Soccer Game Tips

5 Things You Can Learn from Watching Center Midfielders Play

center midfielder

We’ve written about how watching soccer, both pro games on TV and live games local to you, can help you become a better player.

This article will dig a little deeper into one specific position that requires the combination of many advanced techniques and dispositions as a player: central midfield.

Why Is Center Midfield a Hard Position in Soccer?

Center midfield is often considered one of the most challenging positions in soccer. CMs are often referred to as the engine room of the team, responsible for orchestrating both the offensive and defensive aspects of the game. Their role demands exceptional levels of stamina and awareness, as they are required to cover a significant amount of ground, tracking back to defend and pushing forward to create scoring opportunities. Even more difficult is the fact that due to their position in the center of the field, they must stay aware of and play the ball in all 360 degrees.

What sets central midfielders apart is their ability to set the tempo of the game. They must make crucial decisions about when to control the pace and when to be aggressive, all while maintaining composure under pressure. Any loose touches or sloppy passes in the center of the pitch can lead to turnovers and dangerous counter-attacks. Center midfield requires a well-rounded skill set, including fitness, positioning, defending, passing, and attacking prowess.

So knowing this about the position, what specifically can you look for when watching more experienced center midfielders play?

1. Constant Movement

One of the key aspects to learn from watching center midfielders is their ability to maintain constant movement throughout the game. Central midfielders are constantly on the go, covering vast areas of the field. Their movement isn’t aimless; it’s purposeful. Observe how they shuttle between defensive and attacking positions, seamlessly transitioning from offense to defense and vice versa. This constant movement serves multiple purposes: it helps them create passing lanes, provide support to teammates, and disrupt the opposition’s game plan. Pay attention to their off-the-ball runs, how they position themselves to receive passes, and their agility in evading opponents. By studying their movement patterns, you can learn how to stay engaged and effective throughout the game, ensuring you’re always in the right place at the right time to make an impact on the pitch.

2. Being Aware of Your Surroundings

One of the most valuable lessons you can glean from watching center midfielders is their remarkable awareness of their surroundings. These players have a knack for keeping their heads up and their eyes constantly scanning the field. As you observe them, take note of how they frequently look over their shoulders, not just to check for nearby opponents but also to assess the positioning of their teammates. This 360-degree awareness enables them to make quick decisions and maintain possession even in tight spaces. They rarely have their heads down, and this allows them to anticipate pressure and incoming passes.

Additionally, pay attention to how center midfielders use their peripheral vision to track the movement of players in their blind spots. This skill enables them to receive the ball under pressure, knowing where to distribute it next. By emulating this awareness in your own game, you can improve your ability to maintain better control of the ball, spot passing opportunities, and avoid unnecessary turnovers. Being aware of your surroundings, just like elite central midfielders, can significantly elevate your effectiveness as a soccer player.

3. How They Take their First Touch

The best central midfielders excel at perfectly-weighted first touches that keeps the ball close, minimizing the risk of losing possession. Be sure to watch how they open up their body and receive passes with their back foot, allowing them to quickly assess their options and maintain a wide field of vision. This also enables them to pivot away from pressure and distribute it efficiently. Learning from their first-touch mastery can enhance your ball control, composure under pressure, and versatility on the field, making you a more reliable player with a greater ability to create space and time during matches.

4. Playing Simple vs. Risk Taking

Watching center midfielders can teach you the delicate balance between playing simple and knowing when to take calculated risks. These players have a remarkable ability to read the flow of the game and make decisions based on the situation. Pay attention to how they often opt for short, accurate passes to maintain possession and keep the team’s rhythm. However, they also recognize when the opportunity arises to make a more ambitious pass that can break the opposition’s lines or create a scoring chance. Studying this aspect of their game can help you understand the importance of adaptability and decision-making. Learning when to play it safe and when to take calculated risks will make you a more effective and versatile midfielder, capable of influencing the game in various ways.

