Cutting is the foundation of all dribbling moves. A sharp plant of the outside foot followed by a quick touch with the inside foot creates a 90-degree direction change that leaves the defender behind.
What you need: 1 ball per child. Open space or a line marked out.
Setup: Each child stands with a ball 30 feet from a line or wall.
How to run it:
- Child dribbles forward toward the line using small touches.
- About 6 feet from the line, they plant their outside foot hard on the ground.
- Immediately after the plant, they use the inside of the opposite foot to push the ball perpendicular to their original direction.
- They accelerate in the new direction for 5 feet, then reset.
- Do 6 cuts total: 3 to the left, 3 to the right.
What to watch: Is the plant foot truly planted or just a light tap? The plant has to be solid to set up the cut.
If they’re struggling: Move slower. Practice the plant-foot motion without the ball first.
If they’ve got it: Do the cut at full speed. Add cones to define the direction they must cut.