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Soccer Fundamentals Explained: The Best Skills to Have and How to Improve Them

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

soccer fundamental skills

There are a variety of skills that everyone needs to master in order to be successful playing soccer. You likely have heard coaches or other people in the game calling these skills the “soccer fundamentals” which are particularly important.

Some of these skills are fairly obvious. For example, even if you’re a beginner I’m sure you know the importance of knowing how to pass the ball.

But what exactly makes something a fundamental skill, and more importantly, what can you do as a player to learn these fundamentals most effectively?

For Beginners: What Are these Fundamentals Anyway?

There’s no soccer coaching body that publishes an agreed-upon list of a set number of “fundamentals.” If you search online or read a stack of soccer coaching books, you’ll find a widely varying number of them, as well as some discrepancies as to what gets counted as a fundamental.

But there are commonalities that you’ll see almost everywhere. These are the key skills that all players need to master no matter the level they are at or the positions which they are playing.

We briefly describe each soccer fundamental here, with some links into other articles that go into more detail on each skill. I will say that fundamentals are much different for goalkeepers; this article is talking about field players.

Fundamental #1: Passing

What’s the quickest way to get the ball from Point A to Point B on the field? Some may think it’s by dribbling, but passing the ball is the fastest and most efficient way to move it across the field.

This helps get more teammates involved at key positions on the field, break down the defense, and ultimately get the ball in dangerous attacking positions.

In other situations, passing can actually be more of a defensive move, allowing you to relieve pressure from the opponent and catch your breath while preparing to gear up for your next move up the field.

At a most basic level, any time your team is in possession of the ball and passing it around, the opposing team is chasing and getting tired, which gives you the advantage.

Any great team is able to pass the ball at a high level (even if they ultimately decide to favor other parts of the game in their tactics), and thus any great player needs to be proficient in passing.

This is why we consider passing among the most important of fundamental skills and something that every player, regardless of position, needs to spend a lot of time refining.

Fundamental #2: Receiving/First Touch

This is the other side of passing; the player who receives the pass. You may know this skill as “trapping” but that term has fallen out of favor because it signified stopping the ball dead. Receiving, on the other hand, is getting the ball under your control in a fluid motion so you can make your next move.

We’ve included first touch in here too which is a related but slightly different idea. Your first touch is not just when you receive a pass by a teammate, but any time you gain possession of the ball, be it from a crisp pass or a awkwardly bouncing ball.

Fundamental #3: Dribbling

Although passing is a more efficient team strategy for moving the ball, any good player also needs to be confident in their ability to dribble.

By dribbling you can take players on and get past them. You can dribble to create your own shot. You can even get yourself out of a dangerous situation or tight space by moving into a better position.

In short, it’s about as fundamental a skill as you can get, and one that all players need to work on and master.

Fundamental #4: Shooting

Some may challenge the idea that shooting is something that all players need to learn how to do well, and thus question its fundamental status. After all, isn’t it just forwards who need to know how to shoot?

This is incorrect.

Midfielders regularly get up into the attacking third and need to be ready to shoot when they have the space and opportunity. Most defenders will do the same on occasion, and will also likely find themselves in the opposing team’s box on corners and other set pieces.

With this in mind, it’s still very important that defenders and midfielders learn to shoot with proper form, because they may only get one chance to do it and need to be ready to take advantage.

Fundamental #5: Defending

Similar to shooting, defending is another fundamental skill that some mistakenly think is only for defenders.

But defending happens in all areas of the field and needs to be done by all players. A forward who loses the ball needs to apply the right pressure so the team can win it back. Every player needs to have the skills to put in a strong tackle when defending.

Fundamental #6: Heading

Heading is another key skill that is necessary for all players, no matter their position. It’s a diverse skill: forwards head the ball for a shot on goal; midfielders jockey to win airballs in the center of the pitch; and defenders must head the ball out of their box and into safety.

In addition, learning proper heading form is extra important because repeated improper heading can increase the risk of concussions and even brain damage. As the safety of heading continues to be investigated, there may be changes to it, especially at the youth levels.

Drills for Learning Soccer Fundamentals

There are countless ways to improve these fundamentals. You naturally work on them in game situations, with the benefit that you will experience them in realistic situations and naturally connected to each other.

But games and scrimmages aren’t enough for working on your fundamentals. A full sided game won’t give you enough touches and repetition of any skill to make a major difference all by itself.

