Takeover

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.