Dribble tag soccer drill
Dribble tag is a game of tag in which every player, taggers included, must keep a ball at their feet. It warms players up while training dribbling with the head up and quick changes of direction.
Soccer is called football in most of the world. This guide is part of Futbol Island’s free football lessons for kids aged 7 to 12.
Dribble tag: setup diagram
At a glance
| Detail | For this drill |
|---|---|
| Ages | U6 to U10 (ages 5 to 10) |
| Players | 6 to 16, one ball each |
| Space | 20 x 20 yd (18 x 18 m) |
| Equipment | One ball per player; cones; two bibs for the taggers |
| Time | 5 to 8 minutes |
| Skill | Warm-ups and fun games |
Change the size of the area to fit your group: bigger makes it easier for the player with the ball, smaller makes it harder. Everyone who goes out comes straight back in, and nobody runs laps.
How to run it
- Everyone dribbles inside the square. Two players in bibs are the taggers, and they dribble a ball too.
- A tagger tags with a hand on the shoulder, and only while their own ball is close.
- A tagged player swaps the bib with the tagger and becomes the new tagger.
- Freeze tag: a tagged player stands with the ball held over their head and legs apart. A teammate frees them by passing a ball through their legs.
- Change taggers every minute so everyone has a turn.
Coaching points to say out loud
- “Ball stays with you.”
- “Eyes up: where is the tagger?”
- “Change speed.”
Make it easier or harder
Easier
Taggers run without a ball, and the square is bigger.
Harder
Add a third tagger or shrink the square. In freeze tag, a frozen player may only be freed by a pass with the weaker foot.
Common mistakes
- Players leaving the ball behind to escape. A tag does not count, and an escape does not count, without the ball.
- A square so big that nobody is ever caught.
- The same fast players as taggers every time. Rotate.
Why it matters in a game
To get away from a tagger a player has to see them coming, and that glance up while dribbling is the same one a midfielder takes before a defender arrives. Our lesson on looking before receiving builds on it.
The lesson that teaches it: Look, Then Turn or Return.
Questions about Dribble tag
Is tag a good soccer warm-up?
Yes, when everyone has a ball. Players warm up, change direction and look around, all while touching the ball, and nobody needs it explained.
How long should it last?
Five to eight minutes at the start of practice, in rounds of about a minute with new taggers each round.
What is tunnel tag?
The freeze-tag version: a tagged player stands with legs apart and is freed when a teammate passes a ball through the “tunnel”.
Lessons that teach this idea
Related drills and guides
- Sharks and Minnows (drill)It trains dribbling under pressure: keeping the ball close, changing direction and using open space.
- Busy square dribbling (drill)It trains dribbling with the head up, because a player who only looks at the ball will bump into someone.
- Simon Says with a ball (drill)It trains stopping the ball, listening and balance, and it lets a new coach learn every name.
- Knockout (drill)It trains shielding, dribbling with the head up and winning the ball.
- Soccer age groups explainedWhat U6, U8, U10 and U12 mean
- Pressing (soccer term)Closing down the player on the ball
- U6 soccer drills: fun games for 5 and 6 year oldsNine games for 5 and 6 year olds, a ball each, with what to avoid
- U8 soccer drills for 7 and 8 year oldsTen drills for 7 and 8 year olds: dribbling, 1v1, first passing and 3v3
- U10 soccer drills for 9 and 10 year oldsTen drills for 9 and 10 year olds: rondos, first touch, 2v1 and first goalkeeping
- U6 soccer practice plan: dribblingA 45-minute plan that uses this drill
- All warm-ups and fun games drillsGames that start practice with a ball and a smile.
Futbol Island is a free football (soccer) learning game for kids aged 7 to 12. Every idea on this page is taught on a pitch with moving players, then checked with a quick quiz.