Football and soccer are quite different from one another but certain skills are necessary for both. Both sports require quickness, kicking skills and an ability to read a defender's movements to make an offensive play. Although the goal of each sport is to outscore the other team, playing offense and defense in football is much different than soccer.
Kicking Skills
Kicking ability is of fundamental importance in both football and soccer. The punter and placekicker are two positions in football and both play on special teams. It is the punter's job to help secure a field position advantage for his team by dropping the ball and kicking it downfield before it hits the ground. The placekicker's main responsibility is kicking the ball between the field goal posts to score three points for his team. Every soccer player needs kicking skills to be successful on the field. The strikers, the team's main scoring forwards, need deft kicking skills with both their feet in order to score goals. Goalkeepers must be able to kick the ball large distances downfield to their teammates. Many professional players can dribble the ball in extremely tight spaces. Defenders must also use their feet to take the ball away from the opponent.
Head, Hands and Speed
Soccer players mainly use their feet to move the ball and score goals, but many players use their heads to score as well. Professional soccer games usually feature a few corner kicks per game. The player executing the kick often puts a hook on the ball so that his teammates inside the box have a chance to get their head on the ball and direct it into the goal. Headers, as they are often called, are also used to pass the ball to a teammate. Soccer goalkeepers are the only players allowed to use their hands and often need them to make leaping or diving saves. Football players on the other hand, use their hands on every single play. Ball carrying is the main objective in football. Quarterbacks, running backs and receivers are all well-skilled in handling the ball. The quarterback has the option of carrying, throwing or handing the ball to a teammate. Both sports require speed from its players. Soccer players do a lot of running throughout a game and must beat opponents to a loose ball whenever possible. Football players need speed to track down a ball carrier and elude defenders.
Offensive Tactics
Football teams at the high school, college and professional level often have offensive and defensive coordinators who relay the plays to their offense and defense in attempt to anticipate what the other team will do. For example, a football team may call for a heavy pass-rush and set several players on the line. To combat this, the quarterback may change the play at the line so his receivers run faster routes, which enable the quarterback to make a quicker play before the defenders reach him. Soccer teams on offense may wish to keep possession of the ball if holding the lead. The goal is to pass the ball around for long periods of time in an attempt to tire the other team out. Another offensive tactic is called the long ball. Defenders or midfielders attempt to make very long passes to their teammates up-field. This strategy can not be heavily used in a game because the defense will adjust to stop these passes, according to the Soccer Training Guide website.
Defensive Tactics
When your team is defending in football, you have two goals in mind; stopping the other team from securing a first down and forcing a turnover, a change in ball possession. Football defenses attempt to disrupt the running game to force the quarterback into constant passing situations. Once this occurs, the defense can heavily rush the quarterback and constantly hit him in order to limit his effectiveness. For coverage, football teams can either employ man-to-man defense where each player covers one opponent, or zone defense where players are responsible for covering a specific area. Soccer also has zone defending. Midfielders and defenders have their own spot on the field to cover. Defenders can leave their zone to help a teammate if overwhelmed. Man-to-man defense in soccer is similar to football in that every player has only one opponent to cover. However, a team might use a sweeper, a player who is responsible for moving around the field and helping teammates who are struggling to defend an opponent.
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