5. Communication and Coordination with Teammates

Center midfielders excel with communication, constantly providing instructions and support to their teammates and fostering cohesion within the team. They use verbal instructions and gestures to guide positioning and movements and also possess a deep understanding of their teammates’ tendencies, enabling them to efficiently link up play between different areas of the field. Their ability to establish a passing rhythm and dictate the tempo of the game enhances teamwork. Learning from their communication and coordination skills can make you a more effective player, promoting better synergy with your teammates, both on and off the ball.image credit

Best Ways to Warm Up for Soccer Training or Pre-Game (Solo, Partner, and More)

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

soccer warmup stretch

Before you get started with a strenuous training session or a game, you don’t want to go from zero to sixty without any preparation. The way you prepare yourself is with a warm up.

Warming up for soccer helps you improve your range of motion, raise your heart rate and activate your cardiovascular system, which allows for peak performance.

And crucially, warming up also significantly helps you avoid injuries.

Another benefit is that by preparing your body in this way you also are preparing your mind by allowing you to focus on the upcoming tasks and eliminate distracting thoughts.

However, one common mental image we have of “warming up” is sitting around in a circle stretching.

Stretching is an important part of warming up, to be sure, but you want to prioritize dynamic movements which are more in line with what you’ll actually be doing later.

Let’s look at some ideas for how to best warm up.

What Activities Should I Do When Warming Up?

First, it’s important to warm your muscles up before stretching them, so be sure to start your warmup with some jogging.

Jogging 2-4 times back and forth on your half of the field is usually sufficient.

After jogging, many teams like to circle up and stretch. This can be good for group camaraderie and to allow everyone to set their focus together while the coach gives some instructions, but research has shown that static stretching (meaning where you simply sit or stand holding a pose for a set amount of time) can actually hinder performance.

If you’re training on your own, or have the freedom to plan your own warmup, doing more dynamic stretching is preferred where you perform controlled sport-specific movements targeting key muscle groups.

Dynamic stretches for soccer can include walking lunges, leg swings, torso twists, hip circles, and many more.

An even better option is to incorporate dynamic movements into your jogging for a better warmup.

For example, jog across the field and back once, and on your next trip, instead of jogging normally, do high knees, butt kicks, and side shuffles. There are endless variations you can try in addition to these.

Warming Up with a Ball

The next phase of warmup involves ball work. The main things to keep in mind is that you want to get lots of touches and in the case of pregame warm-ups you want to make your work as “game-like” as possible.

A tried and true method to start with is partner passing.

Start by standing just a couple of feet away and playing firm passes back and forth. I like to start with two touch and then progress to one touch. Make sure you are using both feet and both the inside and outside. To help with preparation and getting your heart rate up, keep your feet moving.

A good partner passing progression is to gradually move back several yards as you continue and end up hitting some long balls to each other, both chips and driven balls.

Another partner passing warmup you can try is more dynamic: jogging back and forth across the half-field and working on volleys and receiving.

To do it, the two players stand 2-3 yards apart facing each other. The player jogging backward holds the ball and throws it to the player running forward, who does each exercise and tries to play the ball back to their teammate’s hands.

Work out a progression including volleys back with the laces, chest traps and volleys with the inside, thigh traps and volleying back, and headers.

For one trip across the field, work on one exercise, and players switch roles before coming back. Then move on to the next exercise.

Building a Complete, Technical and Fun Routine

soccer warmup

You can still achieve these goals with a warmup even if you’re training solo. Instead of partner passing, can you use a wall or rebounder to do the same passing exercises?

Beyond these ideas for touches, it’s important to incorporate some fun into your warmup as well.

If you’re with a team, possession drills are one of the best ways to warm up in a game-realistic way with some competition built in.

4v2 (or 5v2) drills with players on the outside keeping possession and two defenders in the middle who switch out when they win possession (to be replaced by the player who lost the ball) is a classic.

With an even larger number of players, you can play larger possession games (ie. 5v5), perhaps with two “all-time-offense” players to give the team in possession a numbers up situation.

If you’re warming up solo, one idea for competition could be to do a round of juggling and see how high of a number you can get.

