First Touch The Most Important Skill in Soccer

In Soccer, control of the ball is of great importance skills to every level and any type of player. The ability to control an awkward bouncing ball quickly and effectively gives the player with the ball the immediate advantage. This called "First touch" and is often the critical difference between success and failure in most situations during the match.

As players get older, the game gets faster, and demands more speed. At this level, there is a greater need for first-time passes and a precise first touch on the ball. Often, players cannot always play a first-time ball; therefore, they must trap the ball, or may have to dribble if no teammates are in position to receive a first-time pass. Time and space go hand-in-hand in soccer. The less time a player takes to do something, the more time they will have to take advantage of it. Typically when controlling a ball, a player will do one of three things after controlling the ball: shield the ball by putting their body between the ball and the opponent, pass (or shoot) the ball; or they will dribble the ball. The space and time they have to do these things will depend on how good the player?s first touch is when receiving the ball.

Players MUST develop a feel for the ball. it's means touch, and a fine touch requires a player to be comfortable touching the ball with all parts of the foot. Players must practice controlling balls on the ground as well as balls out of the air. Remember, that good control is the ability to take the ball with one touch in such a way that you can play the ball with your next movement without having to chase or reach for it. The ability to control the ball with the feet is a basic element of soccer. A good touch is very instinctive to some players, but harder for others.

To learn more about playing football please visit http://soccerboots.blogspot.com. You can find more about football training and playing tips.

Important Soccer Moves

There are several soccer moves that a coach need to train his team about. Some of the soccer moves are explained below.

Dribbling

An expert coach knows that dribbling is one of the most important skills in soccer. Dribbling is the ability of the player to move the ball up and down the field.

In order to dribble, the player has to move the ball back and forth from one foot to the other. The coach can train the players to do this by shoving, pushing, tapping, or nudging the ball with the inside, outside, or sole of the foot.

Push Passing

Passing is equally important for the soccer players to have impressive command in. Passing is the ability of a team to move the ball down the field, from one player to another. The coaches need to teach his players regarding the several different types of passes.

The push pass is the most common type of passing. In fact, every soccer player uses this passing and the major reason for this is that it is the most accurate of all passes.

In order to execute a push pass, the coach should train the players to use the inside of the foot and strike the ball in the middle, planting the non-kicking foot alongside of the ball and following through with the kicking foot in the direction that the player wants the ball to go.

The most important thing in passing is that the players must learn to keep their eyes on the ball as they make the pass.

Long Passing

Long passing is another important type of passing in soccer. When you want to pass the ball to a teammate who is far away, you need to execute a long pass.

In order to teach the team how to execute a successful long pass, the coaches should instruct the players to approach the ball at a slight angle, keeping the non-kicking foot to the side and slightly behind the ball, and striking the ball low, with the instep, and following through with a full swing.

One important thing in these soccer moves is that the foot should follow through in the direction in which the pass is made.

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of soccer moves. His web site, Youth Soccer Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles, resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.