Friday, September 23, 2011

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Learn How to Play Great Soccer



Whether you're a youth soccer player, a college soccer player, or someone who simply wants to improve their game, you've found the right place. At Soccer Training Info, you'll discover useful tips and training ideas that will put you on your way to becoming a quality player and a better student of the game.



The best part about playing soccer is doing it well and ultimately winning, especially when it’s almost to the degree of embarrassing your opponent with your skill and talent. Whether it’s making a great pass, scoring an incredible goal, dribbling by someone with ease—leaving the defender at a standstill, these are all great achievements that inspire a certain amount of well deserved satisfaction.











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Volleys
























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Soccer Volleys


Simply trying to score on a first time volley inspires a collective awe in the stands. The fans respect the player's willingness to go for it. To try to do the amazing. And when a first time volley snaps the back of the net, well, it's a roar from the crowd and a celebration that's heard up the street from the stadium. 


Full Volley | Half Volley | Bicycle Kick | Side Volley |Scorpion Kicks | Extras






So again, even if a player misses when they try to score on the volley, the fact that he's tried to stike a ball on the volley, before it hits the ground or just after, is enough.  The crowd appreciates the guts to go for it.  But if the shot goes in then the crowd will erupt in a pandemonium.



What's the point of all this? Don't be afraid to fail or try things. Go for it. You' can't score unless you shoot and you can't score on the volley unless you try one.


Take a look at a few of these amazing strikes on the volley.  Robin Van Persie's goal might just top them all, but in terms of importance and quality, Zidane's goal would is the most crucial, as it was done in the Champions League final no less. Yet, then there's Arjen Robben's volley versus Manchester United which wasn't half bad either, and this too was in the Champions League, although the semifinals.


Keys to striking the ball on the volley:



  • Plant your standing foot at the intended target

  • Don't lean back

  • Try to hit the center of the ball

  • Keep your ankle locked

  • Follow through - strike through the ball

  • Bend your knees a little bit

  • Square your body towards the oncoming ball


Here's a good tutorial on how to volley the ball from Tottenham Hotspurs midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart.




Full Volley
(before the ball hits the ground)





Half Volley
(just after the ball bounces)





Bicycle Kick
(over the head)


Pele Bicycle Kick





Side Volley
(from the side or at an angle)



Scorpion Kick



Extras







Free Kicks























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Free Kick Videos


The free kick is a game changer and often game decider. The free kick is one of the few times in soccer the game stops and all eyes are focused on, usually, a small group of players standing around the ball at the top of the goal box as a wall lines up in front of them.  All eyes watch and wait to see if the player can put enough bend on the ball to go around the wall or up and over and into the net.


Beckham Free Kick


Really though, the free kick is a duel more between one player and the goalkeeper. Can the player bend the ball into the upper corner? Can the player surprise the keeper with a powerful shot?



Check out these free kick ideas and watch a few of the experts strike the ball from the list of videos below.








Juggling


































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Play Great Soccer - #1 Instructional Program - Coerver Coaching DVDs



Juggling Skills


Some might say you don't need to know how to juggle the soccer ball in order play the game of soccer at a high level. Some might ask, like kids in a high school math class, how or when do you actually use it in a real game or real life? 



But take a look at some of these examples of juggling in real games. See how juggling is applied by some of the best players in the game of soccer. Have you ever scored a goal after juggling the ball on your thigh a few times like Inter Milan defender Maicon?







Take Mario Stanic, who juggles the ball a few times before he volleys the ball into the back of the net when he played for Chelsea. And then there's Robinho, who simply juggles the ball up and over the head of a defender, a sombrero, in his first game for Real Madrid a few years ago. Finally, there's Maxi Rodriguez volley, where he controls the ball on his chest before blasting the ball into the back of the net. These are all examples of juggling the soccer in a game.





Watch a Few of the Masters



Juggling Isn’t Just for Clowns


Often, when just starting out and learning how to juggle, it can seem almost impossible to keep the ball up in the air. But as you've heard numerous times before, you need to practice and practice and practice. Soon enough, things will start to click and you can build from one juggle, to two juggles, to ten, and on up to fifty touches and beyond, with the ball in the air.