You also can achieve the same goals of passing and moving with a dribbling exercise through cones or other objects) combined with passing off of a wall or rebounder and then dribbling back the other way after you receive it.

Finally, you want to make sure the warmup doesn’t exhaust you right before the start of a competition. Make sure all the previous exercises are short and sweet, with rest time built in.

Instead of sprinting before the game, for example, work on your change of pace and acceleration with short sprint bursts of just a few yards. (This is a good exercise for right before the game to get you physically and mentally prepared.)

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Why All Soccer Players Prefer Grass Over Turf

By Joseph Leave a Comment

Soccer can be played on just about any surface, from grass to a gym floor or even asphalt. In competitive environments, however, the two options are typically limited to grass or turf.

So which is easier to play on? Although there certainly is an element of personal preference involved, there is also evidence to suggest that one may have more advantages than the other. This article will get to the bottom of why all soccer players prefer grass over turf. Read on to find out more.

Why All Soccer Players Prefer Grass Over Turf

Preference

First and foremost, playing soccer on grass is the more natural way to play. From the youngest children up to professional players, their fundamental soccer skills have in most cases been mastered on fields or just patches of grass near their house.

Artificial turf wasn’t actually invented until the late 1960s and was first used in sports in 1966. Swapping natural grass for an artificial lawn has only gained popularity within the last decade. Therefore, it is safe to say that many soccer players, past and present, have probably spent more time playing on natural grass than on turf and thus naturally prefer it to the artificial alternative.

Injuries

While football may not be the same as soccer, the physical elements of the game are relatively similar. Studies show that playing soccer on the turf increases stress on the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) joint by 45%. One study conducted research on over 2600 NFL games. The results showed that 67% of players were more likely to sprain an ankle on turf than on natural grass.

It’s Natural

A soccer game differs when played on grass instead of turf. Firstly, there is more traction on turf than on grass; this effectively speeds up the game because players do not have as much control over the ball as they would playing on grass.

Why Is Turf Used?

While turf may not be the best area to play on, it does have some advantages.

Cheap

Turf is undeniably cheap to maintain. The material used is durable, and unlike natural grass, there is no need to worry about damage from the weather or general upkeep. It is questionable whether or not it is cheaper to maintain than a natural grass field.

According to the STMA (Sports Turf Managers Association), the cost to maintain an area of artificial turf in 2009 was $23,000. The price was a lot more than the $14,000 used to maintain an area of natural grass.

Less Cancellations

Turf allows for more games being played because the weather does not affect its condition. If it is raining heavily when playing on natural grass, the game is often postponed. The only time a game played on turf would be canceled is if it is thundering and lightning.

David Beckham once refused to take part in a soccer match, stating:

“As a professional athlete, you can’t play a game like soccer on that sort of field. What it does to your body, you’re in bits for three days after that.”

Disadvantages of Playing Soccer On Turf

Hard Surface

Naturally, a turf field is harder than a field of natural grass; this can often lead to the ball bouncing high when it hits the ground; this means players encounter more difficulties receiving and controlling the ball. Grass fields can also harden if the temperature is high enough; however, watering the field surface can help manage this.

The hard surface of a turf area is more abrasive to the skin, leading to injury. It is common for players to slide along the grass when tackling, this is more painful on turf, and players can suffer from even the most minor falls.

Heat

Turf surfaces can reach temperatures of up to 117 degrees Fahrenheit. This is incredibly hot against feet and dangerous for players to play on. This can lead to dehydration and loss of focus. Artificial turf is designed using hundreds and thousands of black rubber beads, which are evenly spread throughout the structure. In high temperatures, the turf base can heat up just like asphalt.

Disadvantages of Playing Soccer On Grass

While we would love to say that playing on grass has no disadvantages, we would be lying. Here are the main downfalls of playing soccer on the grass.

Weather Conditions

Playing time can be cut short if there is a change in the weather – or if the weather does not change at all! This cannot be said for a turf field.

