Communication

How to Perform a Proper Take-Over in Soccer

soccer-takeover A take-over is a simple run that is very effective. Performing a take-over correctly can get you out of tight spaces on the field and can possibly give you an open shot.

When to Perform a Take-Over

There are two key situations in a soccer when it’s beneficial to perform a take-over: 1.) When you can’t get behind your defender and your teammate with the ball is within 10 yards or closer to you and 2.) When your teammate is dribbling at you.

When you can’t get behind your defender for your first run and your teammate with the ball is within 10 yards or closer to you, then you need to make a second run, a take-over.

When your teammate is dribbling at you, standing still does you no good. Running away puts your back to your teammate, and back peddling is just too slow. The only other option is to make a take-over run, running behind your teammate.

How to Perform a Take-Over

There are three key components to performing a take-over.

First, communication is crucial. The player performing the take-over run must say TAKE if he/she wants to take the ball off their teammates foot, and must say “TAKE” right before he/she wants to take the ball from his/her teammate.

After hearing the the word take, the player dribbling the ball must not touch the ball again. If the player performing the take-over run does not say anything, then the teammate dribbling the soccer ball keeps dribbling.

Second, the player performing the take-over run must run behind his/her teammate with the ball. Running behind your teammate allows you perform the take-over.

Third, the player dribbling the ball must carry it on the outside of his/her foot away from his/her goal.

This way the player dribbling the ball will be able to protect it from the defender by using his shoulder and forearm to hold off the defender. The defender has to go through the whole body of the player dribbling the ball.

A Simple Rule for Better Soccer: Communicate the “Right of Way”

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

There is a simple rule in soccer that can help your team either start an attack or shore up a possible risky play.

The rule that must be followed is relatively simple.

When two players on the same team are going at the ball from opposite directions, the player going forward always has the right of way for the ball.

This play still requires communication by the player going forward to call for the ball so there is no confusion.

How can this rule start an attack?

With the player going forward having the right of way for the ball, he or she can see the field in front of them.

Additionally, this player can make a forward pass to start a possible counter attack or just keep possession to start an attack.

If you are close to goal and within shooting range, the player going forward can get a shot off and hopefully score a goal.

How can this rule shore up a possibly risky play?

In your defensive half, it is not a good idea to dribble backwards.

The attacking player could take it off the defender’s foot; the defender could make a bad pass back.

In addition, everyone has seen the play where two defenders both look at the ball and then at each other expecting the other player to get the ball while an offensive player gets there first due to this hesitation.

The risky play could all be avoided by having the player going forward having the right of way for the ball.

Hopefully you now see how this one simple rule of always having the player moving forward as the one with the “right of way” can help your team in both defense and attack.

As with so many aspects of soccer, communication is crucial for this rule, so make sure you get comfortable calling for the ball and deferring to your opponent when he or she does so.

Doing the Little Things in Soccer

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

In sports you may have heard coaches saying that a particular player “does all the little things correctly.”

It’s a nice sounding phrase, but not very specific. What, exactly, are these little things the coach is talking about?

In soccer, there are all kinds of “little things” you can do.

Just because they are referred to as “little” does not mean that they are not important.

On the contrary, these maneuvers and tactics help you stand out as a player and also have a positive effect on your teammates.

The little things include things like staying on your toes (having a bounce in your step)

passing the ball and not just kicking

being courteous when passing to your teammates by using appropriate pace and direction so your teammate can receive it

cushioning the ball and not letting it hit your foot

using the correct technique to pass the ball every time

telling your teammate “man on,” “turn,” which way to force the ball, or if there is player moving into their zone by saying “right “or “left shoulder”

winning 50/50 balls

making the right passes

jumping first to win balls in the air

This is by no means a complete list, and by this point, you should understand that making a conscious effort in just about any aspect of soccer can be considered “doing the little things.”

When you train, no matter if it’s in your backyard, at a high school practice, at academy practice or indoors, you must concentrate on doing these little things correctly.

I believe that doing the little things correctly can take you a long way.

These techniques are often minor, but if you cannot do the little things the right way, then how are you supposed to do big things correctly?

These “little things” come into play in crucial moments of a soccer game.

For example, pretend the game is on the line and you need to complete a final pass to your teammate who’s in position to score the goal that will win you the game.

In order for the ball to get there and even give your team a chance at winning you must first use correct form to pass the ball and use the right pace: two of the “little things” we’re talking about.

These tips may be “little,” but when applied in a game situation they become vitally important.

Be sure to take care of the little things, and the “big things,” for both you and your team, will follow.

Why Being Fit for Soccer is So Important

By Parker & Walsh 4 Comments

In our last post on interval training and change of pace in soccer, we started to get at what it means to be soccer fit.

This is such an important topic that it can’t be neatly summed up into any single article, so we will continue to break it down here on the soccer training blog.

This post here today will outline three reasons why being fit for soccer is so crucial.

Simply put, soccer is a game of fitness, so it is important to be in the best shape possible.

Being fit for soccer will allow you to do 3 main things that will benefit both you and your team.

1. Being Soccer Fit Lets You Play the Whole Game with Limited Substitutions

Soccer games played at the highest level only allow for 3 total substitutions for your team; other levels will impose different limits.

This means that if you are a starter, you need to be fit enough to play the whole game.

You also want to be fitter than your opponent to constantly beat him or her to balls and be able to make run after run as the game goes on and other players start to get fatigued.

But this point isn’t just for players who find themselves regularly in the starting eleven.

Even if you are not a starter yourself (or if you play in a league where more regular substitutions are allowed), you still need to be fit enough to come off the bench and bring energy, enthusiasm, and help change the dynamic of the game.

This could mean either closing a game out or creating a spark to help change momentum towards your team. The importance of such a spark from a substitute might even make it more important for these players to be fit than the starters who may be able to strategically conserve energy throughout the match.

2. Improving Fitness Helps with your Touch

Being fit allows you to get your body into the correct position to receive the ball across your body.

If you are not fit, then you will not have enough energy to get into the correct positions, which will cause your first touch to be poor.

Basically, if you are playing tired you will start reaching for the ball, so when you are receiving it, your foot is planted on the ground.

This will prevent you from successfully cushioning the ball and will cause it to bounce up or away from you.

Being more fit allows you to get into the right positions and have the energy to raise your feet in order to better receive a pass. In short, it helps you better keep up with your soccer fundamentals over the course of a long game.

3. Better Soccer Fitness Leads to Better Communication

This last benefit is something that many players do not consider.

Overall, it is widely understood that communication is soccer is hugely important. But when you are tired, you tend not to talk at all.

The reason is because you are trying to conserve your energy to use it for running, passing, shooting, and tackling.

When you are truly fit to play soccer, you will be able to constantly talk and give your teammates information throughout the whole game.

It helps to break down teams, be organized defensively, helps your teammates know if he or she can “turn” or if there is a “man on,” just to give one example. There are countless other situations on the field where talking and communicating helps to form a cohesive unit.

These are just three reasons why being fit for soccer is so important, and why putting in the extra effort on your conditioning work can have major benefits for your game as a whole (and even the success of your team).

Do you have any other benefits of soccer fitness to add? If so let us know in the comment section below.

Photo credit: lusi