Dribbling Through Space (Speed Dribbling)

Dribbling through open space requires precise control over each touch. Unwanted deviations in the distance or direction of a touch will slow the dribbler down, and turn scoring chances into turnovers. The game called Giant Slalom develops this precise control. How you run the game will depend on how many participants you have.

Slalom Course

Players weave their way through gates, like skiers on a mountainside. While the four-player version works best , other player numbers are also possible. Use your imagination when setting up the course. The gates should create a circle or oval. Some gates should be close together, so players must weave their way through rapids. Other gates should be further apart, so players must sprint through straightaways.

Rules for Slalom Course, Four Players

Course Setup. For the first gate, two cones are placed two paces apart. The next gate is placed at least four paces away, and slightly to either side. A circular or oval course, about forty paces in diameter, is created in the same fashion. Some of the gates are close together, and zigzag from side to side. Other gates are at least twenty paces apart, creating straightaways.
Teams and Starting Positions. Four players compete, in teams of two. Each player has a ball. The four players spread evenly around the course, so that each player is in between two opponents.
Object of the Game. Players earn points for their teams by catching opponents from behind. The first team to three wins.
How a Round Proceeds At the coach’s signal, players begin dribbling in a clockwise direction. A player who knocks over a cone must stop to fix it. A player who misses a gate must return and dribble through it. The round continues until a player overtakes and dribbles past an opponent. The round also ends if a player is unable to return to a missed gate. Rounds that last one minute are declared draws.
How the Game Proceeds. After the first round, players spread evenly around the course for the second round. This time, they dribble counterclockwise. The dribbling direction keeps changing from round to round until a winner is decided.
Variations for Different Player Numbers. With fewer than four players, hold time trials. One by one, the players dribble twice around the course. Players must return to any missed gates. The best time wins. With exactly eight players, create four teams. Two teams compete for a round, and then catch their breath as the other two teams compete. The rotating continues until each match is decided. Championship and thirdplace matches can then take place.

With other player numbers, the drill version works fine. All the players dribble at the same time. To prevent collisions, players dribble at three quarters speed. The round ends when a player misses a gate or knocks over a cone, and that player sits out. Once three players are out, all rejoin for the next round.

Giant Slalom beats weaving through a straight line of cones. Since every section of the course is unique, players must read the course and plan their touches accordingly. And players never have to return to the course’s beginning, because the course has no beginning!