Maintenance

The most obvious disadvantage is the general upkeep. Throughout the year, a natural grass field must be maintained to be at its best – even throughout the winter; this includes cutting and fertilizing the grass and irrigating the soil.

On the other hand, turf requires little to no maintenance; this is why many soccer activity centers and clubs opt for a turf playing area to cut down on costs.

Grass Vs. Turf: The Verdict

When it comes to playing soccer, playing on grass is preferred over turf. However, the choice is ultimately yours. And who are we to judge?

While maintenance costs and playing time are the main advantages for turf, we cannot excuse the injury rates that have been exposed throughout this article. For one, playing in high temperatures can be dangerous when playing on turf. We don’t fancy skinning ourselves to tackle an opponent either!

In all fairness, injuries can happen either way. But comments made by soccer legend David Beckham can surely sway anyone with a beating heart to look away from turf?

Whatever option you choose, always remember to stay hydrated and stop playing if you feel injured at any point. Good luck and score some serious goals!

When to Take Risks or Play Simple in Soccer

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

Soccer strategy encompasses a wide variety of concepts, from the formation and tactics the whole team utilizes to individual decisions on positioning and what to do with the ball when you have it.

One key aspect of strategy on the player level is how often to take risks, which can lead to positive outcomes for the team but also carries the possibility of bad ones.

To be clear, we aren’t talking about risks in terms of the possibility of suffering injuries. This obviously is an important topic but that’s a discussion for another day: in this article we’re thinking of the risk of in-game outcomes like losing the ball or giving up a scoring chance or a goal.

And the potential rewards of a risky move that succeeds are similar: winning the ball, getting it into dangerous areas, and scoring a goal of your own.

With that understood, let’s dig in.

Taking a Risk vs. Playing Simple?

Taking a risk in soccer can be contrasted with playing simple. Simple play includes opting for conservative passes that are high percentage, like lateral or backward passes to teammates.

These are the safest of options for you: the odds that your team keeps possession are high, but at the same time you aren’t getting the ball into more dangerous areas.

Risker passes are the ones that break the lines; that switch the point of attack unexpectedly; that put an opponent through on goal.

Since these passes are closer to your attacking third and are usually in numbers down situations (there are more defenders compared the the number of attackers), they will not succeed a high percentage of the time. But when they do, they can directly lead to high-quality scoring chances.

This is not just about passing: “riskier” plays can be your decision to shoot or dribble a player 1 on 1 instead of playing a simple ball back to a teammate. It can also mean the runs that you make, both individually and as a team.

To give another example, say you win the ball back from the opposition. The safe play will usually be to find a simple pass so your team can keep the ball and not take chances to give it right back; the riskier play may be to immediately launch an attack in hopes of catching your opponent off-guard or out of position.

No matter what, simple play is undoubtedly a fundamental skill in every player’s toolkit. Even if a single pass doesn’t break down the opposition, possession is such a key factor in soccer that in most cases, you want to opt for safety over risk so that your team can keep and recycle possession and be ready to strike when an opening or vulnerability presents itself.

The problem, then, comes when you only look to simple and safe plays and never look to take risks. This can be associated with a belief that players should strive to never make mistakes.

Youth coach Mike Singleton wrote about the need to take risks in an article on Soccer America:

It was amazing how rarely such talented and skilled players were willing to take risks on the field and try something new. Most players seemed to believe that if they did not make a mistake, they would make the regional or national team … Only through risking making mistakes and daring to try new things will (players) find ways to raise their game. Not giving the ball away is not in itself a quality that makes a player “great.” Our country needs players who can change the game positively and dynamically. We need players who can see and make dangerous penetrating passes. We need players who have the courage and skill to take on the last two defenders and slip the ball past the keeper. We need defenders who are skilled enough and willing to join the attack … Only by encouraging these players to take risks and to try their own ideas, will these players have a chance to be better.

When (and Where on the Field) Is Taking a Risk Worth It?

By this point we now understand that simple play forms a solid base that every player needs, but that risk taking at the right times is necessary to reach your full potential as a player. So what, then, are the right times?

