Soccer requires a number of technical skills such as dribbling, chipping, dodging and defensive blocking, and many coaches encourage players to master these skills through drills that require repetition. While many players might prefer to jump into a game and play, coaches will encourage players to learn and practice technical skills in controlled situations prior to engaging them in open play.
In American football, the leg whip is a penalty move that involves sweeping your leg into your opponent. In soccer, the game the rest of the world calls football, the whip is a strategy used by crossers to circumvent defenders ...
Penetration occurs when the team in possession of the ball utilizes dribbling or passing to maintain possession while moving close to the space behind the opposing team. Mastering penetration in soccer demands practicing basic ...
Reaction saves make the shooter and spectators wonder, "How'd he get a hand on that?" writes elite goalkeeper coach Tim Mulqueen in "The Complete Soccer Goalkeeper." Sharp reaction skills lead to saves even on screened shots, l...
The free kick is an element of soccer where one team is allowed to kick the ball as it sits stationary on the field, with no pressure from the opposition. A free kick can be direct, where the player can shoot directly at the ne...
Fast reflexes help soccer players, most especially goalkeepers. For example, the term "reflex save" refers to a near-miraculous stop of a shot where the goalie, with no time to think, sticks out a glove or foot just in time to ...
Sam Snow, the coaching director for US Youth Soccer, advises coaches to use game-like activities while teaching. "The problem for American players over the last 30 years has been that we teach ball skills in an isolated way -- ...
The offseason provides a good window to have your girls soccer team work on conditioning. During the preseason and the season itself, so much time is spent on teaching skills and tactics that conditioning becomes somewhat secon...
David Beckham, a professional soccer player who has played with teams such as Manchester United and AC Milan, is well-known for his free kick ability in professional soccer. Not everyone can master Beckham's free kick technique...
A "push" in soccer is a type of pass that is used for accuracy and usually over short distances. Controlling the ball is an important element in soccer to set up scoring opportunities and defend your goal effectively. The push ...
Drills allow players to rise through stages of skill mastery, from fumbling incompetence to silky competence, where technical training ultimately pays off in perfect moving and timing.
At the professional level, as at lower levels, soccer players engage in drills to sharpen their skills and improve their ability level. Practicing the fundamentals of the game is important to even the best players, and drills t...
Goalkeeping requires a blend of mental and physical abilities. American and German soccer coaches Thomas Dooley and Christian Titz in "Soccer Goalkeeper Training" list a need for psychological skills, such as courage, calm and ...
Individual soccer drills are all about improving your dribbling, shooting, and passing skills, as well as helping you get in better condition for game play. One of the advantages to individual drills is you can do them any time...
Junior soccer training drills should focus on teaching soccer skills. Drills should progress through levels of difficulty, allowing a soccer player a relative level of success before stretching his ability further. A junior soc...
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America notes that a soccer team that improves mentally through training can separate itself from its opponents. A productive soccer practice for advanced players not only hones their ...
Skills for soccer, also known as football in some parts of the world, should be taught progressively, beginning without defensive pressure and with a focus on developing correct techniques. Defensive pressure should be introduc...
Indoor soccer is a fast-paced version of soccer than can be played year-round regardless of the weather. Indoor soccer typically is played on a shorter field that places an emphasis on quick passing and the ability to keep poss...
You could be the fittest soccer player in the world but if you can't control or pass the ball your fitness means little in a game. Your skills can be developed through practice, and by doing the right type of training drills, y...
As the last line of defense between the opposing offense and your team's goal, the goalkeeper is the only player on the field allowed to use his hands in order to stop the ball. In order to help your goalkeepers develop the ski...
Agility is especially important to soccer players, who not only use their feet and legs for agility, but also for controlling the ball. Soccer players who work on agility drills with a ball develop confidence in their ability t...
Soccer is a sport that demands great ball-handling skills, endurance, speed, and power. But one vital component that is often overlooked is agility. Being agile means you can change directions quickly, and will enable you to mo...
Practicing these skills individually, out of a game situation, helps children master them. Adding points and targets to drills helps them use these skills better in game situations.
