Soccer players need quick feet to move the ball around and to get past defenders. Agility ladder training is a great way to help improve a soccer player’s foot speed.
You can do this in two ways, with a ball and without. After you practice ladder drills without a soccer ball, which is the most commonly-used method, you should also try a variety of ladder drills with a soccer ball.
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Benefits of Soccer Ladder Drills with a Ball
Soccer ladder drills with a ball will not only help develop quick feet but also improve your dribbling and ball control.
By doing ladder drills for soccer with a ball, you can work on your soccer moves in a controlled and often challenging way.
Below are five soccer ladder workouts that you can do to improve speed, dribbling, and your ball control. You will be able get a total of 760 total touches.
*Note: the average agility ladder has 10 boxes.
One Foot/One Step
- Without the Soccer Ball
- Right side of the ladder leads with the left foot stepping into box 1. Go up and back down twice.
- Left side of the ladder leads with the right foot stepping into box 1. Go up and back down twice.
- With the Soccer Ball (160 Total Touches)
- Laces Touches (80 Touches)
- Right side of the ladder leads with the left foot stepping into box 1, so with every step of your right foot, you will be touching the ball with your laces. Go up and back down twice. You will get 40 touches.
- Left side of the ladder leads with the right foot stepping into box 1, so with every step of your left foot, you will be touching the ball with your laces. Go up and back down twice. You will get 40 touches.
- Outside, Inside Touches (80 Touches)
- Right side of the ladder leads with the left foot stepping into box 1, so with every step of your right foot, you will alternate touching the ball with the outside of your foot and then the inside of your foot. Go up and back down twice. You will get 40 touches.
- Left side of the ladder leads with the right foot stepping into box 1, so with every step of your left foot, you will alternate touching the ball with the outside of your foot and then the inside of your foot. Go up and back down twice. You will get 40 touches.
- Laces Touches (80 Touches)
One foot in every box works on taking a touch every step to make sure you are in complete control of the ball.
One Foot/One Step in Every Other Box
- Without the Soccer Ball
- Right side of the ladder leads with the left foot stepping into box 1. Go up and back down twice.
- Left side of the ladder leads with the right foot stepping into box 1. Go up and back down twice.
- With the Soccer Ball (160 Total Touches)
- Laces Touches (80 Touches)
- Right side of the ladder leads with the left foot stepping into box 1, so with every step of your right foot, you will be touching the ball with your laces. Go up and back down twice. You will get 40 touches.
- Left side of the ladder leads with the right foot stepping into box 1, so with every step of your left foot, you will be touching the ball with your laces. Go up and back down twice. You will get 40 touches.
- Outside, Inside Touches (80 Touches)
- Right side of the ladder leads with the left foot stepping into box 1, so with every step of your right foot, you will alternate touching the ball with the outside of your foot and then the inside of your foot. Go up and back down twice. You will get 40 touches.
- Left side of the ladder leads with the right foot stepping into box 1, so with every step of your left foot, you will alternate touching the ball with the outside of your foot and then the inside of your foot. Go up and back down twice. You will get 40 touches.
- Laces Touches (80 Touches)
One foot in every other box will help you improve your ball control while you are speed dribbling.
One Foot Hop Diagonally and Out Horizontally
- Without the Soccer Ball
- Right side of the ladder leads with the left foot stepping into box 1. Go up and back down twice.
- Left side of the ladder leads with the right foot stepping into box 1. Go up and back down twice.
- With the Soccer Ball
- Stanley Matthews Soccer Move (160 Total Touches)
- Right side of the ladder leads with the left foot hopping diagonally into box 1 and then quickly and immediately hopping out horizontally, so simultaneously, with your right foot you will tap the ball diagonally with the inside of your foot toward the ladder and then as you are hopping horizontally out you push the ball horizontally with the outside of your foot. The ball should mimic the movement of the arrows. Go up and back down twice. You will get 80 touches.
- Left side of the ladder leads with the right foot hopping diagonally into box 1 and then quickly and immediately hopping out horizontally, so simultaneously, with your left foot you will tap the ball diagonally with the inside of your foot toward the ladder and then as you are hopping horizontally out you push the ball horizontally with the outside of your foot. The ball should mimic the movement of the arrows. Go up and back down twice. You will get 80 touches.