Start by kicking the ball into your hands, dropping the ball down to your feet and kicking the ball back up to your hands. Then do two juggles with your feet before sending it back up to the hands. Then do three and four. Then try alternating from your right foot to your left. As you go along, it will become easier and easier and you'll gain control of the ball and make the ball do what you want it to do. Again, work on alternating from right to left - maybe twice with the right and then once with the left or four with the left and then two with the right.


The main goal is to be able to juggle back and forth from your right foot to your left. Then kick the ball higher into the air while you’re juggling, and then lower and then higher. Have fun with the ball as you grow accustomed to using all the different surfaces of your feet as well as other parts of your body to control the ball. Incorporate more parts as you improve (e.g. foot to head to thigh, back to foot to head again).


Take a look at Manchester City winger Adam Johnson as he shows you some juggling tricks.



 


Make the Ball Do What You Want It To Do


Go in a cycle: Left and then right foot, then right thigh and then left thigh, and then hitting the ball up to your head and back down to your right foot and then left and so on. Make up various cycles that you have to go through, choosing where the ball goes, and not just keeping the ball up in the air in a desperate effort, but manipulating the ball on your terms. It’s not about how many times you can juggle, but making the ball go where you want it to. It's about being in control of the ball.


Later, try to manipulate the ball even more. Aim for kicking the ball away from you to the right and then away from you to the left while you're juggling. Kick the ball out at a slight angle in the air, almost like you’re faking going to the right and then the left, but all in the air. To do this, it helps to lean your body to the side in which you are kicking the ball. Kick the ball out to the right then back towards the inside with the right foot, turn your foot slightly as you kick the ball with the top part of the foot. Then try this with your left foot, all the while keeping the ball up in the air.



Next, try walking and juggling with the ball. See if you can juggle the ball to the half way line or the other side of the field. Afterwards, try jogging and juggling the ball in the air at the same time. It might seem hard in the beginning, but you just need to find the right rhythm, alternating the ball with each step as you jog along. Slowly try to pick up speed as you improve.


Key Points


Juggling helps you get a good feel for the ball and improve your ability to strike the ball on the volley. And it will not only help you with hitting the ball on the volley, but in general, juggling helps you get more accustomed to using all the different surfaces of your feet. Juggling helps you get creative and used to using all parts of your feet when you're playing in a real game.


Slowly but surely you'll find yourself using all the surfaces of your feet in games, ones you normally don't use. Say a long ball is played to you, but it's a bit behind you, maybe you use the outside of your foot to control the ball or strike the ball directly with the outside of your foot to a teammate or on goal rather than stopping and controlling the ball.


Watch and Learn


From Ronaldo to Robinho to a host of promising footballers, here are some expert jugglers and players. Take a look at the video below.




Wall Ball Juggling


Knock the ball up in the air against the wall with the inside of your foot. Later, try this same drill with the instep. This a good drill to work on volleying the ball, whether it's to make a pass, clear the ball or shoot.



Don't let the ball bounce more than once and keep track of how many times you can hit the ball against the wall in one touch with just one bounce. The key is to move your feet and adjust your body to strike the ball just after it bounces. Vary the amount of power you hit the ball with, try hitting the ball softly a few times and then hit the ball harder. Try hitting the ball low against the wall and then higher up. Challenge yourself and make this harder once you get the hang of it. For example, are you equally as good at this with your weaker foot?


 





Learn more at: Controlling the Ball Out of the Air & check out this Team Juggling Drill
















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Moves


Featured Links


67 Fun Soccer Drills For Coaches, Easy To Teach. Click Here to Download


Play Great Soccer - #1 Instructional Program - Coerver Coaching DVDs



Soccer Move Videos


Watch the pros cut, juke, turn, spin, feint and nearly make some defenders fall over in the videos listed below.


Robinho Sets Up a Defender


But remember, one of the greatest dribblers in the game today, Lionel Messi, doesn't do a lot of fancy moves. He just keeps the ball close to him and touches the ball with each step and cuts the ball away from defenders. Fancy step overs and other moves are all fine and fun to watch, as in when they're done by Robinho or Cristiano Ronaldo, but these two players also have a strong dribbling ability as a foundation.



So, before you do any fancy moves make sure you can dribble at speed with both feet, keep the ball close, and cut in either direction. Once you have acquired those skills you can start imitating some of soccer's greatest dribblers.