There are a few factors to consider. One is your location on the field. In your defensive third, the risk-to-reward calculation rarely justifies taking a significant risk. If the risky move pays off, you still have much of the field ahead of you, and losing possession can be devastating due to your proximity to your own goal.

In contrast, your attacking third is the best place to take risks for the same token. The midfield, then, is a more gray area where you want to evaluate other aspects of the situation in order to decide whether to take a risk or not: how much cover do you have if the ball gets intercepted? Is this move likely to get me or my teammate in on goal if it succeeds?

Of course, when you’re playing you don’t have the time to take the luxury of stopping to think about your options; instead, the more experience you get the larger your mental toolkit of on-field situations becomes, which helps you understand how risks and rewards tend to play out. A good coach will also design training activities that help you learn how to take risks in a more controlled environment. (We found a few here from coach Wesley Syed on the website Sport Session Planner.)

It’s also important to consider the overall situation of the game. If your team is trailing by a goal, for example, and it’s late in the game, it might be time to take a bigger risk that you normally wouldn’t.

In addition to the “risky” plays we’ve discussed, this could be making an ambitious late run into the box in hopes of getting on the end of a cross or a rebound when normally you would hang back to be in position to defend.

Sometimes you even see a team send their goalkeeper into the opposition’s box for a corner kick or other dead ball when it’s likely to be their last chance to score. And what could possibly be riskier than that?

What is a Late Run into the Box and Why is it Good?

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

soccer player late run

Recently we’ve been looking at some tactical terms you may hear from your coach or from others who analyze the game of soccer. These have ranged from patterns and positions of play to recycling possession.

Today we’ll look at another term that can be a little tricky to nail down: making a “late” run into the box.

First, this is usually described as a beneficial thing for player and team, but you may be wondering why that is so.

If the run is late, then doesn’t that mean the chance has passed?

No, not at all!

With this concept, it’s not that a run is late as in too late to be effective, but rather that it’s a well-timed run that catches the defense unaware and vulnerable.

How to Time Your Run Into the Box

It turns out that the ideal timing for your run is, you guessed it, as late as possible.

When you think about it, this makes sense.

If you arrive too early before the ball has arrived, the defense has more time to adjust and mark you, making it less likely you can receive the ball.

However, arriving late can lead to no one picking you up in time, so you can receive the ball in a dangerous position and get a shot and hopefully score a goal.

So now that we understand the basics, how exactly does this work in a game?

A run into the box can be effective in any attacking situation where you are in a position where the player with the ball can find you. It’s most common on situations where the ball is on one side of the field, which opens up space in the middle and on the opposite post. The situation can be a set piece like a corner kick or open play like a cross.

In order to make an effective run into the box, you need to be familiar with the most dangerous zones around and in the box so you can understand what space to exploit.

These include the near post, far post, the penalty spot, and at the top of the box. One common aspect of all these areas is that they are difficult for the goalkeeper to come out to reach a cross.

This concept can also vary depending on the position. For example, wingbacks or wingers can make late runs into the box that are especially hard to identify and defend against. Especially in younger age groups this can wreak havoc on the defense as they often can’t pick you up.

For other attacking situations, it may be a central midfielder who arrives late to receive a pass near the top of the box.

These runs are certainly something you can (and should) practice individually, but in a game situation it’s only affective alongside your teammates. More specifically, you need to have multiple attackers to run into the box and overwhelm or confuse the defense so that a late run will be effective. Make sure that different players are running into the different areas of near post, far post, the penalty spot, and the top of the box.

Finally, to make an effective run into the box, you want to change speed so you burst into the space and take the defense by surprise. (Read our article on getting separation for more tips.) You also should practice changing direction, such as cutting away from your area and then accelerating into it for added deception.

The more you play, the better understanding you will develop of space in and around the box and how to best exploit it with a late run.

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How to Create Space as a Midfielder

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

Simply put, soccer is a game of space. The team that can best control and exploit it is in most cases the team that wins the game.

And as a result, players who are skilled at creating their own space usually find quite a bit of success and are highly desired.