- Stanley Matthews Soccer Move (160 Total Touches)
One foot hop in the box diagonally and out horizontally will help you improve the Stanley Matthews soccer move.
Diagonal Skater Hops
- Without the Soccer Ball
- Left side of the ladder start. Hop diagonally across the ladder to the next box ahead and quickly hop diagonally back to the left side to the next box ahead. Go up and back down twice. (This is working on your feint soccer move. Your first hop diagonally is your feint to the right and then you quickly explode away from your defender leaving them in the dust.) Go up and back down twice.
- Right side of the ladder start. Hop diagonally across the ladder to the next box ahead and quickly hop diagonally back to the right side to the next box ahead. Go up and back down twice. (This is working on your feint to the left soccer move. Your first hop diagonally is your feint and then you quickly explode away from your defender leaving them in the dust.) Go up and back down twice.
- Start on either side of the ladder, hop diagonally across the ladder to the next box ahead and stick your landing. Then hop diagonally across the ladder to the next box ahead and stick your landing. Go up and back down twice.
- With the Soccer Ball (120 Total Touches)
- Sole Stop (Place a ball in the middle of each box. Most people don’t have 10 soccer balls so any ball will work and as many as you can.) (80 Touches)
- Left side of the ladder start. Use the right sole of your foot to tap the top of the ball like you are stopping it and then continue to step diagonally over the ball to the next box ahead. You should be diagonally straddling the ladder so the soccer ball is between your feet. Next, use the left sole of your foot to tap the top of the next soccer ball and continue to step diagonally over the ball to the next box ahead. Continue up the ladder and then back down twice. You will get 40 touches.
- Right side of the ladder start. Use the left sole of your foot to tap the top of the ball like you are stopping it and then continue to step diagonally over the ball to the next box ahead. You should be diagonally straddling the ladder so the soccer ball is between your feet. Next, use the right sole of your foot to tap the top of the next soccer ball and continue to step diagonally over the ball to the next box ahead. Continue up the ladder and then back down twice. You will get 40 touches.
- Brazilian Sole Roll (Start with the soccer ball on the opposite side of the ladder and one box ahead.) (40 Touches)
- Left side of the ladder start with the soccer ball on the right side of the 1st box. Use the sole of your right foot to flick the ball across the ladder and slightly forward. Then use your left foot to flick the ball across the ladder and slightly forward. Continue until you get to the end of the ladder and then back down twice. You will get at least 40 touches.
- Sole Stop (Place a ball in the middle of each box. Most people don’t have 10 soccer balls so any ball will work and as many as you can.) (80 Touches)
The diagonal skater hops will help you with moves like your feint, sole stop to get the ball between your legs, and the brazilian sole roll.
Two Feet in the Middle Crossover Step Across
- Without the Soccer Ball
- Left side of the ladder start. Step into the first box diagonally putting both feet in and then stepping out continuing into diagonally. Next with your right foot perform a crossover step over the box all the way to the left side. Continue until you get to the end of the ladder and then back down twice.
- Right side of the ladder start. Step into the first box diagonally putting both feet in and then stepping out continuing into diagonally. Next with your left foot perform a crossover step over the box all the way to the right side. Continue until you get to the end of the ladder and then back down twice.
- With a Soccer Ball (160 Touches)
- Left side of the ladder start. With your right foot take two touches diagonally with your pinky toe, one touch to put the ball in the box and second to put it outside the next box. With your next touch, use the inside of your right foot to drag the ball across the ladder all the way to the left side. Then use the inside of your left foot to stop. Then continue the pattern of two touches with your pinky toes, drag across, and stop with the inside of your foot all the way to the end of the ladder and then back down twice. You will get at least 80 Touches.
- Right side of the ladder start. With your left foot take two touches diagonally with your pinky toe, one touch to put the ball in the box and second to put it outside the next box. With your next touch, use the inside of your left foot to drag the ball across the ladder all the way to the right side. Then use the inside of your right foot to stop. Then continue the pattern of two touches with your pinky toes, drag across, and stop with the inside of your foot all the way to the end of the ladder and then back down twice. You will get at least 80 Touches.
This will help with the drag move or a double touch move.
An agility ladder is an easy (and cheap) way to add some variety to your fitness and ball work. Take a look at the best reviewed models on Amazon
top image credit: flickr
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