Recognizing situations when dribbling is not a good idea is equal to knowing when to dribble.

Being able to decide whether you should or should not dribble can be a though thing.

However, there are situations where you can’t just afford to lose the ball. So, let’s start to look at these situations.

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Playing as Fullback

While playing as fullback your main mission is to defend. Many soccer players in this position feel they should just take the ball, start to dribble in the penalty area – the 18 yard box.

This is the wrong approach completely, and should be a last resort – if you even do it at all.

In these types of situations your main option should always be to either pass the ball to one of your teammates or clear the ball away if you are put under high pressure.

Playing as The Goalkeeper

This is the position where dribbling is something you shouldn’t even think about. Losing the ball as goalkeeper is equal to scoring an own goal.

Simply, as a goalkeeper your mission is to save goals and not to score them. Therefore, as soon as you receive the ball at your feet, you should either clear it directly or find a teammate with a quality pass.

Once again, never dribble while playing as the goalkeeper no matter what. Play safely and you will be fine.

Having 3 or More Opponents in Front of You

Trying to get around 3 or more opponents is pretty difficult. In 99 of 100 tries you will lose the ball to your opponents. Of course, this will also depend on the type of opposition that you will face.

However, the general rule is to pass the ball to a teammate when you have 3 or more opponents in front of you. But if you have same skills as Maradona or Lionel Messi then you should of course go for it. 🙂

Being the Last Man in Defense

As I mentioned in the beginning, the golden rule is to avoid dribbling while playing as fullback. However, if you find yourself being the last man in defense you will usually have 3 options.

1. The first option is to pass the ball safely to a teammate.

2. The second option is to kick the ball at your opponent’s 18 yard box.

3. The third and last option is to clear the ball away if you have several opponents chasing you.

Summary

Are there going to be times where you’re going to have to break the rules and dribble anyway? Of course. Soccer is a dynamic sport that will present new challenges.

In the beginning, you may be tempted to dribble when you could avoid it. Try to keep this to a minimum. Your soccer dribbling skills just aren’t as sharp as you think they are.

Always try to improve your soccer skills and remember – there’s no such thing as too much practice!