Fundamental Skills Needed For Soccer

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The fundamental skills needed to play soccer center around learning to control a soccer ball with your feet. Soccer's rules restrict players to using only their feet, their body or their heads to pass the ball and score goals.

Only the goalie is allowed to use their hands to block or catch the ball to defend a scoring attempt. The goalie is also allowed to use their hands to throw the ball into play.

Probably the most fundamental of the skill sets that need to be developed to play soccer are the basic kicks. Passing the ball a long distance from one side of the field to the other accurately, is typically executed with a strong side kick striking with the instep of the foot.

Short kicks that need pinpoint accuracy while passing to another player are executed using the side of the foot giving the player more control. Short passes are sometimes made by a push kick with the outside of the foot.

Dribbling is another fundamental skill set to be developed. Dribbling is the ability to control the ball with your feet in small increments similar to controlling a basketball through the use of dribbling.

Dribbling in soccer allows you to defend against a defender by keeping the ball away from them by positioning your body between the defender and the ball.

Dribbling skills are also used to fake out or to fool the defender using misdirection, making the defenders think you're going to pass the ball one way while in reality you're going to pass the ball or run in another direction.

Practice with a friend by playing keep away. One of you begins with possession while the other tries to take the ball away. See who can maintain possession of the ball the longest.

Learning and mastering ball control is a critical skill set to master. The best players have the skills to maintain control of the ball while under pressure of a defender, while running downfield at full speed, and have the ability to make accurate passes at speed.

Learning to pass the ball with pinpoint accuracy to your teammates which puts them in a position to be able to make a play on the goal is critical to scoring. Getting the ball to the right player in the right position at the right time results in scoring goals.

Communication on the field is a fundamental skill set that must be learned as well. Team members need to be able to communicate both verbally and through body language with each other. Soccer is a team sport and you have to be able to rely on your teams to be in the proper position to receive passes and to make passes while executing the plays designed to result in scores on goal.

Accuracy is key when it comes to shooting soccer goals. There are a variety of drills designed to help you improve your accuracy. Create a simple target to aim for and hang it in the goal net. You can move your target around practice shooting at different angles.

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