So what can you do to hone and improve your ability to create space?

This article will go over some useful strategies, focused specifically on the midfield, although most are useful no matter where you play. (Forwards have some other specific tips separate from these too.)

Notice how many of the techniques are used when you do not have the ball.

Tips for Creating Midfield Space

Look Over Your Shoulder

One thing that separates the best midfielders from the rest is that they consistently scan their surroundings when they don’t have the ball.

This is most important when you have your back to goal, but it also comes into play when receiving on the wing and in other positions.

By looking over their shoulder, good midfielders know where their teammates and defenders are located and where the space is.

They know when a turn will put them in danger, when there is space they can burst into with a quick turn, or when a one-touch pass to a teammate is the best course of action.

Players who don’t look over their shoulder wait until they receive the ball and then figure out what is around them and where they can find space.

But very often, this is too late. They’ll turn straight into a defender or fail to find a temporarily-open teammate or dribbling lane.

As a midfielder, work hard to build the habit of looking over your shoulder all the time so you know what to expect before you get the ball.

Receive the Ball and Turn Faster

Once you have developed the habit of looking over your shoulder, you still need to be as quick and efficient as possible when the ball arrives in order to take advantage.

Thus, it’s crucial for midfielders to turn fast and to receive the ball in ways that will allow them to quickly move into space to make their next move.

One specific move to add to your arsenal is the No Touch Turn, where you open your body up and let the ball roll past you and into space without taking a touch.

Also practice turning with multiple surfaces, like the outside of your foot, and be sure to use both feet. This way you can be confident in your ability to quickly take your first touch into space before it disappears.

Also, you should always receive the ball with your back foot when getting a lateral pass across the field. This lets the ball run across your body and opens you up so you can make your next move faster before a defender closes down your space.

You can also use moves to create space when you have the ball in your possession. Stop and Go moves are especially useful for getting your opponent off balance and creating separation.

Change Direction with Runs and Quick Moves

A crucial aspect of finding space in the midfield is being quick and unpredictable with your runs so that you shake off your defender before receiving the ball.

You want to utilize sudden changes of direction so your movements are difficult to predict. Move both away and closer to the goal so you pull your opponent into uncomfortable positions.

Try techniques like faking a run forward and then cutting back to the ball. By coming up with and perfecting 3-4 set moves like this, you have some go-t0 patterns that you can use in any situation.

Also remember to be aware of your surroundings by keeping your head up. If you see that your defender is looking at the ball and not you, this is an ideal time to create separation.

Improve Your Shielding Ability

Another way to create more space for yourself is to simply prevent the opposition from getting into your space.

When you have the ball (or are in the process of receiving it) you can do this with shielding.

Overall, you want to keep your body between the ball and your defender. This helps you create distance from the defender to the ball and is especially useful in tight spaces.

We hope that these tips on creating midfield space have been helpful. In addition to moves that you can do as an individual, you also create space by combining with your teammates in the midfield.

By performing quick one-twos and passing and moving, you can exploit the spaces that your opponents are unable to cover.

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Best Player Coach Ratios for Youth Soccer Players

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

The difficulty of developing world-class players in the United States is a longstanding and much-debated problem. Various explanations have been given: we don’t have enough of a soccer culture; we utilize a “pay to play” model; our best athletes are playing other sports; we aren’t identifying talent in underserved areas.

These are all big parts of the puzzle, but it’s also true that a big part of the issue is that fact that youth soccer needs to follow certain best practices, and we lack a sufficient number of coaches who understand that. This isn’t a knock on our coaches who volunteer their time and hard work, but rather a recognition of the difficulty involved in getting enough of them to commit to the technical development that is necessary at young ages.

With this in mind, we’re going to look at one piece of this issue: the ratios of coaches to kids at various age groups.

There isn’t one single scientifically-proven “best” ratio for working with youth soccer players, but there are recommended guidelines. The general rule of thumb is that the younger the player, the more coaches that are required.

