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Indoor Soccer Training

With winter in full swing, our attention has turned from outdoor to indoor soccer.

This article will outline a training approach that will allow you to be effective when playing indoor soccer, and the best part is that these skills will translate into making you an effective outdoor player as well.

(If you’re simply looking for any exercises you can do inside, like at home, read this article.)

Indoor vs. Outdoor Soccer Training: How does Indoor Differ?

The major differences between indoor and outdoor soccer suggest some differences in the ideal training regimen.

Indoors, the field is of course smaller and the surface is also faster. You have fewer teammates on the field and are also shooting at a smaller goal.

So that does this mean for training and improvement?

For one, you have more time on the ball in a smaller space, so by merely playing lots of indoor soccer, you’ll get a lot of touches in, which can do wonders for your technical skills. By playing indoor, you’ll also improve your stamina and endurance.

But there are a few other key skills that get amplified in the indoor environment. By improving these skills, you’ll increase your level of play indoors, and also see gains when you return to the full-size game outdoors in the spring.

Drills and Exercises for Improving at Indoor Soccer

Shooting: Indoor soccer is an exciting proposition for a forward who loves to score goals. Due to the smaller size of the field, you’re almost always in shooting range, but at the same time the smaller goal demands pinpoint accuracy if you wish to evade the goalkeeper.

Practice shooting at a target (which could be the corner of a real goal or just a spot on the wall) using multiple surfaces and both feet so you’re better able to take advantage in an indoor game.

Make sure to practice hitting a moving ball, like in a game situation. (You can roll it forward with your sole, play it off a wall or rebounder for you to shoot, or recruit a teammate to play a ball for you to shoot.)

Read how to practice shooting at home for more tips

1v1 Dribbling and Defending: In the indoor game, tighter spaces and smaller numbers on the field mean more time with the ball at your feet, and more direct confrontations with opposing players.

Working on your 1v1 dribbling by perfecting some moves and working on your acceleration and change of pace will help you take advantage of those moments when you find yourself with the ball and a chance to attack your opponent directly.

Conversely, working on your 1v1 defending is important for ensuring that you stay strong in those situations when you are being run at by an opponent, which happens much more frequently in indoor soccer.

Defending is a team concept, of course, but in indoor soccer every player must be strong in individual duels, because there is no way to hide a player who is not.

First Touch: Due to the tight spaces, constant duels, and fast-paced transitions, a good first touch is crucial for any successful indoor player. Practice receiving the ball with all surfaces, with both feet, and quickly getting ready for your next move.

You want to be able to receive a ball and play a pass with your second touch. You also want to be in position to play a one-touch pass if appropriate, so make sure to stay on your toes and keep your head up to see your passing options. If there’s space to dribble into and attack, you also want to be able to take your first touch at speed into that space.

All in all, indoor soccer forces you to think and play faster, and a great first touch is one of the best ways to make sure you’re making the most of each opportunity on the ball.

How to Beat Defenders off the Dribble

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

Just about every player wants to know the secret to dribbling past opponents, and this article will shed some light on it. Two questions typically get asked. First, what is the best move to use when dribbling? And second, how do you beat someone 1 vs. 1?

What is the best move to use?

You can debate the merits of various 1v1 moves endlessly. There are step-overs, cuts, drags, stop-and-gos, 360s, and much more: in short, plenty of options. But in reality, it does not matter much which move you use. You do not need a particular special move to beat your opponent, and different players are more effective with some than others.

Perfecting particular soccer moves is not the most important aspect of beating a defender with dribbling. Instead, you only need to know two things, which leads us into the second question!

How do you beat someone 1v1?

You most likely have heard these two things I am going to tell you, but they are crucial to take to heart, especially if you can do both of them together.

The two things in order to beat someone off the dribble are change of pace and change of direction. This is it.

The best coaches I’ve ever had drilled these two things into me, and got me to a point where I could do both. My game improved significantly as a result.

The most vital component to beating a defender 1v1 is achieving separation. A change of pace or a change of direction can get you a little separation on their own, but pairing them together yields greater separation and allows you to get around your opponent.

We’ve said that the particular move you use doesn’t matter. But I would recommend perfecting two to three moves of your choice for your arsenal, so you don’t become predictable with the same one over and over again.

If you want to know more about dribbling, then check out our other blog post, Soccer Dribbling: How to Practice the Most Important Skill.

1v1 Soccer Defending: Key Principles of Individual Defense

By Parker & Walsh 2 Comments

In soccer, defending is a team concept. When you’re defending, your entire team, not just the defenders, is working together by communicating and staying compact in order to protect the goal.

If just one player is not doing his or her job, your team can suffer a breakdown. This is why 1v1 or individual defending is so important.

Everyone on the soccer field must be able to defend and understand the principles of defense, including pressure, containment and ball-or-man.

Applying Pressure

Applying pressure happens right after your team loses the soccer ball. There are two key points when applying pressure.

The first point is that you must not over-commit. Most commonly, players overrun the play because they are too eager to win the soccer ball back, but this mistake will expose your team.

Instead, you must break down into a good athletic stance making sure you are on the balls of your feet so you can move and cut quickly.

The second point is that you must force the attacking player to put his or her head down.

You achieve this by applying enough defensive pressure on the player with the soccer ball.

If you do not apply enough pressure, the attacking player will be able to see options and complete a pass more easily than if his or her head were down.

Containing the Attacker

After applying pressure, you must contain or delay the attacking player. You want to force the attacking player into an area where you have defensive cover.

It’s important to understand that you yourself do not always have to win the soccer ball.

You just want cause the attacker to run into another defensive player or to play the ball backwards. If the attacking player plays the ball backwards, then your team will gain ground offensively without even touching the ball.

However, you should be cautious when coming forward because the offensive team is often trying to spread you and your team out. You must move forward as a unit and to stay compact.

Ball-or-Man

The last defensive principle is ball-or-man but never both. This principle applies to certain situations in the game.

For example, when attacking players perform a give-and-go in a dangerous area of the field, then you do not want the attacking player to get on the end of the give-and-go.

You should turn your body to run for the ball and also get in the path of the attacking player.

The best result is that you intercept the pass. If you do not intercept the pass, then you can at least get in the path of the attack player to slow him/her down.

You may receive a caution for not playing the ball.

There are other situations during a game where this principle can come into play, such as when the other team is on a counter-attack, when you are the last defender (WARNING: a foul here may result in a red card), when you do not have proper cover from your secondary defender.

Remember this principle should only be used in certain situations and that you can receive a caution for using it. It should be used sparingly and always with caution.