Soccer is the most popular team sport in the world. Professionals are finely tuned athletes who can earn millions of dollar per year and perform in grand stadiums across the globe. There is also a thriving amateur scene for soccer players of all ages. To become an effective soccer player, you must master core skills like trapping, passing, dribbling, tackling, and shooting, before moving on to complex moves like feints, dummies and bicycle kicks. The more you practice these skills, the better a player you will become.
Trapping
To keep possession of the ball, you need good trapping skills. The trick is to cushion the ball and keep it as close to your body as possible, taking the pace out of the pass you receive. You need to trap it with a flat, broad surface, so use the inside of your foot, your thigh or your chest, depending on the height it comes to you at. If the ball lands on your knee, shoulder or ankle, it will bounce away, allowing a defender to retrieve possession. In a game, a defender will be close to you, so you need to practice trapping the ball in tight situations.
Passing and Dribbling
For short passes, use the side of your foot. This broad surface provides accuracy. Keep your shoulders straight, place your non-kicking foot to the side of the ball and strike through the center of the ball with your kicking foot. For longer passes, you must strike the ball with your laces. Bend backwards to add height to the pass. The best soccer players can bend the ball when passing, by striking the bottom half of the ball hard with the inside or outside of the foot. Dribbling is all about keeping the ball close to your feet. Zigzag towards defenders at pace, tapping the ball lightly.
Tackling
Tackling is all about timing. You must pick your moment and lunge in with a block or slide tackle to win possession of the ball; but if you time it wrong, you concede a free kick or let the attacker into a dangerous position. Try to anticipate the ball's movement and cut out passes or intercept the ball when an attacker dribbles at you by angling your body, and remaining on your toes. A slide tackle is a last resort. Use the leg furthest away from the attacker and hook the ball away when sliding in.
Shooting
Shooting requires power and accuracy. You need to drive the ball as close as possible towards either the top or bottom corner of the goal, because these are the places the goalkeeper finds it hardest to reach. When shooting from distance, drive through the ball with your laces and follow through. If you are closer to the goal, you will not require as much power, so try to slot the ball in with the inside of your foot. If the keeper is charging at your feet, stab the bottom of the ball with your toes to chip it over him.
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