Player/Coach Ratios for Under 6 and Under 8

It’s common to hear a recommendation that for 4-6 years olds, there should be a coach for every 6-7 kids. At U-8 level, play should be a maximum of 4v4 so that each player can have a chance to develop age-appropriate technical skills. So that works out to a ratio of one coach for every 8 players. On a practical level, at this age group this will usually mean having additional parents helping out the coach.

Player/Coach Ratios for Under 10, 12, and Older

As players get older and develop more maturity and independence, the number of players for each coach can start to increase. At the U-10 and U-12 levels, some teams may be able to get away with one coach for every 15 or 16 players.

And when you get to still older age groups, such as high school, the guidelines change somewhat as play continues to diverge into a variety of levels of competitiveness. A high school accommodating a wide range of skill levels would typically require a lower ratio (a smaller number of players per coach) than a select club team, for example. A ratio of 20:1 can be common on many teams, but in order to ensure that all of the players are getting enough individual attention, that number would ideally be a bit lower.

Unfortunately, the reality is that the funding situation of soccer clubs or school districts often dictates how many coaches are available, and the recommended player-coach ratios are not always possible to achieve.

Overall, making sure all youth coaches are aware of the importance of small-sided games in which every player gets many touches on the ball every practice session is the best way to ensure we are helping our children reach their full potential on the soccer field.

Sources
National Soccer Coaches Association of America. (2004). The soccer coaching bible. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Image credit: Joel Martinez

Attacking on the Wing with Crossing, Dribbling and Overlapping

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

When you watch soccer, look for how and where teams attack because understanding this can make you a better player.

Soccer teams attack based on one of the sport’s most basic principles: spreading out when your team has the ball and staying compact when your team is defending.

Therefore, attacking teams want to spread the defending team out and are often looking to get the ball wide to their wingers about seven to ten yards diagonally from the 18 yard box.

This space just outside the box is a very dangerous attacking area for serving in crosses, dribbling to shoot or cross, and opening space up for an overlapping run.

Crossing the Ball

When you receive the ball on the wing just outside of the 18 yard box, you are in a great area to cross the ball. You can whip the ball on the ground behind the defense which forces the defense to make a tough play of clearing the ball while facing their own goal. From this area, you can slot in your teammates to the near post, the middle, or even the far post.

Also, playing balls in behind the defense allows for the possibility of an own goal. All of these crossing options are possible because your team got the ball wide to your winger just outside the 18 yard box.

Attacking Off the Dribble from the Wing

When looking to attack off the dribble on the wing, you must attack the corner of the 18 yard box. This allows you dribble to dribble inside towards the middle for a shot or attack the end line for a cross. The defender can’t defend both the end line and the middle.

When attacking the middle, you are looking to get a shot anywhere from the corner of the 18 to the start of the D on the 18 yard box. If you are closer the corner of the 18 yard box, you want to shoot for far post, but as you get closer to the D you can shot at either the near or far post.

When attacking the end line, you want to get all the way there so you can a cut the ball back on the ground towards the six yard box or farther out. Whether you are attacking the end line or the middle check out our post about how to beat defenders off the dribble.

Overlapping on the Wing

Finally, by getting the ball wide to your winger seven to ten yards diagonally from the corner of the 18 yard box, you are still stretching the defense out but also there is enough space on the outside for an overlapping run. If you see a teammate looking the join the attack with an overlapping run, you should try to attack the middle allowing space for the overlapping teammate to get to the end line.

Importantly, after you play the ball to the overlapping runner, your job is not done. You must sprint into the box, which is a trick to scoring goals. You should be able to find some space at the near post, which is around the corner of the six yard box, or towards the PK spot.

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A Trick to Scoring Goals: How to Score More in Soccer

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

Goals in soccer are cherished because they come so far and few between. In fact, the most common final scores in soccer are 1-0, 1-1, and 0-0.

Scoring goals is tough and everyone wants to be the hero who scores the game winning goal, but knowing just one simple fact will help you score more goals.

The fact is that over 90% of all goals are scored from inside the 18-yard box.

