How To Improve Your Soccer Bets Using The Simple Sequence Method

How To Improve Your Soccer Bets is a series of articles that describe some well known and well used statistical techniques that will help the soccer punter make more informed bets. Each of the techniques has its own advantages and disadvantages and using them in isolation will improve your chances of winning. However, together they will prove invaluable in your battle with the bookies. In each article we will describe in detail how a particular method works giving you enough information for you to go ahead and create your own forecasts. We will also give you information as to where you can already find websites that use this technique in comprising their weekly forecasts.

The statistical methods described in this set of articles will help you to arrive at a better decision about the match, or matches, that you are betting on.

In this article we will be describing the well known Simple Sequence method. The Simple Sequence method is not just a single method, there are many ways of devising a simple sequence method, and you could probably devise one of your own. The way the Simple Sequence method is implemented in the Footyforecast 2.0 software and on the 1X2Monster website is to use a weighting factor on each of a series of games.

Here are the basic rules...

A number of matches are used to look back at from the forecast date. So let's say our team has the following results (most recent on the right hand side):

W D L L W

This would give them the following points: 3 + 1 + 0 + 0 + 3 = 7

Now to take into account current form each is given a weighting factor, so the oldest match is multiplied by 1 up to the most recent match being multiplied by 5. Of course this will vary depending upon the number of matches you use, but for this example it gives us the following:

3*1 + 1*2 + 0*3 + 0*4 + 3*5 = 20 points

Now let's say the away team playing against the team above have the following record:

W W D D D

They will have: 3*1 + 3*2 + 1*3 + 1*4 + 1*5 = 21 points.

The points difference HOME v AWAY = 20 - 21 = -1.

Now, depending how you classify this it could represent an away win, i.e. all matches below a points difference of 0 = away win, or it could be classed as a draw.

Let's look at a simple example...

For our example we will use the last ten games played for each team. That's the last ten home games for the home side, and the last ten away games for the away side. The match is between Middlesbrough and Bolton Wanderers in the English Premiership played on 20th Jan 2007.

Middlesbrough

L L W W W D L D W W

This gives 0*1 + 0*2 + 3*3 + 3*4 + 3*5 + 1*6 + 0*7 + 1*8 + 3*9 + 3*10

This equals 0+0+9+12+15+6+0+8+27+30 = 107

Bolton

L W W W D L L W W L

This gives 0*1 + 3*2 + 3*3 + 3*4 + 1*5 + 0*6 + 0*7 + 3*8 + 3*9 + 0*10

this equals 0+6+9+12+5+0+0+24+27+0 = 83

Therefore the difference is

107 - 83 = +24

This could be determined as a home win but depending on your chosen threshold levels could be classed as a draw.

Now it's your turn...

Of course you may choose to use different values to those shown above and by experimenting you may come up with better values to use. You may also choose to use all home and away games played by each team in your calculations instead of just home games for the home team and away games for the away team. You may choose to have different thresholds than those shown above. You may also find it beneficial to plot actual results against the Simple Sequence method predictions to see how many actual draws fall in the away win, draw, and home win prediction zones.

If you have the necessary skills you could go away and build your own spreadsheet of data or even write a piece of software to take in results and fixtures and apply the Simple Sequence method to your data. Or, if you're lazy like me, you could grab some free software that already does this for you. If this last option is for you then visit 1X2Monster where you can download a FREE copy of the Footyforecast 2.0 software which utilises all of the statistical methods described in this series of articles. You will also be able to download FREE weekly database updates for your software, how cool is that?

Here is a list of all the articles in this series...

How To Improve Your Soccer Bets Using The Rateform Method How To Improve Your Soccer Bets Using The Footyforecast Method How To Improve Your Soccer Bets Using The Win Draw Loss Method How To Improve Your Soccer Bets Using The Simple Sequence Method How To Improve Your Soccer Bets Using The Score Prediction Method How To Improve Your Soccer Bets Using The Superiority Method

Malcolm Nossiter is the owner of 1x2monster.com and footyforecast.com. He has been providing hundreds of 1X2 tips every week since 1999. Please visit 1x2monster.com for a fountain of information on soccer betting.

