Sharks and Minnows

One of the most popular but effective drills for younger soccer teams is ‘Sharks and Minnows’. This is a great way to practice dribbling out of pressure, body control, and encouraging players to keep their heads up.

Ideal # of Players: 6 or more

Drill Setup

1. Use half of the soccer field and setup two cones from one sideline to the other.
2. Two players are assigned as the Shark (red) to start. They start in the middle without the ball.
3. Every other player is the Minnows (blue) and will start with a ball on one of the end lines.

Drill Instructions

1. On the coach’s whistle, the Minnows attempt to dribble from one end line to the other while keeping their ball away from the Sharks.
2. The Sharks attempt to steal and kick the ball out of bounds. Once this occurs, the Minnow will join the Sharks.
3. When all the Minnows successfully made it to the end line, they will go again.
4. The last Minnow without losing the ball wins.

Points of Emphasis

• Players should keep the ball close to their body when a Shark is close.
• Players should keep their head up and on a swivel to identify where the Sharks are.
• Players should use their bodies to protect the ball.