Fundamentals


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Soccer Fundamentals


"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do." ~Pele


Paul Scholes

Reuters


A few tips for young players, key aspects of the game to keep in mind, both defensively and when attacking. Of course, don't forget to enjoy yourself when playing, try new things on the pitch and take players on.



However, learn to do all simple things pefectly before moving on to the those tricky moves. Master dribbling, shooting, passing, juggling and so on before trying to do all of those Cristiano Ronaldo type step overs. If you look at someone like Paul Scholes, here's a player how has exceptional control and touch on the ball. He's someone who rarely makes a bad pass or loses the ball. He plays smart and simple one and two touch soccer.



At the same time though, look at a player like Ronaldinho, who in his glory days at Barcelona was deadly focused but also had fun and enjoyed himself. He was always smiling and cheering his teammates on. Above all, he wants the ball and wants to make things happen. That's infectious and that's something that you should add to your game if you don't have it already.


General



  • Keep high concentration at all times no matter what the score.

  • Stay fit - build endurance and strength.

  • Be positive and play your best.

  • Have realistic expectations of teammates.

  • Communicate on the field (don't scream or blame each other). Give direction, 'you have time', 'man on'.

  • Have the ability to combine with players through overlaps, wall passes, and take overs on the dribble.

  • Show creativity and vision.

  • Play the way you're facing (play simple).

  • Control the ball out in front of you so you can make the next play and don't have the ball trapped under your feet.



Defensively



  • Be aware at all times.

  • Play smart and anticipate what's going to happen.

  • Always get behind the ball on defense.

  • Stay on the goal side when defending.

  • When challenged, make the play predictable so your teammate can anticipate the next pass or play.

  • To make a player commit, take a quick step forward and quickly back off using your body to block the run. Not obstructing the player but anticipating the play.

  • When faced with a two on one: buy time until help arrives (concede space a bit of space, don't dive in); take away the pass and force the ball in one direction.

  • Always recover centrally (toward the penalty spot).

  • Always find a free player and mark-up.

  • Communicate to your teammates who you are marking.


Offensively



  • Keep it simple.

  • Have vision of the entire field.

  • Play the way you're facing.

  • Play the ball back when options are limited or dangerous and switch play.

  • Always look around before collecting a pass so you know what you're going to do with the ball before you get it.

  • Have a first time pass in mind before collecting the ball.

  • Be calm with the ball.

  • Always be in position to support teammates.

  • Ask for the ball.

  • Give options to player with the ball (check in and check out asking for the ball).

  • Keep your elbows up and use your body to protect and shield the ball.

  • Take on players in offensive third of the field.

  • Dribble toward the defender until he leaves his mark and then pass or beat him.

  • Take shots if you're open.


Key Training Tips



  • Get lots of touches on the ball.

  • Small sided games help develop creativity and skill (keep the training area small so players have less time on the ball and therefore must make quick decisions since they're always under pressure).

  • There is perhaps no other better practice game for any level of player than 'piggy in the middle' - it's just all about keeping the ball away from defenders.

  • Don't hit dead balls unless you're practicing free kicks. (Have players pass the ball into players before they shoot or cross; this way players must control the ball and then shoot or cross, which is more game realistic).

  • Set aside a time where players have the freedom to try new things and take more risks.

  • Get your players to play one touch soccer for a period of time (Even if the players don't have the skill level yet, get them exposed to how hard it is and how useful it is when you can pull it off).

  • The ball never gets tired and always moves faster than any player can.


Extras



  • Stretch out before and after training. A light jog and some stretching prior to playing and then a cool down afterwards. Get the key muscle groups when stretching, the hamstrings, quads, calfs, and groin muscles are the most important.

  • To avoid injury, it's important to use proper equipment from day one of soccer practice. Sweats, cleats, shin guards, socks, and the proper sized ball can make a huge difference in your team's success.

Patterns
























Featured Links


67 Fun Soccer Drills For Coaches, Easy To Teach. Click Here to Download


Play Great Soccer - #1 Instructional Program - Coerver Coaching DVDs



Game-Like Soccer Patterns


Arsenal Versus Barcelona


While you can’t predict the twists and turns that every soccer game brings, the team can and should run through patterns of play at a game like pace to simulate live playing conditions.