English Soccer

?Association Football? is the game that originated in England. Thus it holds an important position in English national life. English soccer is generally referred to as ?Football? or ?Association football?. As football is a speedy and highly competitive game so it became popular in less time. Soon it became the preferred choice of international tycoons where they wanted to endow the money. In England this game is not just a spectator sport but it also holds an attractive place among inhabitants and thus became a game of mass participation in a wide variety of form.

England had first used the term ?football? for the game. The first international football match that was played by the England national football team was against Scotland in 1872 at Hampden Park in Glasgow and they won their first world cup in 1966. In England the kicking ball games has been illustrated since 1280. It has been researched that team football games has being played in English Schools since 1581. The thrust of these games was to coalesce English Public School and University football games.

The first modern game was played in London in 1863.The game was associated by the oldest football association in the world ? ?English Football Association?.

It has been traced out that in ancient time Greeks and Romans developed a pastime ?Harpastum? that was a combination of Association football and Rugby football. Then with the change of time there came drastic change in the game also.

The world?s oldest competition, the FA cup and the first ever soccer league was founded in England in 1872 and 1888 respectively. Therefore England is said to be the home of the game of football. After the establishment of soccer league, many other leagues have also been founded here with a dream of rising up to the top one day with their efforts. The soccer league is currently being divided into three divisions named the Football League championship, Football League one and Football League two.

The English football competition includes the FA cup and the League cup. The FA cup is the oldest and respectable national cup competition in the world. Although many other competitions are also targeted yet these are the most important among them. The winner of these competitions holds an important position in soccer game field. The winners are considered to be qualified for the UEFA cup.

The League cup, also known as ?the Carling Cup? is the other major cup competition. Then there are many other competition held at different level as the Football league Trophy, the FA Trophy, the FA vase, FA Amateur cup, the FA Sunday Cup and many more. Clubs that give their best performance in these FA cup or League Cup, are considered to be qualified to participate in various UEFA organized competitions.

The women?s football game has also got the initiative here. Although these types of matches are recorded since a long time but the serious attention is being paid on these matches in the recent years only.

English Soccer is a well-known and most popular game amongst people that has achieved global fame and reputation in nick of time. This prestige has been boomed exponentially and the influence of the game is growing continuously. Seeing the popularity of the game it can be concluded that in the coming years the Soccer game will attain the new heights in the field of sports.

Alan Gibson

President

www.NipsWorld.co.uk

Alan Gibson is currently the sole owner of nipsworld.co.uk, a cheap quality source for sports equipment. He also specializes in a variety of English soccer memorabilia and uk football kit.

Teaching Youth Soccer - Fouls And Penalties

When it comes to teaching youth soccer, it is very important for the coach to teach the players about various fouls and the consequent penalties so that they could avoid the same and save their team from getting into problems.

Yellow Card And Red Card

Younger players can easily avoid most of the penalties if they keep their hands away from ball. In soccer, it is not the hand, but the feet that the players have to use. However, you must teach the young players that it is not just touching the ball from hand that can result in penalty, but pushing, tripping or holding the other players will certainly bring penalties.

There are some malicious players in almost every soccer team and when it is about young players, it is very difficult to have a malicious free team. Such players intentionally foul on their opponent players, but the coach must teach them that if they do so, they will get a warning in the form of a ?yellow card?.

If the player repeats the same behavior again, he is ?rewarded? with a red card and is taken out from the field and from the game. A player with red card is not replaced, but the soccer game continues.

Handball

Handball is the term that is used when a player tries to touch the ball with hands in order to get better control of the ball. It does not really matter whether the players do this intentionally or unintentionally ? handball will certainly result in penalty.

The Offside Player

When a player dribble the ball, and dribbling he gets nearer to the goal line of the opponent team than one defensive player and the goalkeeper, the player is offside. The coach must train the players of their team regarding all these little things that may result in penalties.

However, the offside rule is not applicable when it comes to goal kicks, throw-in's or corner kicks. The main objective of the offside rule is just to stop an offensive player from ?camping-out? at the goal awaiting passes.

Other Fouls

There can be various other fouls as well, such as pushing, kicking, striking, holding and charging into an opponent. However, these things may turn into penalties only if the players do the same intentionally. If it was not intentionally, there will be no penalties.

