Soccer Skills
1. Heading The Ball
Heading is a skill used in soccer that involves a player hitting the ball with their head. Good heading ability will also help you dominate in the front of your and opponents six yard box. Beside winning the air war you will also score often at corner and free kicks.
Simple Drill:
Slightly more advanced drill:
Heading is a skill used in soccer that involves a player hitting the ball with their head. Good heading ability will also help you dominate in the front of your and opponents six yard box. Beside winning the air war you will also score often at corner and free kicks.
Simple Drill:
- Throw the ball in the air above your head
- Position your head to where you think it will hit the ball
- Hit the ball back up in the air with your forehead
- Open your eyes when you head the ball
- Keep mouth shut and keep upper and lower teeth together (to avoid getting hurt)
- Catch the ball with your hands
- Throw it up in the air again and repeat until you understand the correct technique
- Practice this drill until you understand the technique and can perform it without hurting your head
Slightly more advanced drill:
- Have someone throw the ball (from a distance) either high up in the air or towards your head with great force
- Position your head to where you think it will hit the ball
- Step forward and hit the ball with your forehead
- Aim for making contact on your hairline because that is where you will get the most power
- If you do it with your scalp you will injure your head and the ball won't go far - Open your eyes when you head the ball
- Keep mouth shut and keep upper and lower teeth together (to avoid getting hurt)
- While practicing, observe which angle of the head gives what kind of result
2. Throw-ins
Throw-ins are one of the most fundamental skills in soccer, and are crucial moments in a game: they provide an opportunity to maintain possession of the ball, benefit on the turnover or unfortunately lose possession of the ball yourself. Throw-ins can also be quite nerve-racking as it stops the game, and all the attention is drawn to the player throwing the ball in. Due to this, many players tend to ignore the technique/development of throw-in skills, which leads to poor performance.
Thus, practicing these following steps will allow you to take advantage of throw-ins.
Try to increase the distance of your throw by placing cones on certain areas on the field and throwing the ball towards those points over and over again until you reach them.
Throw-ins are one of the most fundamental skills in soccer, and are crucial moments in a game: they provide an opportunity to maintain possession of the ball, benefit on the turnover or unfortunately lose possession of the ball yourself. Throw-ins can also be quite nerve-racking as it stops the game, and all the attention is drawn to the player throwing the ball in. Due to this, many players tend to ignore the technique/development of throw-in skills, which leads to poor performance.
Thus, practicing these following steps will allow you to take advantage of throw-ins.
- Grip the ball with both hands, bringing it behind your head
- firm, but comfortable grip
- your hands should be “behind the ball so that your palms will push the ball forward when you throw in - Position your feet facing the field
- Stand a few feet behind the sideline so that there is room for a run up without crossing the line
- Face in the direction you would like to play the ball or you might get a change of possession - Scan the field
- decide where to deliver the ball – which option is most beneficial
- Once decision is made, you must execute quickly so that the opponent cant detect where you are going to throw - Run up to the sideline to throw the ball
- Arch your back slightly
- Important that you mainly use your back and shoulders, not arms so that it is more powerful - Square up with your target and plant your foot
- Release the ball
- bring arms up and forward so that your hands and the ball travel directly over your head, whilst bringing your arched back forward like a spring and drag the toe of your back foot on the ground
- Both feet must touch the ground at all times
- Extend arms fully and release the ball from just behind the head - Run onto the field to re-enter play
Try to increase the distance of your throw by placing cones on certain areas on the field and throwing the ball towards those points over and over again until you reach them.
3. Dribbling
Controlling the ball with your feet is essential during soccer play. Dribbling is more than keeping control of the ball as you run on the field. It involves the skill of being able to execute fast starts and stops, as well as quick directional changes without the ball leaving the area near your feet.
Simple dribbling drill:
Advanced drill - changing directions when dribbling:
Controlling the ball with your feet is essential during soccer play. Dribbling is more than keeping control of the ball as you run on the field. It involves the skill of being able to execute fast starts and stops, as well as quick directional changes without the ball leaving the area near your feet.
Simple dribbling drill:
- Set up two cones - distance of 20m
- Dribble the ball back and forth to each of the cones
- As you are running, you are tapping the ball side to side with the inside of your feet mostly, but you can also use the outside of your foot
- Make sure that you look up sometimes to see where you are going
- Try to dribble with both feet - When you get to a cone, stop the ball, turn around then dribble back to the other cone
- Practice this 5 times or until you get the hang of it
Advanced drill - changing directions when dribbling:
- Dribble to a cone
- Without stopping when you reach to the cone:
- Lightly tap the ball back so it goes behind your foot
- Then turn your body around
- Get to the ball straight away
- Dribble back to the other cone - Increase speed when you become more confident
- Repeat about 10 times or until you get the hang of it
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4. Juggling
Juggling can help gain a better balance, and improve one's control with the ball during a game. The key to success for juggling, is to practice heaps.
To juggle:
Below is a video demonstrating the skill of juggling the ball with both feet.
Juggling can help gain a better balance, and improve one's control with the ball during a game. The key to success for juggling, is to practice heaps.
To juggle:
- Hold the ball, then drop it onto one of your feet (start off with your dominant foot)
- Kick it up (hit the ball on the front part of the laces of the shoe) with a back wards spin
- Once the ball comes up, hold the ball and then do it again for the same foot until you are confident with that foot
- Repeat the process with other foot
- When you get the hang of it, start juggling without holding the ball when it comes up
- Try switching feet when juggling
- Count how many times you can juggle (kick the ball) without losing control, or letting it touch the ground
- Keep practicing like this, keeping count
- Aim to get 20 counts (10 from the right foot, 10 from the left foot)
- As you improve, try use other parts of your body - thighs, chest, and head
Below is a video demonstrating the skill of juggling the ball with both feet.