Objective
Develop speed dribbling and sharp change of direction so a player can carry the ball past a line of obstacles at pace using both feet without losing control or momentum.
Setup
Area
A 15–20m channel with 6–8 cones spaced 1.5–2m apart
Players
Two lines of 4–6 players, one ball each
Equipment
6–8 slalom cones or poles per lane, 1 ball per player, Start and finish markers
Duration
10–14 minutes
How it works
- 1
Lay the slalom lane
Set 6–8 cones in a straight line, roughly 1.5–2m apart, over a 15–20m channel. Mark a clear start and a finish gate. Keep two lanes so a full group is always moving rather than queuing.
- 2
Walk the weave
Players first walk the ball through the cones, taking a touch on each side so the ball zig-zags while the body stays close. The aim is one gentle touch per cone with the foot nearest the ball's exit side — no bunched double touches.
- 3
Both-feet weave
Repeat at a jog, insisting the ball is touched with the outside of the right foot past a cone on the left and the outside of the left past a cone on the right. This alternation is where the weaker foot gets its reps, so slow the pace until both sides look equal.
- 4
Speed run for time
Now players attack the slalom at full pace and the coach times the run from start gate to finish. The instruction is to push the ball a fraction further ahead and drive with the laces between cones, only shortening the touch as the next cone arrives.
- 5
Race and finish
Set two lanes racing head to head, then add a small goal or target gate 5m beyond the last cone so the run ends in an explosive burst and a strike or a pass. Winning the race rewards the player who kept the most speed through the turns.
Coaching points
Touch the ball with the outside of the foot furthest into the turn, so your body naturally swings toward the next cone.
Keep the touches short and frequent through tight sections, then lengthen the push on the straights to carry real speed.
Drop the shoulder and lean into each change of direction — the lower body angle lets you turn without braking hard.
Alternate feet deliberately so the weaker side banks as many touches as the strong one; a one-footed weave is a habit worth breaking early.
Explode out of the final cone: the last touch should be a positive push into space, mirroring the moment you beat a real defender.
Variations
Mixed-gap slalom
Vary the spacing along the line — some cones tight, some wide — so the player constantly adjusts touch length and stride. It kills the metronome rhythm and forces a genuine read of the distance to the next obstacle.
Slalom into 1v1
Place a live defender just past the final cone. The attacker must exit the slalom with speed and immediately take the defender on, linking the closed skill of weaving to the open skill of beating an opponent in a real duel.
Build it in Coach Board
Place a row of cones on the Coach Board pitch and animate a player weaving through them, using the path tool to show the ball zig-zagging on alternate outside-foot touches while the player's line stays tighter and straighter. Add a burst to a small goal beyond the last cone so the loop finishes with the explosive acceleration you want players to copy.
Open Coach Board