space.

Moves

As one might imagine, the number of dribbling moves possible is huge, possibly even unquantifiable. Every move that a player sees can be adapted, then adapted again. From one move, we immediately have two new moves. Below is a list of moves that may be of use to players.

Hexagon 1

Play starts with the player with the ball passing across into the opposition player (stripe to white, white to stripe). The receiving player attempts to take on the opposition player to the right of the passer (their left) and dribble out of the octagon. If the defender wins the ball, they try to dribble out of the octagon through the gate of the opponent.

Progression 1

The player receiving can dribble out of any gate belonging to an opponent. The defenders can move to cover any gate and are not stuck at their initial gate.

Progression 2

The receiving player can escape through any gate (except their own). Defenders need to move to cover the escape routes.

Points

– Awareness

– Change of direction

– Acceleration

– Tricks/skills

Hexagon 2

Pass, set, and dribble. The player in possession can attack any of the white team’s defenders and their gate.

Progression 1

The passer and the setter join together to attack any of the white team defenders and their gate.

Start with only one ball in play (whether it is the 1v1 or 2v2). Later, have two balls in play to increase the traffic and awareness required for success.

Hexagon 3

1v1 Possession

The players in the middle may only use their teammates to retain possession. If a stripe wins the ball, they use the outside players to retain the ball. The outside players may need to move to empty spaces to better support the player in possession. Players in the middle play for one minute before switching.

Progression 1

If the team with the ball makes three passes, the central player can dribble out of either of the vacant gates to score a point. The next two players come in. After four rounds, which team has the most points?

Progression 2 – Rotation.

The player who passes into the middle follows their pass and takes up a position in the middle. After passing to the outside, the central player follows their pass.

Points

– Movement

– Support

– Angles

– Distances

– Quality of pass