Essentially, it’s like setting up a dress rehearsal—except that instead of wearing the team uniforms, you wear the mentality and the effort you hope to create during the actual game as you walk through a series of passing movements.


The idea with practice patterns is to walk through the runs and movements all the players, at each position on the field, will experience during a game. After you've walked through the passes and movements you pick up the pace to a jog, and then at a real game like pace. After that, you can add in passive defenders and eventually just go right into a full field scrimmage.



Walk through all the combinations in soccer, from give and goes, to dribble exchanges, to overlaps, to long switches, to the third man running through the middle, dummy plays (let the ball run through to the player behind), angled runs behind the defense, and so on.



Do this all as a team and on a full sized field, making each pass crisp and sharp, as if you're under pressure by an opposing team. This means each players' first touch must be sharp and all the passes played to the correct foot, away from an imaginary defender.


Up, Back, Through


Run through passing plays that are common in the game. For example, have a defender, who is positioned on the right side, play a forty yard ball towards the top of the box. There, a forward is checking back to receive the ball with his foot, thigh or chest. This run back by the forward can be just a five yard run, dragging the imaginary defender towards the goal, away from where they want to receive the ball, and creating the space they want to check into and receive the ball.



The forward then lays the ball back to a center midfielder, who plays the ball down the line to the wide midfielder, who crosses the ball into the box. The central midfielder and the forward make near and far post runs, and the wide midfielder picks one of them out with a cross.



This is a very common pattern that's seen in games over and over in a again. The ball is played up to the forward and then back to the midfield and through to a player, in this case a wide midfielder, who's making a run down the line to cross the ball.


Create Patterns


Next, develop and create your own patterns. For instance, a defender plays the ball into the midfielder, who plays it back to him or her and then serves the ball into the forward. The forward lays the ball back to the midfielder, who then plays the ball to the defender who has made a run down the line.



Then the defender crosses the ball (picking out a player with the cross). Vary the passes, make all the passes in the air, keep all passes one touch, add in a cross-over exchange (where a player dribbles at a teammate and then exchanges the ball), and or make it so all passes are played with the players' weaker foot.



Again, make sure the passes are sharp and play them away from where a defender would be.



Slowly add more players and increase the number of passes that are made before a cross or a shot is taken on goal. Have a forward or wide midfielder overlap the defender and serve the ball in for a cross; have the midfielder begin the play with a pass to the defender who then plays it to the forward and back to the midfielder. Have the ball played down the line to the defender, who instead of playing in a cross lays the ball back to a midfielder who switches the ball back to the central defender who plays the ball to the oustide midfielder on the other side of the field.


Put in Rules



Put in a rule that there must be one switch of the field beore they can go towards goal. Tell the players that there must be twenty passes before a cross or shot can be taken. Or, tell the players must have one dribble exchange in the pattern before they can go to goal.


Each set of pattern might contain the types of passes listed below. Put in restrictions or rules where these plays must be included in a pattern of play before the players can score:



  • Long diagonal ball

  • Driven ball

  • Wall pass

  • Overlap

  • Dribble exchange

  • Chip or lofted ball over the top

  • Sprint with the ball

  • One touch only

  • Two touch only


Always try to finish with a shot on goal after running through a few patterns. Also, make sure every player or position gets a touch on the ball before a shot or cross is taken.


Walk Through Scenarios


When working on passing movements and patterns, it's a good idea to setup certain scenarios and think about what you would do as in a team in those situations. For example, if you have a throw-in near the attacking third of the field or when your keeper has the ball on a goal kick or the ball is in their hands, what will you, in your position do. Think about what ways players would get open to receive the ball, and what kinds of runs would be made off the ball. Walk through these scenarios.


Then, take a look at passing plays when the ball is on the foot of the attacking midfielder or the center back. Who are the players making the runs into the attacking third and what players are offering support. Ideally, what do you want to have happen? Obviously you want to keep possesion and try create a goal scoring chance, so what types of runs or passes will be made.


Different Styles of Play


When running through patterns work on different styles of play, everything from direct play, where you try to pick out your forward with a long ball and win the knock down, to slowing the game down, switching the ball from side to side and trying to keep possession, if you have a lead.


