Turns
Shoulder Feint
Dip the shoulder to one side and go in the opposite direction.
Step into the direction you are faking with your shoulder and
take off with the ball in the other direction. Spinning in a
way in the other direction. It's a shoulder fake to the right
then you dribble off or turn with the ball to the left - and the
reverse to go the other way - fake to the left (lean) and
dribble off by turning to the right.
This is done with your back
towards the defender. Before turning, and when you have a
defender on your back, throw in feints as if you are going to go
in one direction, when you really want to go the other way.
Feint to the side by dipping your shoulder.
However, as a midfielder, you might want to have your body half
turned already, and open to the field. This turn, the fake with
your shoulder, is if you are marked tightly and coming back to
the ball with a defender right on top of you and need to spin
away.
Spinning with the Inside of the Foot
Use the inside of the foot to spin around with the ball. You are
using the inside of your foot for control and pulling the ball
around to open up into the new direction you want to go in. That
way you are immediately open to the entire field and can make a
pass with the inside of your foot on your next step.
The Dummy Turn
If the ball is played at the right pace and you think the
defender is too close to you, then you can let the ball run
through your legs and turn and beat your opponent to the ball.
Also, if you know your teammate is behind you and open, you can
let the ball run through your legs and go through to your
teammate, and they then can play the ball to back to you - much
like a give and go.
This is very effective for forwards to learn. The ball can be
played to the forward who's checking back, who lets it run
through his or her legs or just lets the ball go by them and
quickly turns to get the ball back from the other forward, the
deeper forward who is posting up.
When the two forwards are lined up one should always be closer
to the midfield. The forwards should try to work in tandem and
stay ten or fifteen yards from one another. One stretching the
defense the other closer to the midfield - of course the
forwards can rotate and switch these positions through the
course of the game but often the taller forward posts up high to
win head balls for instance, while the other forward tries to
win the knock downs or anticipate a flick, say off of a goal
kick or punt for instance. Forwards can also clip the ball into
the other forwards path and work a give and go. Meaning, instead
of a dummy and letting the ball go past them completely, they
can get a touch on the ball or flick the ball on to the forward
– using the pace of the ball to spin the ball into the other
forward, perhaps around a defender.
Communicate
Listen to your teammates, if they say turn or time or man on –
take their advice. They can make things a lot easier for you.
It’s really important to communicate on the field and let your
team mates know when they have time or when there is pressure
coming. It’s a good habit to get into, if you play the ball,
pass along a message too – time, turn, man on, you’ve got time,
go at them, and so forth.
More on Crossing: Get the Ball in
the Box
As a winger or wide midfielder it is important to get the ball
in the goal box. That means serving the ball across the goal
mouth. Whip the ball in. Put the ball in with pace. This makes
it easier for the targeted player to redirect the ball on goal
and also helps avoid getting the ball cut out or blocked by a
defender.
Get accustomed to crossing the ball when you have the
opportunity. You don't have to beat always beat the defender.
The defender, who is marking you, will begin to think you are
going to cross it every time, that’s when you take the player on
and go down the line to cut the ball back or take a shot
yourself.
Plus, you don't need to reach the end line to cross the ball.
You can and should cross the ball from any point over the half
line really, as long as you are trying to pick out someone
directly or if you are leading a player with a cross or long
pass - as that player makes a run towards goal.
Stock Ball
With this play you’re trying to get to the end touchline and lay
the ball back to a teammate. As a team you can try to seek this
kind of situation out - get the ball wide to a midfielder who
can take the defender on and cut the ball back across the goal
mouth. You want to make it difficult for both the goal keeper
and the defense to keep their eyes on the ball and the player
they’re marking.
There are numerous options, but another could be playing the
ball down the line to a forward, who has made a diagonal run,
who can turn then turn and cut the ball back to a teammate
across the goal mouth. This could be a quick early pass across
the goal mouth too.
As a rule, if you can beat your defender down the line then go
for it - but if you can bend the ball around the defender or
feint and get enough space to get the cross in, go for it.
Be aware of where your forwards are - so you can time the pass
right and have the ball meet them at the right time and pace, as
they move towards the goal. Try to pick someone out with your
pass. A stock ball is an ideal play that often leads to an
assured goal.
Juggling
Often, when just starting out, it can appear to be impossible to
keep the ball up in the air. As you've heard numerous times
before, you need to practice and practice and practice. Soon
enough things will start to click and you can build from one, to
two, to ten, and on up to fifty touches and beyond, with the
ball in the air.
At first try kicking the ball into your hands. Dropping the ball
down to your feet and kicking the ball back up to your hands.
Then two juggles and back up to the hands and then three and
four. Next try alternating from your right foot to your left. As
you go along it will become easier and you can gain control of
the ball and make the ball do what you want it to do. Again,
work on alternating from right to left - maybe twice with the
right and then once with the left or four with the left and then
two with the right.
The main goal should be to be able to juggle back and forth from
your right foot to your left. You can then kick the ball higher
into the air while your juggling and then lower and then higher.
Have fun with the ball, getting used to using all the different
surfaces of your feet and parts of your body to control the
ball, incorporating more parts as you improve - foot to head to
thigh back to foot to head again.
Make the Ball Do What You Want It To Do
You can go in a cycle. Left and then right foot, then right
thigh and then left thigh, and then hitting the ball up to your
head and back down to your right foot and then left and so on.
You can make up various cycles that you have to go through,
choosing where the ball goes, and not just keeping the ball up
in the air, but manipulating the ball on your terms. It’s not
about how many times you can juggle but making the ball go where
you want it to – being in control.
Later you can try to manipulate the ball even more. Kicking the
ball away from you to the right and then away from you to the
left, at a slight angle in the air. Almost like your faking
going to the right and then the left but in the air. You need to
lean your body to the side in which you are kicking the ball.
Kick the ball out to the right then back towards the inside with
the right foot - and then try this with your left foot. All the
while keeping the ball up in the higher.
Next try walking and juggling with the ball. See if you can
juggle the ball to the other side of the field. Later try
jogging and juggling the ball in the air at the same time. You
will just need to find the right rhythm, alternating the ball
with each step as you jog along. Slowly try to pick up speed as
you improve.
Running without the Ball
If you make a run towards a team mate with the ball but don't
receive it - break into space to drag the defender with you.
Make an ambitious run towards goal for a through ball just to
draw attention to your self and open up a play for someone else.
The midfielder behind you can then sneak into the free space you
just opened up. |
