How do you learn basic soccer technique?
Teaching soccer technique is probably the biggest part of the training process. As a rule, the player who has a rich technical arsenal is one step ahead of the others.
Techniques of running the ball, receiving the ball, passing the ball, kicking – all these things require constant improvement and development. Of course, there is no limit to perfection, but the question arises, how to learn the basic soccer technique? Start with the simplest and gradually complicate and improve the quality of performance of a particular technical element. A lot of repetition and effort is the key to a positive result.
Remember that soccer training always starts with getting to know the ball. And almost all exercises are performed with it to improve the feel of the ball. When the ball is near you, you control it. And this means that you control the game. Soccer technique develops with constant contact with the ball.
Where to start learning?
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Someone has speed but lacks strength. Someone has a good eye, and someone can think fast. If you add these and some other specialized skills together, you will have an ideal player. But in this sport, it is not necessary to start with the improvement of weaknesses, and not even with the identification of athletic strengths. All of this will happen in the course of training.
The first basic task of the novice soccer player is to make friends with the ball! You need to find a comfortable open area, buy the right soccer ball and play with it. Kick it, drive it, juggle it. And you can do it with all parts of your body. It makes no difference! You need to feel the ball, understand its capabilities, be able to “cooperate” with it, do not be afraid of the ball. Training begins with getting acquainted with the ball. Any good coach will tell you this. So free play with the ball, preferably in the open air – that’s where you need to start.
How to master basic soccer techniques
It’s great to play soccer with speed, understanding of the game, and strength. But it’s even better when you’re also skilled at the game! Learning a player includes the development of technical skills. You have to start with the basics. Before you learn to play soccer well, you have to do a lot of routine training on practicing passing (receiving, passing), dribbling the ball, and striking. Some may think it’s not that exciting and even boring, but without a solid base, you can’t go any further.
To learn a basic technique, you must regularly practice simple basic skills. There is a list of simple, but very effective exercises that will help put a solid technical base in place for the novice player. No one will tell you how to properly play soccer without technical skills. So start by practicing these exercises.
List of exercises to develop soccer technique
So, how to play soccer, you probably know in theory and even in practice. That’s good! Let’s leave the rules of the game for training soccer games. In the meantime let’s practice technique.
Learn how to receive the ball
For this exercise, you need a solid concrete or brick wall. Standing against the wall, you need to hit the ball at the point, about 90 cm in height, and wait for the bounce. You need to accept the returned ball by raising your foot to the height you have visually calculated, assuming an approximate return trajectory.
There is no need to kick the ball, just lift your foot and gently receive it on the inside of the foot. The exercise should be repeated several times at a time.
Learn how to kick the ball
How to learn cool, play soccer without knowing how to kick a ball, no one knows! It’s impossible. Kicking the ball is a basic exercise that is practiced in every soccer school in the world. You can first learn how to kick the ball with a bounce off the surface and only then on the weight.
For convenience, kick the ball only with your right foot, then only with your left foot. Only when you feel confident can you try alternating.
Learn how to dribble the ball
Dribbling the ball is an important skill for soccer players to develop. It is necessary to find a spacious area and practice dribbling with and without obstacles. The ball needs to be pushed forward in small pushes. It must go away from the foot not more than 30-60 cm forward. At first, drive the ball in a straight line. Then gradually try to change the trajectory.
It can take time to adjust and learn to be confident dribbling without looking at the ball all the time – but it’s worth it. Kind of dribble the ball blindly, looking at the field.
Learn how to dribble the ball around obstacles
For this operation, special cones or improvised means may be used. Place pieces at a distance of about 90 cm from each other, forming a line. Then you must speedily dribble the ball around these cones so that the ball does not touch obstacles and quickly move between them, reaching the imaginary goal.
Learn how to pass the ball
For this exercise, you need to find a companion who also wants to learn to play soccer. It is very good if it a trained experienced acquaintance. If you are practicing somewhere, offer to practice passing to a teammate. So, you need to take the ball, stand in front of each other and start giving and receiving passes. No pressure, emphasis on strength.
More important here is the accuracy of the pass and the skill of taking the pass, which you practiced using a concrete wall in the beginning.
Learn how to hit the goal
Find a spacious area and delineate the goal line. Place the ball, and mark the goal with your eyesight. Spread out toward the ball, place your supporting foot to the side of the ball, and strike the ball with force with your jump foot. At the moment of impact, the ball should touch the part of the foot that begins immediately behind the toes.
After learning to hit the goal straight ahead, it is worth trying to change the trajectory of the direction. Put the ball in different points on the field, learn to hit the ball into the goal from different distances.
The necessary skills to play soccer well
How can you learn to play soccer without developing basic skills? You can’t! To play soccer, you need to have several of certain qualities. Of course, all of them can’t be equally well developed in one person.
A future soccer player needs these skills:
- Speed
- Coordination
- Reaction speed
- Physical strength
- The ability to see the field
- Fast decision making
Soccer is a smart sports game. It involves more than just your feet, as many people mistakenly believe. It is not enough to know the rules of soccer and know how to kick a ball. During the game, you should be able to read your opponent, make quick decisions, take control of the ball, pass it to another player from your team or complete the moment on your own. And all of this is done at full speed, within the allotted minutes. Of course, all of this is very difficult. But, with a lot of desire and with at least a couple of basic skills, it’s not impossible!
Practical tips for aspiring soccer players
Speed of learning in this sphere is not important! It’s impossible to become a professional player on a fast track. It will take years. But, there are a few practical tips for aspiring soccer players that will help you turn into a good player.
- Devote as much time as possible to training. It should be regular training sessions. Of course, it is important to properly balance rest, exercise, and take into account your current state of health.
- Watch professional games, but not just for the sake of emotions. Analyze, learn to understand the process, and draw conclusions.
- There is never too much soccer. Even if you train in a soccer school, you should have your ball to practice within your spare time. Play soccer with friends, kick the ball, work out, some technical elements.
- There should be discipline. The daily routine of an athlete is different from that of an ordinary person. Everything should be distributed properly, sleep, meals, rest, walks in the fresh air. Above all, a good athlete is a healthy person.
- Love soccer! You can’t learn what you don’t love, what you don’t know.
The most popular mistakes learning soccer from scratch
Many beginners make mistakes when starting training.
Here are a few basics you shouldn’t make:
- All at once. You need to practice skills step by step, developing what you need, time after time.
- Failing. Do not despair at the first failures. Even Pele had to practice the technique of jugging the mango for a long time before he mastered it perfectly with the ball.
- Only in the offense. Do not immediately determine for yourself only one position on the field. It’s worth trying and trying and trying. Only time and experience will tell which position is closer to you. And maybe you will be able to evolve to versatility.
- The ball in your hand is bad. Yes, the rules of soccer prohibit it. But the training process does not prohibit it. To get a better feel for ball control, it’s worth having an occasional unconventional soccer training session.