This fact leads to two important points. One, you need to be fit enough to get into the penalty box, and two, you need to practice shooting and scoring from inside and around the penalty box.

The Effect of Fitness on Scoring More Goals

First, we know soccer players need to be fit, which is why many teams require players to pass various fitness tests.

But it’s for good reason, as fitness helps with a player’s touch and communication. Additionally, fitness helps you score more goals! How does this happen?

By getting yourself into the correct scoring position, which means making runs inside your defender.

You will need to be in an all out sprint to beat your defender to the ball allowing you a chance to score your goal.

Most goals are scored by strikers and wingers compared to midfielders and defenders.

So if you are midfielder or a defender, you need to be fit to get up the field into the penalty box to make a run inside your defender to score a goal.

Of course, you also need to get back to defend your penalty box by not letting a forward make a run inside of you.

If you are a forward or winger, you need to be fit in order to continue making runs inside of your defender.

Goal scorers have determination, grit, and make a concentrated effort to get into the right position, making runs inside your defender.

When you scrimmage, make the effort every time to make runs inside your defender. This concentrated effort will help with your fitness.

How to Practice So You Can Score More

soccer kicking

Also practice shooting and scoring goals inside and around the penalty box. Practice scoring goals with the instep or laces, inside of the foot and your head because these are the surfaces used to score the most goals. When practicing, always hit a moving ball.

Overall, there are a couple of good ways practice shooting. One is to shoot inside the penalty box but outside the six yard box. Another is to have the ball move parallel to the penalty box.

When inside the penalty box but outside the six yard box, your first touch needs to be towards the near post and your shot needs to be to the far post.

This way if you shot doesn’t go in, then your teammate has a chance to tap it in.

When having the ball move parallel to the penalty box, practice curling the ball to the far post and hitting an instep shot to the near post.

If you get your hips all the way around, then you may get the ball to start outside the near post and come back to slide right inside the post.

Want to score more goals? If you’re like most players and say “yes,” there are some things that you need to consistently do on the field. You need to get into penalty box while making runs inside your defender.

You also need to be prepared to score with your instep, inside of your foot, or even your head. No matter how the ball falls to you, you need to be comfortable using whatever part of your body is in the best position to send it into the net.

Best of luck with applying these techniques and (hopefully) scoring more goals.

How to Defend a Forward or Midfielder With Their Back to Their Own Goal

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

Forwards checking back to the soccer ball are often accompanied by a tight marking defender.

Midfielders also take on this defensive role against opposing midfielders or forwards checking back.

Here, the defender’s main goal is to keep the soccer ball in front of them and not get turned.

If the offensive player plays the ball backwards, you have done a good job.

After the ball is played back, you need to drop quickly to get into a better position so the ball is not sent forward behind you.

There are four main steps to defending an attacking player with their back to their own goal:

1.) Distance: Stay about a foot and a half away from the attacking player. This gives you the optimal distance between you and the attacking player. If you can lightly touch the attacking player, this will let him know you are there. Do not extend your arm and push him, however. This distance will help you from getting hooked or turned by the attacking player grabbing your jersey.

2.) Stance: Bend slightly down in a good athletic stance. This puts you in a good position to move and also keeps you balanced. Standing straight up does not allow you to move quick enough. Sitting down keeps your center of gravity low and gives you a good base to change direction.

3.) Balance: Stay on the balls of your feet. Many call this being on your toes because you do not want to be on your heels. Again, the reason is because it keeps you balanced and allows you to moving quickly.

4.) Awareness: Make sure you can see the soccer ball. By sitting down in an athletic stance, you will be able to see the soccer ball. Seeing the soccer ball allows you to make a play on it. If you do not know where the soccer ball is, then you cannot make a play on it.

Finally, one of the most common turns of a forward is to dip their shoulder to one side and then turn the soccer ball to the other side.

For example, if the attacking player simultaneously dips her right shoulder and plants her right foot, the attacking player is most likely going to turn left with the soccer ball. Knowing this, then you can be prepared to stick the attacking player with your right foot.