Soccer's popularity is growing in the United State. Between 12.5 million and 18.2 million people in the U.S. partake in soccer, according to the National Sporting Goods Association and the Soccer Industry Council of America. Players of all ages and skill levels are training on a regular basis. As with any sport a number of techniques and skills require development to play the game efficiently.
Passing Cones
A player has possession of the ball while a teammate runs in front toward the cone. When the teammate reaches the cone, he breaks to the left or to the right. The player in possession of the ball passes to the teammate by kicking the ball out ahead of the teammate so that there is no need to slow down for the ball to fall in his possession.
Tapping Drill
To perform this tapping drill exercise, a soccer ball is kicked a few inches into the air. As the ball falls downwards the ball is kicked upwards again. The tapping of the ball into the air continues until the ball hits the ground. This exercise is typically carried out as a game between teammates and the winner is whoever manages to perform the most taps before the ball hits the ground. This exercise aids in the development of the players' overall coordination and control of the ball.
Dribbling Cones
Cones are laid out in a straight line approximately 5 feet apart from each other. Players practice their dribbling techniques by running in and out of the cones while keeping control of the ball. This drill is usually timed to see which of the players can dribble the ball in and out of the cones in the fastest time.
Keep Away
The keep away exercise involves one player taking the ball and running into the field with the aim being to keep the ball for as long as possible without another team player gaining possession of the ball. Another version of this game involves two players passing the ball between themselves while other team players attempt to gain possession of the ball.
Stop And Go
This exercise is played in a square that is approximately six steps in width and six steps in height. The game starts with the player and ball positioned at one side of the square; the player then runs as fast as possible with the ball to the other side of the square while attempting to keep the ball under control. They stop when they reach the opposite side and then chose another side to practice the stop and go skill.
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