It's helpful to map things out with your team, put each player in their position and figure out where they will make a run or what they are responsible for, when you're playing a different style of play or adjusting to what the other team might be doing.


Setup Grids


Sometimes it's helpful to create grids on the field with a set of cones marking off the zone where the forward, midfielder, and defenders will operate - just rough area marked off with cones.



These don't have to be hard and fast grids, as the players can come out of their area to receive a pass or control the ball, but it gives players a good idea of where they most likely will spend most of their time on the pitch. And, it let's other players know where they will be on the field.


Intensity


Make the patterns game-like by playing the ball with pace and making all of your touches sharp, as if you are under pressure. Start out walking through these patterns and then build up to a jog and finally go to full speed as your team becomes accustomed to the runs (patterns). When you are beginning to run through the patterns at a faster pace, make sure the angles of the passes are sharp and the runs are at a game-like pace.


All the players should try to check back to the ball as if they have a defender on them, and make angled runs back to the ball. These runs don't have to be long - even just two or three yards (quick cuts). Again, the overall idea is to concentrate and make these patterns game-like, turning them almost into set plays, and to the point where your team could run through them in their sleep.


Once the players are confident with the movements and the passes, add in passive defenders who cut out weak passes and put a little pressure on the players as they check back to receive the ball and make runs.


Rotate Positions



As you move through each pattern or play, say after you've run through the patterns a number of times, each player should rotate into a new position. The forward becomes the defender, the midfielder becomes the forward, and the defender becomes the midfielder. This way each player gets a chance to experience playing a new position.


For more patterns and tips, continue reading...







Practice Plan


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Sample Individual Practice Plan


For age bracket specific practice plans and other soccer drills, visit our drills directory. Also, in the box below, are some new soccer practice plans for groups and individuals:










When you don't have practice or you're getting ready for the season, here's a good individual training routine:


Really, there's not much of a difference in say a fundamentals training session whether you're six or seventeen, it's all about spending time with the ball and making the ball do what you want to do and not vice versa.



When you take a break between activities, you can either juggle or do sit-ups and pushups.



10 minutes



Start out near half field, try to hit the cross bar with the ball. Use this a warm-up, jogging to retrieve the ball, and dribbling back with the right foot and then left foot, alternating. See if you can hit the cross bar with your left foot too. When striking the ball towards the crossbar, you're not trying to drive the ball or chip the ball, it's a combination of the two, don't follow through when you kick, rather stop just after you hit the ball, that way you'll get some lift under the ball. Mastering this will give you a great feel for the ball, so you can play the ball to any part of the field, to any player or space. Incorporate some stretching into this warm-up phase.



15 minutes



After trying to hit the cross bar five or six times, juggle with each foot twenty times - repeat this three or four times. Next, do a cycle, from left foot to right, to right thigh and then left thigh, and then up to the head and chest - repeat this four or five times. Try to make up your own cycles, say left foot to head and then to fight foot and back up to the head.



20 minutes



When you're done with that, find a wall to strike the ball against, practice driving the ball, this means hitting the ball with power, but controlled, so again, not following through when you strike the ball like when taking a shot, by stopping just after you hit the ball--there's not that much back spin on the ball like with a chip--more steady. Spend about ten minutes hitting the ball against the wall with both feet. Spend a few minutes than striking the ball against the wall with all the different parts of your foot--inside, outside, and instep of both feet.



10 minutes



Moving on, kick the ball up in the air as high as you can and control the ball with the instep of your foot, see if you can actually steer the ball to one side when you're controlling it, as if there was a defender on you - repeat five or six times.



10 minutes



Next, try dribbling at speed twenty yards or so, touching the ball with each step but going as fast as you can. Do this with both feet and don't have your head down but slightly up so you can see what's a head of you.


5 minutes



Last, run through another cycle of juggling, vary your routine, two juggles on the right foot and then two on the left, then three on the right and three on the left, going up to ten.



5 minutes



Take a slow jog around the field with the ball at your foot to cool down and then stretch.

