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Essential Soccer Skills

Players must perfect certain essential skills like dribbling, passing and trapping if they plan on playing soccer in high school, college or beyond. As a coach, your job is to make sure players exhibit the ability to perform and understand each of these essential skills.

Soccer skill drills, tips, and more
Striking the ball properly The basics of kicking the ball
Proper shooting skills Tips for teaching the art of shooting
Soccer moves videos Some basic changes of direction
Skills Drills vs. Practice Games: How to break up your time
Dribbling tips and secrets Teaching the art of dribbling
Elements of conditioning An article from Niv Orlian concerning conditioning
Goalie footwork Training a technically sound keeper involves proper footwork
Developing Solid Footballers Youth soccer training in England is discussed
   
   
 

Striking a Soccer Ball Correctly

The correct way to strike the ball depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If you are trying to pass it to teammate that is within close range, you want to control the ball, so the instep of the foot is usually the best option. If you are trying to move the ball a long distance or strike it with authority, the laces would be best.

Passing- Short passes should be struck with the instep because it allows for the most control of the ball. Long elevated passes like crosses or switching the field should be struck with the laces, as it is easier to get the ball into the air.

Shooting-When shooting, you usually want to get a little something on it and movement is a good thing. Straight flat shots get picked off easily by the goalie. Therefore, the laces or the out step of the foot are preferable because you can strike the ball hardest and in the case of an out step shot the ball will break away from the goaltender.

Trapping- The instep is the best place to trap the ball using the foot, and your leg should absorb the impact of the ball like a pendulum.

Volleys- Instep or laces can both be used, just make sure you make good contact with the ball, rather than having it deflect weakly of your leg . The instep will obviously give you a little more control.

 

 

Instep

Laces

Outstep

 

 

Proper Shooting Skills

Strong finishing can make all the difference between good scoring chances and goals. Developing solid shooting skills involves a small list of mechanical and mental items to perfect.

First, teach your players how to strike the ball correctly. The non-shooting foot should be planted even with the ball, and when they strike the ball their head should be down, as well as their toe.

Next, they should understand shots should be kept on the goal, rather than over it. Low shots are preferable to elevated one and obviously into the corners away from the goalie is always best. Of course there is nothing wrong with missing wide, (that is, unless you have the goalie juked out of his shorts a foot from the goal and still miss) but shooting over should be avoided at all costs.

It is often said that the only bad shot in the one you don’t take, because you can’t score if you don’t shoot. However, it is also important for players to strike the ball properly and take low powerful shots to the corners. Encourage them to take shots, but also not to waste opportunities. Taking a low probability shot from far away can be incorrect if a teammate is open and likely to get a better shot. By the same token, dribbling too long and losing the ball before taking a shot is worse, so if it comes down to not taking a shot or taking a shot, take a shot, but make sure it is on point with something behind it.