Teaching youth soccer is a challenging job, and the coach needs to train his players from all aspects. Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of teaching youth soccer. His web site, Youth Soccer Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles, resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.

Soccer Fitness Training Tips

Soccer fitness training will help your players optimize their overall strength, speed and stamina. Such training plays a very major role in soccer and is in fact an essential component when it comes to coaching soccer. Let me give you a brief insight into different types of fitness training for soccer players.

Maximal Strength Fitness Training

In one momentary contraction, there is a specific level of force that a muscle group can generate. This optimum force of a muscle group is termed as maximal strength. Maximal strength plays a very important role in the game of soccer.

It helps the players hold off opponent and steal the ball from them. However, the objective of the maximal strength fitness training should not be just to enhance the maximal strength. Instead, the training should focus on enhancing both power and speed to optimum level.

Power Training - Plyometrics

This fitness-training program for soccer is highly effective in building both strength and speed in the players. What is more, unlike most people think, it is not a very difficult training process. The training becomes much easier when both the coach and the players follow the guidelines associated with the same religiously.

Plyometrics exercises are designed in a way to stretch the muscle of the players before the contraction and this simply results in more forceful and instant contraction. For example, one easy way to do this exercise is to keep jumping off the ground without bending the knees. However, one good way to maintain the speed and flexibility of the players is simply to follow a specific weight routine.

This is the best way to enhance as well as maintain the speed and strength of the players. Last, but not the least, there are certain cautions that you must take note of while you are doing the Plyometrics exercises. For example, it is not good to use weights ? no matter how light it is - while doing this exercise.

Some Examples Of Plyometrics Exercises

The simple yet best example of Plyometrics exercises is that you should run in slow motion, jumping on alternate feet. While doing this exercise, the players should aim to achieve as much height and distance as possible at each step.

Overall, there are various ways in which soccer fitness training can be organized. However, the only thing that both the coach and the players must keep in mind is that they have to follow the guidelines religiously.

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

Nigerian Soccer Coach Vogts explains interest in German-born duo

Super Eagles Coach, Berti Vogts, has explained why he is interested in having Germany-based Chinedu Ede and Dennis Aogo play for the team.

Ede, who currently plays as a striker with German club Hertha Berlin, has already featured for Germany?s Under-19, 20 and 21 sides.

The German coach is also looking in the direction of SC Freiburg midfielder Dennis Aogo, another member of the German under-21 side who could switch allegiance to Nigeria under new FIFA rules.

FIFA?s rules on international eligibility allow a footballer capped at junior level to represent another country as long as he possesses dual nationality and makes the request to change nationality while under the age of 21.

Vogts is hoping to persuade the duo to play in Nigeria?s subsequent 2008 African Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

?They are both bright prospects that will bring so much to the Nigerian team,? Vogts told BBC Sport.

?They qualify to play for Nigeria because of their fathers and I have been monitoring their performances.

?Even though they?ve played for the German youth sides, I am hoping that with the new FIFA rule we can have them play for the Nigeria national team,? Vogts said.

Berlin-born Ede has a German mother but his father hails from Enugu State.

Karlsruhe-born Aogo has been with Freiburg since August 2002 and has a German mother while his father hails from Ondo State.

The 20-year-old Aogo had apparently been keen on playing for Nigeria in the past but accepted a German under-21 call-up when he felt he had been overlooked by handlers of the Flying Eagles.

?It will be a dream come true to play for Nigeria someday, I think my father would really be proud of me.

?I have a Nigerian team mate (Seyi Olajengbesi) and I know a lot about the country from him, my father and from my last visit there in 2005.

?I?ve read about Vogt?s interests in me and it will be a great achievement to play for Nigeria,? Aogo explained.

Emmanuel Ayomide Praise is a world leading internet entreprenuer and investor. Some of his areas of interest include sport management,merchandise,ownership,internet entreprenuership,investments, media and writing amongst others. Business URL: http://www.emmapraise.blogspot.com

Soccer - All What Happens On The Ground

Soccer is widely known as football around the world and it is extremely popular game . This game is a big turn on for soccer lovers. The best part about this game is, it puts everyone on his toes in just 45 minutes. This game has so much of thrill and excitement that turns a soccer lover to a soccer freak.

