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January 14, 2021
ADVANCED DRIBBLING – THE AVOIDANCE MOVE
CoachingAmericanSoccer.com®
In soccer, the Avoidance Move is an extremely important safety skill where a dribbler recognizes the imminent danger in a slide tackle (or similar leg sweep) that is about to be performed against him and reacts to keep from being injured. Also known as the “jump-over” or “safety-hop,” the Avoidance Move* is either, first, an attempt to move the ball forward and then jump over the defender’s leg as it sweeps by; or, second, an acknowledgement that the defender will be successful in contacting or winning the ball and to jump over the defender’s leg as it sweeps by. Either way, the objective of the Avoidance Move is to evade being contacted by the defender and to avoid a broken leg.
Although this is being presented as an “advanced” skill, it is only in part because of its conceptual nature. This can be introduced to 9-year-olds with success, sometimes even at earlier ages.
In the first version of the Avoidance Move, the dribbler:
In the second version of the Avoidance Move, the dribbler:
Demonstration and Drill:
All players and the coach must be wearing shinguards, confirmed prior to participation.
Direct the players to dribble up to the hurdle, push the ball under the hurdle, use the “pedaling-a-bicycle”-type motion to jump over the hurdle, retrieve the ball, and continue dribbling.
Direct the players to dribble up to the hurdle, flick the ball over the hurdle with their toe, use the “pedaling-a-bicycle”-type motion to jump over the hurdle, retrieve the ball, and continue dribbling.
Direct the players to dribble up to the hurdle, flick the ball over the hurdle with their toes, use the “pedaling-a-bicycle”-type motion to jump over the hurdle, retrieve the ball, and continue dribbling.
Direct the players to dribble up to the cones, push the ball under the swinging gate, use the “pedaling-a-bicycle”-type motion to jump over the moving stick, retrieve the ball, and continue dribbling.
Move the swinging gate slowly at first, then, with succeeding iterations, move it a bit faster.
Direct the players to dribble up to the cones, flick the ball over the cones and the swinging gate using the toe, use the “pedaling-a-bicycle”-type motion to jump over the cones and the swinging gate, retrieve the ball, and continue dribbling.
Direct the players to dribble up to the cones, push the ball past your incoming leg, use the “pedaling-a-bicycle”-type motion to jump over your leg, retrieve the ball, and continue dribbling. Speak to the timing and slow you leg motion to permit success.
Move your leg slowly at first, then, with succeeding iterations, move it a bit faster.
Direct the players to dribble up to the cones, flick the ball over your leg using the toe, use the “pedaling-a-bicycle”-type motion to jump over your leg, retrieve the ball, and continue dribbling.
Move your leg slowly at first, then, with succeeding iterations, move it a bit faster.
Direct the players to dribble up to the cones, push the ball into your incoming leg, use the “pedaling-a-bicycle”-type motion to jump over your leg.
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*First named by John Harves, April 9, 2018
Soccer Coaching Tips
Any undefined soccer words, terms, or phrases may be found in The ULTIMATE SOCCER DICTIONARY of American Terms available at Amazon.com.
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