Developing a team takes time, consistency and a building block approach. Too often we coaches get ahead of ourselves in an effort to implement a system that will promote tactical play and we forget about the fundamentals and skills required to execute those tactics.
It is just as important if not more important to develop skills at every level in order to continue to raise the level of play on the field.

Twenty to thirty minutes a session should be devoted to serious ball handling. This can include passing and trapping, dribbling and shooting. Building up from A to B to C and at the same time incorporating fundamental tactics of the game can show tremendous results if given time and consistency. For example a simple pass and trap drill can become a three-man weave down the field where players are overlapping each other, moving into open space and passes must have proper pace and lead players into that space with the ball received on the proper foot and touched in to a space that keeps the attack/momentum moving forward.
Placing restriction of two touch or even one touch on players in such a drill increases decision making and speed of play as well as touch. Creating boundaries to make them aware of space available adds another dimension. But, no matter what drill you are executing, emphasis must be placed on technique, receiving the ball properly, touch and movement off the ball. Promote game play with in the drill.
Creating drills where players will get hundreds of touches and many opportunities to run the same pattern or execute the same move or technique multiple times in a short amount of time is optimal for development. Offer an environment that promotes success and where mistakes are not costly, then translate it into game play. The results will be measurable and players will recognize and feed off their own success.

The three man weave is good for so many parts in the game of soccer. More to come....

Take a look at www.expertfootball.com
It's got many great ideas and the site is easy to maneuver through to find what you want.

Juggling is a great way to develop soccer skills. It can be done individually, in pairs or in groups. The exercise of touching the ball a thousand times is a session while trying to control the ball and master tricks and routines translates nicely onto the field.
Juggling is a key training element which is often overlooked. Juggling offers the opportunity to use all parts of the body to gain a feel for the ball. These touches build confidence and makes players aware of parts of their body used to control or pass the ball. It will increase confidence and comfort with the ball while adding imagination in game play. A good juggler does not guarantee the player will be a good game player, as there is no substitute for match play. Juggling should become a daily routine that only takes a few minutes a day. Coaches should encourage players to develop good juggling technique.
Create short term and long term goals to be accomplished in the off season and/or during the course of a season.
Use different size balls and creat competitions.

Small Ball training with the Brasilian Futebol

Please look at the pictures we took of the project in Niger, Feb 2008



Pictures of Project Play, Feb 2008
http://niger.myphotoalbum.com/slideshow.php?set_albumName=album01&utm_source=share&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=slideshow



Obrigado
Michael

www.bodysouladventures.com
Toll free to Brazil from US 1800-641-0167

Rubber Ball Training. Check it out.

It's All About Skill

Tools needed:
A Reg 5 or reg 4 Soccer Ball
Brasilian Futebol
Tennis ball.

Begin by juggling the soccer ball, work on achieving 100 touches or more. Use the bounce or at least don’t stop because it has bounced.
Then move on to the Brasilian Futebol ( a smaller rubber training ball used in South America), work toward achieving 100 touches without the ball dying. Allow the ball to bounce if necessary , in fact use the bounce to develop a rhythm and touch .
Move down to the tennis ball. You will probably have to pick it up with your hands to start it. Juggle the tennis ball using the bounce or whatever means necessary to keep it alive. Accumulate 100 touches.
Go back to the Brasilian Futebol and complete 100 touches and then on to the soccer ball and complete the rotation. Take the time to go through several rotations of this exercise.
To change the routine start with the tennis ball and work with it for 10 to 15 minutes. Then work with the futebol for the same amount of time. When you finally move on to te regular soccer ball it will seem too easy.