Extras


Featured Links


67 Fun Soccer Drills For Coaches, Easy To Teach. Click Here to Download


Play Great Soccer - #1 Instructional Program - Coerver Coaching DVDs



A Few Quick Soccer Tips


Carlos Tevez

Getty Images


Communicate


When you move into the professional level it becomes even more important to communicate on the field. Simple directions or alerts, such as 'man on' and 'turn' or 'you have time' make playing so much easier and become more important as the game speeds up at higher levels.



Communication is also asking for the ball all the time, no matter what position you play, whether you're a right back or a forward, always want the ball.



At the same time though, once you get the ball give it to the player who is in the best position to create something. Give it to the player who can do the most damage with the ball. Often on a team there are two or three players, or maybe one, who you always want to have the ball at their feet. These are the play makers, when they are open, pass them them ball and then make a run to get the ball back.



Watch players like Messi and Xavi at Barcelona. Both are play makers and combine cleverly with Dani Alves on the right side. Alves acts as support player, like a wall that Messi and Xavi can play off of and get the ball back when they are open again. Alves of course is a unique player, as he's extremely skilled, and can get down the line to cross the ball and into the attack. But players should work together and share the ball, and Messi, Xavi, and Alves offer no better example of this.



Communicate through how you play the ball itself, whether you play a hard ball into feet that tells the player they are under pressure or a soft pass to draw the player back to the ball.


Play the Ball Quickly


The key though is to give the ball and get the ball - play the ball quickly in one and two touches. If you hold on to the ball too long you will lose it. And even if you don't lose the ball, if you don't play the ball quickly, you can kill an attack and allow the opposing team to get back on defense.



You should also be prepared to receive the ball at all times, and want the ball! This kind of energy, wanting to always be involved in the play, puts the other team that much more on their heels. So play simple and smart soccer, go and get the ball and move it quickly.


Try to attack the space when you have the ball. See if you can draw a defender in, and then release the ball just when they're about to close you down or win the ball. There's a certain flow to the game of soccer when things are going well. Everyone is on the same page, fighting for one another and sharing the ball. That's the type of soccer you want to play.


Shielding


A simple and great exercise is to dribble in a small square and have an opponent try to take the ball from you. Use your body to shield the ball from the defender. Always keep your body between you and the defender. Tell your friend or the person who is acting as the defender to fight for the ball with a game like intensity, pushing you and playing so hard they are almost fouling you. Add more players as you get more confident holding on to the ball and holding off the defender. If the defender wins the ball you switch roles.



This game can eventually build into a possession game that focuses on shielding. Call out to stop play now and again and which ever team doesn't have the ball has to do push-ups or a few sprints as punishment.


When shielding the ball, and there's space, carry the ball into the open space - all the while shielding the ball from the defender. Carry the ball with the inside of your foot, this is the where you will get the most control, kind of dragging the ball along as the defender pushes against you. Make sure to bend your knees and have a strong sense about you that this person is not going to get the ball from you no matter what. Then, try to work on cutting the ball back and forth. Carry the ball with the inside of your foot for a few yards and then cut back with the outside of your foot and shield the ball with the outside of your foot. As you get better, practice shielding the ball using all parts of both feet.


Try shielding the ball for a few yards with the inside of your right foot and playing it to your left and carrying it in the other direction. Next, use the sole of your foot to turn or switch directions. Try to use all the different surfaces of your foot without letting the defender get a touch on the ball. Chop and cut the ball back with the inside and outside of both feet. Keep the defense honest by turning and taking the defender on from time to time.


Freeze the Defender


Fake like you’re going to make a long pass or about to take a shot, before receiving the ball – this will freeze the defender who is rushing towards you and give you more time. Simply pull your leg back as if you’re going to play the ball down the field, or, get more animated with it, and throw your shoulders and whole body into selling the fake kick. Either way, this simple move will freeze the on rushing defender. Again, just before you receive the ball (and control it), fake like you’re going to shoot or make a pass by drawing your leg back in the shooting or kicking motion to momentarily freeze the defender.


Switch Play


As a team keep the game flowing by ball swinging the ball from one side to the other to find the best ratio of numbers and the most space. Release pressure by switching the ball to the other side of the field.


If you watch the best teams in the world, like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Manchester United, they move the ball from one side of the pitch to the other looking for space and a numerical advantage. You want to draw the other team to one side of the field and then quickly switch the ball to the other side when they start to close you down.