This game is played between two teams, each consists 11 players with a ball. The soccer ground is rectangular in shape and consists a goal at each end.

The target for each team is to maneuver the ball into the rival team?s goal and thus making a 'goal'. A player that stops the maneuver at goal is called a goalkeeper. At the end of the game the team that hits more goals is declared winner.But in case the numbers of goals are same for each team the game becomes draw.

In such a case the game timings can be extended or even a penalty shootout can resolve the problem. It all depends upon the situation.The game is played in two halves, each half is a period of 45 minutes.

There are several rules in soccer game. The common one is that no player of team should hit the soccer with the hands or arms except the goalkeeper. Any part of body can be used to propel the ball except hands and arms.

F?d?ration Internationale de Football Association also known as FIFA governs the soccer all over the world. The most exciting event that is organized is called 'World Cup' by FIFA at regular intervals of four years. Some 190 teams around the world participate in this game from all over the world to make it to final and finally win the world cup.

All You Need To Know About Soccer - Crazy Soccer Fan

Soccer Camps Go Global - Language Immersion Travel Camps Expand the World - View of Young Players

In the past twenty-five years, soccer has become the most popular youth sport in North America. Many of these young players have carried their love of the sport into adulthood, resulting in the debut of Major League Soccer, America?s first professional soccer league, in 1996.

Youth and professional soccer in the U.S. continue to grow more popular and more competitive, increasing the demand for specialized soccer training programs. Many of these programs offer training abroad as a way to tap into the fiercely competitive international soccer scene. The best of these soccer camps offer more than world-class soccer training. They foster cultural diversity, maturity, and independence in young soccer players.

Unique experience for young soccer players

Soccer camps have become available in countries around the world. Locations like Spain, France, China, Brazil, Greece, Holland, Italy and Germany have opened their doors to American soccer players. An international soccer program has recently opened in Israel as well. These international camps combine professional soccer training with a full-immersion language experience.

Camps can range from 2 weeks to several months. Young soccer players can live and train under constant supervision while learning to appreciate the unique culture of their host country.

Security: A must for travel abroad programs

If you are considering an international soccer camp for your child, safety should be a big concern. A good international soccer camp will have a clear security plan in place. In Israel, for example, EduKick students will train in safety at Kannot Youth Village, a secure, gated, educational and agricultural youth facility. Professional security will be provided 24/7 and accompany the players on all outings.

Full-immersion language instruction

The time young players spend at camp should be more than a vacation. An important part of the soccer experience abroad is learning foreign languages. Hearing and speaking another language constantly is the best way for your child to gain bi-lingual fluency. Bi-lingual instructors, competition with foreign teams, and structured language classes are integral parts of the EduKick experience.

World-class soccer training

Of course, the ultimate goal of a soccer training camp is top-notch soccer training. Look for highly-educated, experienced coaches with coaching credentials. The best coaches have experience playing at the professional level also.

The international field is highly competitive, offering a level of training that is unmatched in the U.S. When choosing an international soccer camp for your child you should accept no less than the best in soccer coaching. Look for international soccer training that focuses on strength and conditioning, technical precision, tactical development and sports psychology.

Enriching the lives of young soccer players

EduKick founders, Joseph Bilotta and Corey Zimmerman, traveled to Europe with their soccer team mates as teenagers, inspiring them to open soccer training camps all over the world as adults.

Remembering their travel abroad experience, Bilotta said, ?I remember feeling a sense of confidence upon returning home, I knew that I was wiser and it made me feel special."

EduKick international soccer training can have the same impact on the life of your child. Visit EduKick's Website today to find the perfect international soccer camp for your young player.

Soccer Skills: Great Field Vision

It is not enough for the players to be fast and strong, in order to have a winning edge over the opponent team. The players must possess impressive soccer skills, good instincts and the perfect field vision.

An expert coach can use a variety of techniques and methods to teach his team the necessary skills and field vision. Some of the tried and tested techniques can be listed below.

Shoot Between Cones

In this method, the coach should set up a line of cones row 3 to 5 yards apart. Put players into pairs. Now, have one player on each side of the line facing the cones each other.

Now, tell the players to strike the ball between the cones by starting close to the row of cones at first. During the practice, each pair of players needs to receive ball and pass it back through the cones.

