Close-range one-touch passing with a partner. If your very first touch is an accurate pass, defenders will have fits trying to steal the ball from you. You can also practice this by kicking against a wall. Having a teammate or friend throw or cross a ball in the air. You must take only 2 touches – one to settle, the other to pass it back to them. Passing and shooting on the run. Have someone feed you a ball on the run, timing your first touch so that you can pass or shoot on the second touch without breaking stride. [1] X Research source
Bounce the ball between your feet, using the insoles to keep the ball between your knees and “passing” back and forth as quickly as possible. Tap the ball rapidly on the top with your toes, working on getting as quick as possible. As you improve. Work on actually rolling the ball slightly with the sole of your toe, focusing on this small, precise touch. Try the “in-and-out. " Use the sole of your right foot to roll the ball to the right. Roll your foot all the way over the ball to the right, then use your instep to pass the ball to the left foot. Control it with the sole of your left and roll it out, repeating the drill with both feet, back and forth. [3] X Research source
As you get better, pick up the speed. Once you can hit a dead sprint, take a touch, and fire off a shot or cross, you’ll be a defender’s worst nightmare. Approach from a variety of angles, from hitting shots while running up the center of the field to working on crosses across your body from the sidelines. Work on your position’s skills. A defender, for example, needs to be able to turn the ball and hit up the field as fast as possible to release pressure from an attack.
Setting up obstacle courses with flags, cones, or old T-shirts. Make yourself zig-zag, weave, and change directions as fast as you can without losing the ball. Juggling may seem “useless” in a real game, but it is the easiest way to improve your touch on the ball, keeping it close with your entire body. Work on both feet, as well as the length of your touch, alternating tight, small juggles and higher, harder to handle touches. Work on some advanced moves and tricks, as they require precise ball control and give you new offensive tools in games.
Short and accurate passes usually occur with the inside of your foot. Even precise, mid-level crosses can be hit this way. Hitting the ball on the outside thirds will cause it to bend if you use your laces. Work on getting under the ball a bit, as if hitting it from a diagonal angle. You can knuckle the ball by cracking it with laces just below dead center and avoiding a follow-throw, taking away the spin and causing the ball to dip unpredictably. Get under the ball, using the edge between your laces and instep, for a backspin chip, which is good for precise crosses that can’t bounce or skip away. [4] X Research source Always follow through with your foot when you hit the ball, whether it’s a shot, a pass, or a cross. This will give you more control over where the ball goes. [5] X Expert Source Walter MerinoSoccer Coach Expert Interview. 29 January 2020.
Stay slightly crouched and on the balls of your feet. Your knees should be bent in an athletic position, allowing you to react quickly. Angle your body, with one foot ahead of the other, so that you invite the attacker to go to one side. Force them to the sideline, or to your other defenders, instead of standing straight up and letting them choose your direction. Watch a player’s hips to avoid getting tricked. Your hips are your center of gravity, and they generally telegraph where a player is going unless they’re Lionel Messi. It is almost impossible to quickly change your hips direction, and you can use this to your advantage as a defender.
Use practices to work on keeping your head up. Turn the ball over now, not in games, and you’ll quickly see improvement. [6] X Research source
Defensive Marks: let your team know who you’re covering if you want to challenge the ball, and if there are any unmarked defenders who need to be covered. Advice to the player dribbling: don’t shout tons of info at them, but don’t leave them in the dark. Tell them when they have time and when there is a “man on. " Making Runs: Tell your teammate you’re “overlapping!” or that “you can play it back” if they need. When you make a big run, don’t assume they will always see you, especially if their head is down. [7] X Research source
Burgeoning players can also check out tutorials, clips, and highlights on YouTube, which can help fill in gaps if you’re unsure what techniques the pros are using on shots or passes. Find a team or league you love and become a fan – the more you watch the better your play will be.
Contract on defense, expand on offense. This is the basis of all strategies – you want to take away space on defense and create space when attacking. So, on defense, you come together near the center of the field, forming a unified base and moving together to prevent offensive threats. On offense, you try to make them break this base by stretching out to defend you and your team. Follow up all shots, forcing the defense to react. Even decent shots can turn into goals if your team is crashing the goal on shots and crosses. This sort of pressure can upend defenses, as defenders will face their own goal on a rebound and have a very hard time clearing it safely. Keep your shape defensively. Even if you’re not playing an offside trap, the defense should be on a horizontal line, holding shape. When defenses lose this shape, they create gaps and holes between themselves. If you play in the back, always look left and right and keep everyone in a mostly even line.
If you have no players around to jump in with, go shoot against a wall, pass back and forth with a fence, or juggle and work on your tricks in the backyard. [9] X Research source Play small games too, like 1 on 1 or 4 vs. 4. Small games give you more chances to practice with the ball and improve your skills. [10] X Expert Source Walter MerinoSoccer Coach Expert Interview. 29 January 2020.
Goalies: Focus on your strength, reaction time, and a slim, quick figure that can move in an instant. Defenders: Must be physically strong, both upper body and lower, to win any tackle or challenge. Need great sprinting speed as well, and should be fit. Midfielders: Must be able to run and run and run. Quick decision making, and the touch and passing ability to back it up, are essential. Forwards: Should be fast and able to jostle with strong defenders. They also tend to be endurance runners, able to jog around all game to make space and still win a sprint to the end line.
Check to the ball, even if you don’t get it. As soon as you appear, demand the ball, but leave immediately if you don’t get it. You’ll have a defender following you, which opens up the space you were just in for your team. Spread wide when your team gets the ball if you play near a wing – a quick counterattack to the sidelines often has the most space to push forward. If you don’t have a man to mark, fill in the space an attacker might want. Try to figure out the most dangerous passing lanes to goal and sit in them, clogging them for the other team. [11] X Research source
Play multiple positions – improve as both a shooter and a defender Focus on both feet – no one cares if you turn it over now, but they do care in games. Play quickly in practice especially. Don’t slow down or take it lightly, even if your defenders are putting less than game pressure on you.
Pass the ball and keep moving. A few quick touches are usually enough, as the ball moves much faster than you can run. The longer you’re in the same area, the longer the defense has to shut down holes and get set. If you plan to dribble, do so at a good quick pace instead of slowly. Put the defenders on the back foot. Look for crosses, especially ones that force the defenders to face their own goal. Big passes force a defense to scramble into new positions quickly, which often opens up holes. [12] X Research source
Ask your coach what you can do to get better a few times a season. How can you work on your own skills outside of practice? Consider calling in a personal coach or trainer to work on the skills you don’t have time for in practice. If you really want to excel, especially in an area without high-level teams, you’ll need the individual attention.