Try playing the ball into the forwards feet, so the defense collapses into the center, and when the forward lays the ball back, you can swing the ball out wide and into the corner. There are a number of different ways to switch the ball, and open up the defense, but the key is to keep the ball moving and play one and two touch soccer.



The Quick Switch - Blind Pass


Dribble to the right with your right foot and then swing a ball to the left, send almost a blind pass. Do the same for the left. Dribble to the left side of the field and swing a ball back to the right side of the field with your left foot. The defender on the other side will not expect the pass. Hopefully you will catch the opposing team sleeping. You are selling the idea that you're going to the side you're dribbling towards when in fact you are swinging the ball over to the opposite side. Team mates will adjust to the expectation that a switch is always coming.


Sometimes you can dribble a few times in the opposite direction you really want to play the ball - to throw the defense off - then you swing the ball to the other side of the field. It doesn't have to be a long switch, just a quick cut back to the other direction can buy you time.


Get the Cross In


As a rule almost, when you have the opportunity and are open, swing the ball in for a cross. Besides finding your intended target with the cross, and them scoring, you never know what else could happen. The ball could take a deflection and go in off the other team and into the goal or get flicked on to a teammate.



Cross the ball right when you get it, and do this the next two or three times. Then, when the defense is anticipating you to cross the ball, take the player on the dribble, beat them down the line, and cut the ball back to a teammate. Of course, you can always go to right towards goal yourself if the opening is there. The idea is to make the defense you're always going to serve the ball into the box, and then that one time you cut by them and go at goal.


Need an example of how to cross the soccer ball? There is no better crosser of the ball than David Beckham, just mimic what he does. See how he puts the ball in with pace, so all the attacker has to do his redirect the ball on goal.


Play with Older Players


Try to find the best game possible near where you live when you are training. To become a great player you should push yourself, and there is no better way to do this than to play with more experienced players.


You can pick up all of their tricks and skills that they have learned over the years. This kind of mentoring process is a huge part of improving your game and often you won't even realize what subtle skills you'll pick up, just by watching and playing with better and more experienced players.


Challenge yourself by playing with experienced players when you can. It will speed up your play, make you play stronger, and you will learn from their experience - where to play the ball, when, and where to make runs.



And it's not just about playing with experienced or older players, it's about playing with players who are better than you are. If there's one short cut to getting better it's playing with players who are better than you are.


Slow Down


Essentially this is making the easy pass to the open player. It doesn't mean necessarily slowing down your speed of play, rather it's letting the ball do the work, and not forcing the play. Keep your mind moving fast and focused. If there is an open player play them the ball. Then when they get closed down they play the ball back to you.



As a young player one of the difficult things to learn is patience. This means things like letting the ball do the work through one and two touch play. Each time you make a pass the defense changes their position and new things open up at different angles on the field - new spaces to run into, dribble, and pass are created when you move the ball.


Quick Decisions


As a professional or collegiate player you won't have time to dribble or think after getting the ball. Try to know what you are going to do with the ball before you get it. Eventually, playing simple soccer will become automatic when you are involved in the rhythm of the game, wanting and always asking for the ball trying to find the player in the most advantageous position. Two or three short simple passes can lead to someone who is open in a position to make that goal scoring pass or score themselves.



You will need to use your body to shield the ball. Play simple give and goes with your teammates to get out of pressure. Be aware of where you can move or how you can position yourself to help out your teammates. Using your body means dribbling with your left when there is a defender on your right and dribbling and shielding the ball with your right foot when there is a defender on your on your left. If you don't know you can turn or have time, keep your body between the ball and the defense and get your head up and take a look around. You should always try to know where you are on the field by taking quick looks before you receive the ball.


Hold the ball for a second while I get open or in a better position where I will have more time and can see the field better. This is one of the greatest aspects of the game of soccer, where you work with your teammates to ping the ball around the other team and through the other team, where they can't even get a touch on the ball before you score a goal.


The Half Turn


When you are in the midfield you should position your body so you can connect with the forwards. You can accomplish this by not having your back to the forwards, that is usually their role, midfielders should try to be half-turned and facing one of the sidelines. This way you can view both the back line, if they are trying to make a pass to you, and the forwards to see where they are making a run.