Instead, you need to work on these skills in isolation. If you’re on a team with a good coach, he or she should already be designing drills that work on these skills. These might include give and gos with a partner; dribbling at a cone and performing a move; or 1v1 challenges.

But in addition, it’s a great idea to work on these fundamental skills through individual training.

Best Ways to Improve Soccer Fundamentals By Yourself

For passing, you can practice with a partner if you have one, or you can pass against a wall or a soccer rebounder. Make sure you’re using both feet, and passing with all surfaces. Work on passing on the ground as well as driving and chipping balls.

Pass with the inside of your foot, the outside, and the laces. Pass one touch, and two touch while receiving the ball with multiple surfaces as well. This helps you work on two fundamental skills at once.

When you’re receiving the ball and working on a proper first touch, make sure you stay on your toes and keep your head up. You also want to work on receiving the ball across your body and receiving the ball on the short hop

Dribbling is the easiest fundamental skill to practice by yourself. You can dribble around your yard, or even around your house or apartment. As with passing and receiving, make sure you are using all surfaces including the inside, outside, and laces. Work on dribbling through a set of cones or other objects, and work on performing a move while dribbling, like feints, cuts and step-overs.

For shooting, take a look at our article on How to Practice Shooting by Yourself at Home for plenty of ideas.

These are only a few ways to get started practicing your soccer fundamentals. What other ways do you know of honing these crucial skills?

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Filed Under: Individual Soccer Training Tagged With: Defending, Dribbling, Heading, Passing, Receiving, Shooting

How to Head Better: Basics of Proper Heading in Soccer

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

soccer chest trapHeading.

In soccer this is a term that often gets a bad reputation.

I believe that for the most part players and parents worry about heading because players have not learned how to do it properly.

Indeed, heading is a lost art in youth games.

Safety Risks of Heading in Youth Soccer

Kids do not want to head the ball because it can hurt and coaches do not want to teach heading because kids can get hurt by knocking heads.

However, more research is coming out that links repeated heading (especially when done improperly) to long-term cognitive damage.

So first of all, we strongly support any safety measures that limit or forbid heading in youth soccer, and it’s likely that more of these regulations will be put into place in the coming years.

Be sure to check with your coaches and local soccer organizations for any applicable policies or recommendations before working on heading, especially for younger players.

For US club soccer, a new concussion initiative spearheaded in 2016 released new rules that prohibit heading in U-11 and younger (both practices and games), and limited heading in U-12 and U-13.

But as you get older and as long as you learn the right technique, heading is a fundamental soccer skill that can elevate your game to a higher level.

This post will walk you through the basics of how to head the soccer ball correctly and without pain so you can win more challenges in the air.

soccer heading

How to Head a Soccer Ball and Win Aerial Challenges

1.) First, jump first and keep your arms out and bent at a 90 degree angle to protect yourself (do not swing your elbows).

Brian Jaworski, head coach at Grinnell College, has always preached jumping first. This will allow you to win the ball at its highest point.

Also, keeping your arms bent at 90 degrees gives you space to head win the header.

And by having your arms out, you might get an extra boost from your opponent.

You might be boosted higher into the air or just simply kept up in the air a little longer by your opponent jumping into the bottom of your elbows.

This will give you an advantage and ultimately help you win the header.

2.) Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut.

You want to keep your eyes open so you can see where the soccer ball is coming in and where you are going to head it.

Keeping your mouth shut prevents you from biting your tongue, which can be fairly common during jumping and heading.

3.) Contact the soccer ball at your hairline ( the spot where your forehead meets the beginning of your hair.)

Heading the soccer ball in the correct spot gives you the most control.

If you head the soccer ball below your hairline, then there is a chance of the ball hitting you in the face.

If you head the soccer ball above your hairline, then it will just hurt.

4.) Use your whole upper body when making contact with the soccer ball.

You do not want to bend at the neck. You want to attack the the soccer ball, bend at the waist, and push your head forward when making contact with the ball.

Remember, do not bend at the neck!

And don’t let the ball hit you. That will hurt.

You must attack the soccer ball, because if you don’t, a defender will beat you to it and you won’t have the most control and power.

Simply put, heading is not a skill that you want to do improperly, so it’s crucial to learn proper technique so not only do you improve your game, but you also stay safe too.

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Filed Under: Soccer Game Tips Tagged With: Airballs, Heading

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