Great training method. A few rotations up and down the scale of different sized balls will improve focus and touch. Training like this every day for a few weeks will make a tremendous difference in your control as well as your confidence on the ball.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iba7RiOuvEQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uMDV5CMK3A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N19h4N7o4Q0

As with anything, developing dribbling skills and fancy footwork takes time and effort. To reach a level of effectiveness, confidence with the ball and te abilty to escape and or be dangerous players to work at the art of dribbling.
Here are a few ideas from a couple of websites.

http://expertfootball.com/training/dribbling.php
Dribbling is nothing more than moving with the ball across the field. It is a skill used to relocate a player into desirable positions where he can shoot or pass the ball. What transforms dribbling into an art are the defenders whose sole purpose is to limit the options of the player with the ball.
How to move with the ballBefore you can take on defenders, you must learn the proper mechanics of dribbling. Dribbling can be done with the inside, outside, instep, and sole of the foot. You should be able to run with the ball or change direction, while keeping it under your control. When you want to pick up speed, do not kick the ball farther away. Instead, move your feet quicker thus pushing the ball more frequently. When dribbling into space, don't just fix your eyes on the ball. Learn to simultaneously dribble and scan the field around you.
-cone drills-basic dribbling moves-intermediate dribbling moves-advanced dribbling moves
Taking on defendersYou should always be the person with most immediate access to the ball. If you don't keep it close to your body, you will lose it. Be patient when confronted by a defender. Look at his stance and try to exploit his supporting foot.
-360 spin by Zidane-cruyff move-complex spin by Riquelme-double cut move by Ronaldo-double scissors move by Ronaldo-fake kick move by Schneider-double lunge by Ronaldo-matthews move-nutmeg by Boukharii-reverse scissors by Zidane-ronaldinho move-ronaldinho move (advanced version)-sombrero move by Okocha-stepover move by Pele-stepover turn by Ronaldo
The creative dribbler by DarrellThe creative dribbler has flair and creativity which he learnt unconsciously by going past opponent and leaving them "wrong-footed".The creative dribbler often dribbles wherever he goes: walking on his way to school, playing one-two's off curbs, tree trunks, buildings... and when he gets home he can't wait to play in small-sided games where he gets lots of touches on the ball or tries a new move he saw on TV. He goes out and tries to learn the mechanics and the balance so he can then execute the move at game speed against opponents.Whenever he doesn't have anyone around, he usually challenges trees to 1v1 battles or dribbles around them one by one, in a slalom. This way, he can practice the fundamentals of beating opponents in a game-like situation. The dribbler does a move on one tree and explodes to the next.The dribbler then develops perfect technique for beating opponents and leaves them wrong-footed whenever he is challenged to an 1v1 duel.
-what kind of dribbler are you?
Related soccer questions
How to effectively go around opponents
What are the most simple/effective moves for a forward
When and how to use feints in soccer
How to effectively fake your enemies
http://www.wikihow.com/Develop-Good-Soccer-Dribbling-Skills


Use all the surfaces of your foot. Most often you will be using the front portion of your instep, especially when you are dribbling at speed. However, to become a good dribbler of the ball, make sure that you are adept at using the outside and inside of both feet. This way you can cut the ball away from pressure and keep control of the ball no matter where the defensive pressure comes from. You can also use both sides of your foot, like a hockey player's stick.
Touch the ball with each step you take with the ball. In very quick succession, touch the ball a little bit ahead of you when you dribble. This will create both good control and increase your dribbling speed with the ball. With this kind of control you can elude defenders when they try to reach in and steal the ball, you can just cut the ball away since it is always so close to you. It is almost as if you are trying to get as many touches in as you dribble forward with the ball. Go slowly and exaggerate this at the beginning when you are practicing, to ensure you are getting a touch on the ball with each step.
Change the pace. This is the key to going by a player on the dribble. You don't necessarily need to be extremely fast to beat someone on the dribble; rather, you need to lull the defender to sleep for a second and then break past the opponent with a burst of speed.
Lift up your eyes. Subtly be aware of your surroundings as you still maintain focus on the ball while dribbling. Lift your eyes slightly so you know if someone is making a run, another defender is approaching, or there is space to attack.
Improve your weak foot. The best advice is just to use it. If you continue to strike the ball against a wall with your bad foot, slowly but steadily you will see improvement. Have patience. However, there are always exceptions; if you look at one of the best players in the world 'Rivaldo', he only uses his left foot, simply because his left foot is so incredibly powerful and he positions his body so well to protect the ball. He is a player who is so experienced and so skilled with his left foot, that he can get away with it.
Use your body to protect the ball. Shield the ball with your body when a defender gets close. Try to keep the ball on the foot that is furthest from the defender and your body protects the ball.

