Coaches Hub

Soccer Skills Basics

The following skills will help to develop young soccer players:

Passing the Ball with the Inside of Your Foot

Use the inside of their foot
Toe should be above your heel which locks your ankle
Foot that is not kicking the ball right beside the ball, not crooked
Stay on balance
Line up middle of the foot with middle of the ball

Striking (Shooting)

Preparation touch is vital in success of shot, should be 45 degree angle out away from body. This touch enables players to take step and generate power. Non-Kicking Foot placement needs to be beside the ball. Many players plant foot is behind the ball, which creates problems for them. If we were teaching chipping placing your foot a little behind the ball would be correct.

Receiving the Ball

Toe up, heel down, want to have a touch out in front of you so you can step and pass if need be. Developing a good first touch is something players at all levels need to work on.

1^St Touch Rules

Into open space (not always forward), or towards goal if possible

2 Rules for finding Space

Players when they don’t have the ball need to find open space and a proper angle to the person with the ball (passing lane)

Get a look in: Teach players to take a look before they receive the ball, so they can decide where pressure is coming from, where the open player is. This will help players to begin to play much quicker. In a variety of the passing drills in the session plans, you can add in that players must take a look over their shoulder before they receive the ball. This way it can start to become a habit for our players.

Play with your away/back foot

Playing with your away foot enables you to see the field and play the ball quickly. Your back foot or away foot is furthest from the ball when receiving it. You are able to face the play as the ball comes across your body and play it quickly. Challenge your players to watch a high-level match and count how many times play it with their away foot.

Warm-up Exercises

The following exercises will help your team get ready for practice or a game. Make sure each player has their own ball:

Soccer Dance (1 minute): Player places ball in front of them. Player takes a step toward the ball, pretending to strike it (pass) with the inside of their foot. Players alternate feet every time they pretend to strike. What to teach the players about passing the ball

Use the inside of their foot
Toe should be above your heel which locks your ankle
Foot that is not kicking the ball right beside the ball, not crooked
Stay on balance
Line up middle of the foot with middle of the ball

The Geg (1 minute): Player once3 again has ball at their feet. Player pulls ball towards them with the bottom of their foot, then pushes it back out with the inside of their foot. The goal is to catch it with the bottom of your foot as the ball travels away from player’s body. Repeat this 3 times in a row with each foot

Triangle Move (1 minute): Player has the ball at their feet, out in front of them. Reach out with either foot; pull the ball towards the same foot using the bottom of your foot. For instance if you use your right foot to pull the ball in, pull it in toward that foot, then lightly tap(with the inside of your foot) over to your other foot, and back out, thus making a triangle with the ball. Players should try to keep the ball moving for the entire time. Progression would be to start with your opposite foot.

The Geg (Laces) (1minute): Same instructions for Geg above, instead use your laces

The V-Move (1 minute): Players start with the ball in line with either foot. Reach across your body with the opposite foot, and pull the ball where that foot was. Use the bottom of your foot to move it, and then with that same foot push it away from your body using the inside of your foot. Catch the ball with your opposite foot and repeat the move, making a V with the ball. For instance if the ball is line up with your left leg, reach across with your right leg, pull it toward the right side of your bottom with the bottom of your foot, then with the inside push it away from you, and catch it with your left.

Inside Chop (1 minute): Player has the ball in front of them. Use the outside of your right foot and push the ball away from you. Use your right foot to chop it back across your body. Now with the outside of your left foot push the ball away from you and use your left foot to chop the ball across your body. Players should try to keep the ball in somewhat of a line, moving side to side.

After the players get to know the different names, you may incorporate movement. The players can dribble in a 15X20 yard box and on the coach’s cue stop and perform the given task.

The idea of these warm ups is to teach technique and have players develop a feel for the ball, so they get more and more comfortable. This will have a direct result in their ability to then progress and move with the ball, and be more effective.

Dribbling Warm Up

Players dribble freely in the grid. Coach yells out different tasks for the players to complete, after each task, players are to continue moving with the ball, using either foot. Coaches may combine the dribbling warm up, with the above ball mastery skills when players are ready.

Set up a 15X20 grid. Every player has a ball. Players will be told that they are to dribble at 50%.

On coach’s cue perform the following tasks:

Righted footed circle, Left footed circle
Pull Back go the other way
Step over go the other way
Scissor fake
3 hard steps into space
Exchange with someone
Bottom of the foot touches, Inside of the foot touches
Cruyff, go the other way
Ziggy, Cruyff with a pullback

Right footed circle, left footed circle: Have players on make a circle with the ball using their outside of their foot, stress complete circle

Pullback go the other way: Players should know how to complete a pullback; this is a change of direction move

Step Over go the other way: Bring foot over the ball from the outside in, turn towards the ball with that same foot, which makes you change direction.

Scissor Fake: Step over the ball from the inside out, so that your foot is now beyond the ball making the defender lean that way, use the outside of your other foot to make the ball go in the opposite direction you stepped over

Cruyff: Players dribble the ball, change direction with the ball by placing their non-kicking foot next to the ball. Take their kicking foot and swing it over the ball using the inside of kicking foot to drag the ball behind your non-kicking foot into space in the opposite direction you were going

Ziggy: Same instructions as Cruyff, once ball is dragged into open space, immediately use a pull back.

Exchange: As players are dribbling they look up and pass their ball to someone, at the same time their teammate give them theirs.