SOCCER SKILLS

How To Play Soccer: 

Check your ego at the door. You are not better than any of your teammates. Play for the name on the front of your jersey, not the name on the back of your jersey.
Every player should desire to be the best player in the world.

What To Practice:

-See the ball at your feet using "SOCCER VISION."Do this by using your peripheral vision while dribbling. It allows you to see the field, opponents, and your teammates while simultaneously dribbling and seeing the soccer ball at your feet. This will make you super comfortable with the ball at your feet. It makes the game easier. Below is a diagram that illustrates what it means to see the ball at your feet while seeing 3-6 yards ahead of you at the point I call the "break point." Soccer Vision is best used when you are in tight spaces dribbling or are surrounded by your opponents and teammates.

-Once you master seeing the break point, you can hold your head up higher and see past the break point. This will allow you to see the whole field. Seeing the whole field limits your peripheral vision and makes it harder to see the ball at your feet. It's easier to see the ball at your feet when you are sprinting because of proprioception. It's the 6th sense. Essentially, you can feel where your arms and legs are without seeing them. It's the same way with the soccer ball. Pretend your ball is another appendage and see it in your peripheral vision when you are sprinting down the field taking touches that are 2-3 strides ahead of you. Watch the pros touches when they are sprinting. When they are around opponents, they take small touches 1 stride ahead of themselves with the ball glued to their feet. When they are sprinting, they take bigger touches 2-3 yards ahead of them.

-How to practice expanding your peripheral vision, aka "SOCCER VISION?"

1. Do high knees on the ball keeping it under control while staring downfield at a point or cone 3-6 yards away. I call this point the "Beak Point." Make sure you stare downfield at the break point and not directly at the ball that's at your feet. By doing this, you can see downfield while simultaneously seeing the ball at your feet using your peripheral vision. This makes it much easier to find opponents or teammates or goal scoring opportunities. It essentially makes it super easy to make the right decision and be comfortable with the soccer ball at your feet. Especially, in the final third.

2. Use blaze pods. https://www.blazepod.com/ to see and expand your SOCCER VISION. You do this by having 4 pods set up in front of you. While staring at the break point, hit go. The pods will light up 1 at a time, and stay lit until you touch one. By staring at the break point and seeing the pods in your peripheral vision, you can easily expand your peripheral vision.

3. In case you can't afford blaze pods you can do your own version of them. Put 4 cones on the ground and label them 1, 2, 3, 4. Have a coach or teammate call out a number. After they call out a number like 1, then touch the "1" cone seeing it in your peripheral vision while still seeing the break point 3-5 yards away. Then, if they call out 2, touch that cone with your feet while staring at the break point. This a surefire way to develop your SOCCER VISION, making it a habit to see the field while dribbling.

4. Next, whenever you do cardio on the pitch, have a ball at your feet to practice seeing the ball, the field, and the break point.

5. You can also do this while walking or running by seeing the break point while in stride. Then, call out each foot, left or right when see each foot in your peripheral vision while focusing your gaze on the break point.

6. Last, see the break point wherever you go. Whether you are walking, running, or riding your bike. The more you practice seeing the break point, the more it will become second nature. It takes a couple weeks of daily practice to get the hang of it, but it is definitely worth it because it makes the game easier.

-AWARENESS: Check all 4 quadrants in front of you and behind you so you are aware of your field position and aware of all your opponents and your teammates so you can make the best decision whether or not you have the ball. You can even check where opponents and teammates are at while the ball is coming to you so you know what to do with the ball once you receive it.

-SPACE: Search for space and move the ball in that direction so you can find open players.

-CONTROL: Get the ball controlled at your feet quickly. Then, get your eyes up quickly to make the best decision with the ball, either passing, shooting, or dribbling.

-PASSING: Pass the ball perfectly on the ground with a little topspin to make a perfect pass that’s easy for your teammate to control. Then, get to open space to provide an option for your teammate who has the ball.

-RUNNING: Sprint on your toes to create a 45 degree angle when pumping your arms towards your head.

-SOCCER VISION: Never do cardio or warm up jogs without a ball at your feet. By practicing SOCCER VISION you can see the field 3-5 yards ahead of you while seeing simultaneously the ball at your feet. It will make seeing the field second nature when you have the ball. This will make you more comfortable with the ball at your feet. This will make it easier for you to find your open teammates and allow you to make the best decision with the ball.

-FREE KICKS: For free kicks, approach the ball by running parallel to the goal to get maximum spin that keeps the ball down and moving rapidly towards your target. Kick the ball as hard as you can. Put your plant foot directly at your target. Aim on goal for the 4 corners.

SHOOTING Aim on goal for the 4 corners. Aim your plant foot at your target. Lastly, kick the ball as hard as you can so the goalie doesn’t have a chance to save the shot.

-CORNER KICKS: For corner kicks, kick the ball as hard as you can inside the box. This makes it harder for the opposing team to defend and creates scoring opportunities inside the box.

-Soccer Skills To Think About:

Mental health/Emotions

Awareness

Decisions

anticipation

Concentration

Off The Ball

Positioning

Vision

Work Ethic

Leadership

Flair

Bravery

Speed

acceleration

Injury prone

agility/pace

height

Jumping

Balance

stamina

Fitness

Weight

Dribbling

technique/strategy

Finishing

Shooting/Long shots

passing

tackling

marking

heading

crossing/longballs

set-pieces

Defending