[edit] Tips
Tips/Drills: A great drill is simply weaving in and out of a set of cones, and you can of course get creative. Make variations in the drill and put rules on yourself to make it more difficult.
Put about 8 to 10 cones in a line, about three yards apart, and dribble in and out of the row of cones without touching or knocking over the cones.
Also, try not to touch the ball too far away from the line of cones; instead, keep the ball close to you and don't dribble out away from the row of the cones.
When you have this down, you can then vary the way that you dribble through the cones and set rules on yourself: just with the right foot and then just with the left foot, and then alternating feet, where you touch the ball to the left and then to the right as you weave through the cones, just with the inside of the feet, and so on.
You can make up other restrictions to put on yourself to try to improve a specific part of your dribbling technique.
another great way to improve your dribbling is by watching professionals dribbling. Try to get such videos and observe their fakes and feints.
practice these fakes outside until you can do it blindfolded.
Keep in mind that if you have an clever defender against you, he or she will usually offer you a way out of the situation. Watch out for this because it is probably a trick for stealing the ball from you.
Having an good balance while dribbling is crucial.

The Gauntlet
Form two lines; players 10 yards apart; lines facing each other 15 to 20 yards apart.
Each player in line holds a ball and will serve to runners.
The player running the gauntlet checks to the first player in line 1 to receive and play a ball back, then checks to player 1 in line two, back to player Line 1 server 2, then on to player two in L2 ect.
After receiving and playing the ball back the turn should be quick and a short sprint should follow to the next server. Players in line should be prepared to serve the ball to the runner. Runners should space themselves so as not to crowd and to give servers enough time to gather the ball and serve. Possibly, place servers so runner is running a zig zag
Start with balls on the ground; runners play sharp and quick two touch back to server. Move onto 1 touch.
Progress to two touch using a thigh trap and play ball back on the ground (emphasize or encourage the ball to be played back on the shot hop or half volley after the trap). Server should serve with hands; an arcing delivery that allows the runner to move to and under the ball.
Move on to chest trap, two touch with return pass on the ground in phase one and then a return pass in the air back to the servers chest in phase two.
And finally a head trap (yup – try it). 1) head to servers hands 2) head to servers feet.
Progress to one touch half volley (or short hop) passes back to server. Move onto one touch volleys back to server and then head balls back to server, 1) head to servers hands 2) head to servers feet.

Excellent for touch, team work and conditioning.
Works with teams of 8 to as many as 22. Once players understand the concept emphasize technique, change of pace, short hard cuts followed by a sprint to space, proper reception of the ball meaning gathering ones self to find balance and proper foot work to receive with touch and discretion. As you perform this practice after practice players should work together to fill spaces, rotate quickly, help each other and push each other to work on fitness and quicker ball movement which will lead to quicker decision making and ultimately a quicker style of team play. Oh yah, and touch and ball handling will improve as well.

Below is an excellent website that will take you through different aspects of training for bot individuals and as a team. I liked the quote on the home page of this site;
"Individual training should be an integral part of the life of any aspiring soccer player. There's no silver bullet routine that all footballers must follow, you have to design one based on your goals, age and skill level. How much soccer training is it needed to become a top player? It depends on the efficiency of your training routine. Setting long and short term goals is a must. When planning out a soccer training regime, one must strive for realistic and consistent program that will diminish specific weaknesses. Broad versatility of soccer skills is the Nirvana of every dedicated trainee. "

http://expertfootball.com/training/

Large quantities of quality time with the ball is one of the keys to success. Quantity comes from both training on ones own and showing up to team practices at every opportunity. Quality comes from focus. It's all about skill. Skill comes from confidence and confidence comes from repetition. Training everyday with a focus on your short term goals will produces results faster than you may imagine. Make sure your goals are realistic and make sence. Having the proper tools for your training regimine is part of the package. Regular use of tools like the Brasilian Futebol improves performance, confidence on the ball and increases skills.
Do your homework and do the work. It's worth every ounce of energy you pour into it.