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Soccer Edition 6
Welcome to the soccer Newsletter. Both the Soccer Newsletter and the
Goalkeeping Newsletter have a new home. Both can now be found at http://finesoccer.com.
This new home will allow for a lot more features and can develop into anything YOU want it
to. Please send any ideas, comments or suggestions to comments@finesoccer.com
Today's edition will be short and simple but extremely important. I constantly hear
players and coaches say "play the ball to feet" This edition will discuss why
this is not enough and what exactly should be said instead.
While at the lower level of rec soccer, playing the ball to feet might make you a star, at
any level above rec it is completely inadequate. To play at a higher level, you must be
able to play the ball to a specific foot at a specific time. Simply playing the ball to
feet will too often cause the intended recipient to end up with her body closed down to
the field. I will now try to
be more specific.
If you are playing the ball to an outside midfielder on the right side of the field and
you play the ball to her right foot (or maybe even slightly in front of the right foot),
then she will receive the ball facing in the direction she wants to attack. If this same
ball is played to her left foot, this will cause her to close down her body. By closing
down her body, she will most likely end up playing a negative pass (a negative pass is
simply any ball played backwards). While there is certainly nothing wrong with playing a
ball backwards, it should be done for a tactical reason and not simply because of a
breakdown in your technical abilities. This is the difference between playing the ball to
feet or playing the ball to the correct foot.
Another example of needing to play the ball to a specific foot is when a forward checks
back to the ball and is going to turn. If you simply just play the ball to her feet, she
then has to decide
which way the turn. By playing the ball to a specific foot (and having teammates who
understand that you are playing the ball to a specific foot) she will then have a cue as
to which way to turn. If the ball is played to your right foot while checking back, this
probably means the defender is on your left side so you should turn toward your right.
This is not real complicated stuff but is frequently the difference between success and
failure.
Even when a teammate is in a position when it appears like she can receive the ball with
either foot, there should be an intended target. Part of being a successful soccer player
is to understand the game, your teammates and your opponents. You must know which foot
your teammates are most comfortable with and also which foot is most appropriate in that
given situation. Again,
this is the difference between success and failure.
In summation, play the ball to a specific foot at a specific time and you will find the
game much easier to play (as will your teammates).
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Check out the archives at http://finesoccer.com
Have a great day.
Lawrence