When you play on the wing or in a position along the touchline you should open yourself to the field - in a position to see the whole field and receive the ball. Again instead of having your back facing the forwards you can turn your shoulder towards the outside touchline in this way you are open to the field.


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History Of Soccer























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Soccer History:  More than 2000 Years of Football


The colorful history of the fascinating game of Soccer


By Dr. Wilfried Gerhardt



This article was first published in April 1979 in FIFA News. The author was the former press officer for the German Football Association. Selected paragraphs have been updated in the interim. 


Boots, Shinguards, BallThe contemporary history of football spans almost 150 years. It all began in 1863 in England, when rugby football and association football branched off on their different courses and the world's first football association was founded - The Football Association in England. Both forms of football stemmed from a common root and both have a long and intricately branched ancestral tree. Their early history reveals at least half a dozen different games, varying to different degrees and to which the historical development of football is related and has actually been traced back. Whether this can be justified in some instances is disputable.


Nevertheless, the fact remains that playing a ball with the feet has been going on for thousands of years and there is absolutely no reason to believe that it is an aberration of the more "natural" form of playing a ball with the hands. On the contrary, apart from the absolute necessity to employ the legs and feet in such a tough bodily tussle for the ball, often without any laws for protection, it was no doubt recognized right at the outset that the art of controlling the ball with the feet was extremely difficult and, as such, it required special technique and talent.


The very earliest form of the game for which there is scientific evidence was an exercise of precisely this skilful technique dating back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries B.C. in China. A military manual dating from the period of the Han Dynasty includes among the physical education exercises, the "Tsu'Chu". This consisted of kicking a leather ball filled with feathers and hair through an opening, measuring only 30 - 40 cm in width, into a small net fixed onto long bamboo canes - a feat which obviously demanded great skill and excellent technique. A variation of this exercise also existed, whereby the player was not permitted to aim at his target unimpeded, but had to use his feet, chest, back and shoulders whilst trying to withstand the attacks of his opponents. Use of the hands was not permitted. The ball artistry of today's top players is therefore not quite as new as some people may assume.


Another form of the game, also originating from the Far East, was the Japanese Kemari, which dates from about 500 to 600 years later and is still played today. This is a type of circular football game, far less spectacular, but, for that reason, a 'more dignified and ceremonious experience, requiring certain skills, but not competitive ' in the way the Chinese game was, nor is there the slightest sign of struggle for possession of the ball. The players had to pass the ball to each other, in a relatively small space, trying not to let it touch the ground.


Soccer in ChinaThe Greek game "episkyros", relatively little of which has been handed down, was much livelier, as was the Roman game "Harpastum". The latter was played with a smaller ball with two teams contesting the game on a rectangular field marked by boundary lines and a centre-line. The object was to get the ball over the opponents' boundary lines. The ball was passed between players and trickery was the order of the day. Each team member had his own specific tactical assignment and the spectators took a vociferous interest in the proceedings and the score.


The role of the feet in this game was so small as scarcely to be of consequence. This game remained popular for 700 or 800 years, but, although the Romans took it to England with them, it is doubtful whether it can be considered as a forerunner of contemporary football. The same applies for hurling, a popular game with the Celtic population, which is played to this very day in Cornwall and Ireland. It is possible that influences were asserted, but it is certain that the decisive development of the game of football with which we are now familiar took place in England and Scotland.


The game that flourished in the British Isles from the 8th to the 19th centuries had a considerable variety of local and regional versions - which were subsequently smoothed down and smartened up to form the present day sports of association football and rugby football. They were substantially different from all the previously known forms - more disorganised, more violent, more spontaneous and usually played by an indefinite number of players. Frequently, the games took the form of a heated contest between whole village communities or townships - through streets, village squares, across fields, hedges, fences and streams. Kicking was allowed, as in fact was almost everything else.



However, in some of these games kicking was out of the question due to the size and weight of the ball being used. In such cases, kicking was instead employed to fell opponents. Incidentally, it was not until nine years after the football rules had been established for the first time in 1863 that the size and weight of the ball were finally standardised. Up to that time, agreement on this point had usually been reached by the parties concerned when they were arranging the match, as was the case for the game between London and Sheffield in 1866. This match was also the first where the duration of the game was prearranged for one and a half hours.


Read History of Soccer Part 2






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