Shielding teaches the dribbler to protect the ball with their body. They’re not muscling the defender. They’re positioning themselves between the ball and the opponent.
What you need: 1 soccer ball, 4 cones to mark a 10x10 grid.
Setup: Two kids inside the grid. One with the ball. One defending. You watch from the side.
How to run it:
- Dribbler moves around the grid using Touch, Look, Push, Go. Small touches, eyes up, push when there’s space, accelerate.
- When the defender gets close, the dribbler shields by turning their hips sideways and keeping the ball on the far side.
- Defender tries to poke the ball away but cannot push or pull.
- Play for 30 seconds. Then switch.
- Do 3 rounds each.
What to watch: Is the dribbler using their body smartly or just running? Smart shielding means angling the hips and using an arm for balance, not for contact.
If they’re struggling: Make the grid bigger (12x12). Give the dribbler more space.
If they’ve got it: Shrink the grid to 8x8. Add a second ball later.