Keep your watchful eyes open. Observe the improvements of the players. If you find that the technique and accuracy of the players is improving, you can move players further apart accordingly.

Dribble Cones and Shoot

In this method, the coach needs to set up two cone lines for a dribble weave. The size must be about 30 yards with a 2-yard goal at the end. This time, you do not need to divide your players in pairs.

Instead, divide them into two lines or teams. Now, have the players dribble through the cones. Before the next player in line starts, the players should try to score at the goal at the end.

Pass and Shoot

This is also a very effective technique to teach the soccer players impressive game skills. As per this method, the coach should set up two cones as a goal at one end of the grid.

This time, again, the team should be divided in half. Have one player to begin as goalie. Give one ball to each player and line the players in a group up behind the goal. Make another group and have them take position at fifteen feet in front of the goal.

The soccer skills learned this way is capable to make a winning team.

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

Soccer Socks

When selecting soccer socks, it is important that users are familiar with their fit and purpose. This is because for users who are not used to wearing soccer socks may find their first attempt to be uncomfortable. Soccer socks are very unlike their regular counterparts and are much thicker than regular socks. They are available in pure cotton blends, cotton wool varieties and some may have a towel like appearance. Soccer socks are not available in ankle length varieties and hence, most company offered designs of soccer socks, stretch all the way to the calves when worn.

Soccer socks for amateurs and professionals differ greatly. For beginners the choices are much simpler. It is important to find a variety that can be worn comfortably with shoes because most of them are thick after wearing studs and soccer shoes and the fit may seem imperfect. For this reason, it is advisable to try new soccer socks with shoes while buying them. This may not always be possible as soccer socks are packaged and most companies consider the socks sold, once they are taken out of the packets. To combat confusion when buying, clients must always remember their regular sizes. This tendency prompts users to purchase soccer socks from the same manufacturer once they find a pair that suits them. A common practice to measure soccer socks is to wrap it around a tightly closed fit. This can be compared to a person's ankle size and its length can also be determined. Apart from this, most manufacturers print the sizes, material used, and care tips on the packaging.

Soccer socks are available in a variety of colors. This is because they provide support to shin and calf guards that are enclosed by the socks during play. Although they have to display great elasticity, it is important that the open end of the soccer socks do not boast a tight elastic band. Otherwise, it would disrupt normal blood flow and prove to be continuous source of irritation, apart from leaving prominent and agitating marks on the skin.

Socks provides detailed information on Socks, Heated Socks, Knee Socks, White Socks and more. Socks is affiliated with Fishnet Stocking.

World Cup Soccer

Who will be ready and poised to win the world cup of soccer this year? Many bets are already being placed. Is it that you have a favorite team or maybe a favorite player that will make you sure that's what is needed.

The world cup is a very much watched sport especially in Europe. It will and can unite the world. The spectators take to the street to celebrate with dancing, partying and drinking. They will rejoice the victory of their favorite team and players.

What makes the World Cup particularly extraordinary is the national pride that it inspires. World Cup history was not only about the winner or winning the title, but about the stories. Stories of players, teams and nations that surprised the world by achieving the unexpected. Each year new and better players are there before our eyes to see the great plays that have brought them to the game they and so many of us have come to enjoy so much. There will be a lot of celebrating and some regrets.

We will all look forward to seeing the favorites we have gotten to know so well over the years. The thrill of winning with many individual feats demostrated for all of us to witness. The way our favorite team will once again come together to play so well we often wonder on that first game seeing this how they ever could loose. Will the European contenders such as Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, England, Germany, Spain, and France have the best team to overcome the South American power forces from Brazil and Argentina, or will the world be dancing to the samba beat again this year?

Armed with impossible hope, win or lose, they are there to defend their national pride, and valiantly defend it they will, sometimes to the very chagrin and amazement of disbelieving onlookers.

As football fans across all continents count down to the opening day of 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, BetUS Sportsbook has launched its 2006 World Cup betting portal for soccer betting enthusiasts around the world. What a day it shall be, June 9th 2006! What a month it shall be, until the truth will set us all free on July 9th 2006!

For more information, please visit http://www.worldcupsoccer4you.com

Barbara Farrar is an avid socceer fan. She played in high school and college.