U-Littles Introduction | Applicable Activities | Circuit Approach

Dribbling With U-Littles

There are three important types of dribbling: dribbling through open space, dribbling past defenders, and dribbling for possession. Your U-Littles can begin practicing each of these types. The activities are the same as for older players, with a few adaptations.

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.

The official rules are given on another page. At first, though, you just want the players to enjoy dribbling through the gates. Here's the recommended sequence for four or five players.

First, have the players run through the gates without their soccer balls. This teaches them how the course works.

Next, have each player dribble through the gates. Make sure they don't miss any. And if they knock a cone over, they should stop and restore it.

Finally, have each player chase a coach or parent while dribbling through the gates. The parent should move slowly enough that the player has a chance. The player should attempt to hit the parent with the ball, after which a big fuss is made! "Oh, no, he caught me! You little rascal!"

Ride the Bronco

In the official version of this game, one player shields the ball and darts about while another tries to tackle the ball away or knock the ball out of the course. The official rules are on another page.

Your little players, though, won't be quite ready for the offical version. But they can practice shielding while a coach or parent is in pursuit. Here's a simple sequence to follow.

First, have two coaches or parents demonstrate the basic idea. One enters the playing area with the ball, and the other comes after the ball. As the defender gets near, the dribbler turns his/her back to the ball in order to shield it.

Next, give each player a ball. Four or five players can go at the same time. Each has a coach or parent to help. The coach or parent begins chasing after the ball, and teaches the child to turn his/or back in a shielding motion. The player should then keep the ball moving, and may dart all about the playing area.

Every now and then, the defender should knock the ball away. This creates a bit of realism, and the players work harder to avoid the frustration.

Run the Gauntlet/Beat the Dragons

In the official version, players attempt to dribble from one end of the course to the other, past two defenders. Each defender is confined to a defensive zone. The line reforms at the other end, the defenders turn to face them, and the players dribble back. Points are scored for getting safely past the defenders, who try to knock the balls off the course.

A version of this game, Beat the Dragons, works well with U-Littles. You'll need at least four coaches or parents to help. Four or five players are in line at one end as in the diagram, each with a ball. A parent there helps supervise the line. In each defensive zone is a scarey-looking dragon (a parent or coach), ready to gobble up any dribbler who comes by. The dribblers dribble through the course as the dragons make occasional stabs at the ball, and the line reforms at the other end.

After a season of Beat the Dragons, your players will be ready for Run the Gauntlet. The official rules are below.

Official Rules for Run the Gauntlet

Course Setup. The course is forty paces long and fifteen paces wide. Walking from the corner at one end of the course, place cones after ten paces, five paces, ten paces again, five paces again, and ten paces (see scene). The cones placed five paces apart create defensive zones.
Starting Positions. Two players start out as defenders, one inside each defensive zone. The other players have soccer balls, and begin as dribblers at one end of the course. There should be at least two and no more than five dribblers in a line. To accommodate more players, an adjacent course should be set up.
Object of the Game. Dribblers try to score points by dribbling past one defender and then the other, while keeping their soccer balls inside the course. The defenders attempt to prevent points, by stealing balls or knocking them off the course. Defenders may not touch the ball outside their zones.
How a Try Works. The first dribbler enters the course, makes a move on the first defender, gathers the ball in, and makes a move on the second defender. The attempt must be continuous; the dribbler may not shield the ball or pause.
How the Game Proceeds. As soon as a dribbler is past the first defender, the next dribbler begins. After all the dribblers have had a try, they form a new line at the other end of the course, and dribble back from that direction. After all the dribblers have had three tries, two of them become the new defenders. When players have all had the same number of dribbling tries, the player with the most points wins.

Run the Gauntlet works because it restricts defender backpedaling. That might seem unsoccerlike. But dribblers get many tries at pushing the ball past defenders. If the defender could backpedal through the whole course, most tries would be stalemates.

The game ’s time-saving features are critical. When one dribbler is halfway through, the next one begins. And rather than walking back to their starting point, dribblers form a new line at the other end. The game moves so quickly you’ll think there are no lines!

Big Game Hunting

This is a big favorite. Create a circular playing area. Inside that area are five U-Littles or so, each with a ball, and five wild animals (parents or coaches). The U-Littles attempt to bag their quarry by dribbling after a wild animal and hitting it with the soccer ball. The wild animals are easy to catch at first, but they get faster as the hunters become more proficient.

Two variations are possible. At first, each child hunts down his/her own parent. Once the parent is caught, the chase begins again.

Next, each player can catch any wild animal. Once caught, the animal must leave the circle. Eventually, only one animal will be left as all the players give chase. Talk about excitement!