Soccer Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 07-25-2022

Soccer is a game played by two teams with 11 players each on a field with a goal for each team. It’s the most popular team sport on the planet, a fast-paced game with few breaks and one simple aim — to score a goal. On some continents, the game is called football; on others, it’s called soccer. Other names for the sport include: footy, fitba, fútbol, calcio, futebol, voetbol, le foot, foci, sakka, and bong da. Everywhere, however, soccer, as it's known in the USA, is called the beautiful game.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-25-2022

Coaching soccer should be safe and fun for you and your players, so start by getting familiar with the layout of the soccer field. As a soccer coach your players will look to you for guidance so use some helpful tips to teach and motivate them. Create a pregame routine to check the field and prepare your soccer players for the game and deliver a strong pregame speech to inspire your team.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-22-2022

Football is an easy game to understand. It’s also the most popular team sport on the planet. Whether you’re watching or playing in the UK or the United States, you may still feel the need for a helping hand once in a while.

Article / Updated 01-14-2022

The offside rule is the most debated soccer principle (no matter where the game is played), even though what is known as Law 11 isn't terribly difficult to grasp. Here’s what offside is all about: A player is caught offside if he’s nearer to the opponent's goal than both the ball and the second-last opponent (including the goalkeeper) when his teammate plays the ball to him. In other words, a player can’t receive the ball from a teammate unless there are at least two players either level with him or between him and the goal or unless his teammate plays the ball backwards to him. It’s not an offense in itself to be offside. A player is only penalized for being offside if he is deemed to be involved in active play. So a player can only be called offside if he is: In the opposition’s half. Interfering with play (that is, he’s part of the attacking move). Interfering with an opponent (that is, he’s preventing the opponent from defending against the attacking move). Gaining any advantage by being in that position. A player can’t be offside from a goal kick, throw in, or corner.

Article / Updated 03-27-2017

The most basic of all soccer skills is dribbling, the ability to carry the ball past an opponent while being in control, whether by using a series of simple taps or a fantastic move around a foe. If a player can't dribble a ball, then he cannot play the game. Every player, including the goalkeeper, must be able to dribble the ball at some level of competency. Some time during a game you will be called on to move the ball on your own, whether you have open space or all available teammates are covered closely by the opponent. Dribbling is a lost art these days. Many coaches — youth, amateur, and pro — downplay the role of the individual and emphasize teamwork. There is certainly nothing wrong about passing the ball to a teammate. But, in a match, you may be forced to dribble in a tight situation or have the chance to take on an opponent to create a scoring opportunity or even score a goal. Don't look down and use both feet Many times, knowing when to go off on a long dribble and when to pass to a teammate comes down to timing, awareness, and experience. If you dribble through two or three players and then lose the ball to a fourth, you're wasting your time. You have to know the strengths and weaknesses of the opponents before taking that kind of risk. The best players in the world play as though the ball is part of their foot, moving the ball swiftly without looking down. Take a look at the way they dribble the ball. Dribbling is very natural to them, as if they were born with this skill. Saying that, even the greatest players needed to perfect dribbling over a period of years. Most people usually favor one of their feet as the superior skilled foot to dribble the ball in close quarters, although both feet also are used. The key to dribbling is to kick the ball ever so lightly with both feet without losing control at a comfortable speed for you. You should touch the ball with the inside of your shoes, for the most part, for better control (see Figure 1). Figure 1: The basic dribble. The most common mistake made by a beginner is constantly looking down and not knowing which direction you're going. You literally run into trouble, whether it is the opposition or teammate. You won't know where you are on the field, and you won't have the ability to make quick decisions to help your team. As you become more comfortable with the ball, you pick up speed and become more confident — unless you are gifted, dribbling speed comes only with time. As long as you follow the proper techniques, you can never do enough dribbling. The best thing about dribbling is that you can practice by yourself. If you practice enough, you may even invent a move or two! Changing directions Before attempting to change directions, you first need to make sure that you have enough space to turn with the ball. You should turn away from your opponent and then use the inside or the outside of your foot, depending where the pass is coming from and where the opponent is (see Figure 2). Figure 2: Turning the ball. You must avoid exposing the ball to the defender or turning into the opponent. After performing the move, you must accelerate your dribble. As you dribble, always try to keep your body between you and your opponent. Here are four techniques that will help you accomplish that goal every time. The Cruyff move: Named after Dutch master Johan Cruyff, the Cruyff move is used to surprise the opponent by shifting your weight in one direction and running in another direction. To do this move, fake like you're kicking the ball with your right instep and then step past the ball with your supporting foot (left foot). Then rotate your right foot so that your toes point downward. Then use the inside of your right foot to make contact with the ball so that it rolls behind the support foot before you play the ball with your left foot. Scissors move: Like the Cruyff move, the scissors move is used to unbalance a foe. Use this move to switch the ball from one foot to another in an attempt to confuse the opponent. The ball starts on your right foot. Step over the ball with your right foot as you shift your weight until the ball is under your left foot. Then dribble away with the outside of your left foot. Zico move: Brazilian midfielder Zico originated this move, which also leaves a foe unbalanced and a step or two behind. You fake to hit a pass with your foot. You then step over the ball with your right foot as it winds up in front of your supporting (left foot). Spin clockwise, while keeping your body between the ball and defender. Then use your instep to take the ball with your left foot before accelerating. Shielding the ball: Sometimes you can't pass the ball when you want to because you're waiting for a teammate to get into position. That means you have to keep the ball away from the defender, as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3: Shielding the ball. To shield the ball, stand sideways to the defender, keeping your body between the opponent and the ball. You also should extend your arm closer to the opponent for balance and to make more room between you and the defender. While doing all of this, keep the ball and your foot away from the opponent and your head up to see what options are open.

Video / Updated 03-28-2016

Solid footwork skills -- such as accurate, controlled passing -- are key to becoming a successful football (soccer) player. A short, simple pass is required to keep a move going so your football team can hold on to possession, and a longer pass is often the one that cracks open an opposing defence, sending a teammate through on goal. Both are essential football skills to learn.

Video / Updated 03-28-2016

Dribbling, the ability to run with the ball at your feet, is one of the most important basic skills of football (soccer). Good footwork means better control of the football, and better control leads to more goals. This video outlines the steps you can take to improve your dribbling ability, from a simple walk to a flat-out sprint.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-27-2016

Being a youth football coach can be a great experience, both for you and your squad. But what if you’ve never coached before, or want to improve? Don’t worry! Here you find how to approach coaching, and practical pointers on good sportsmanship.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

A child's experience in organized soccer can be a defining moment in her young life. Years from now, she isn't going to remember her team's record or how many goals she scored during the season, but she'll easily recall whether the time the team spent with you was a positive or negative experience. This article provides some methods you can use to ensure that your players have a memorable season that brings a smile to their faces for years to come and has them begging to play for you again next season. Challenge the coach day What do youngsters like most about playing soccer? Well, besides scoring goals and wearing the cool shin guards, they love opportunities to play — and beat — you, the coach, in any type of skill challenge. Reflect for a moment on your own sports experiences growing up and the first time you beat your mom, dad, or coach in a game. The feeling becomes entrenched in your memory forever. Kids genuinely love this type of challenge, so set aside one practice day at some point during the season in which each player on the team gets the chance to challenge you in some aspect of soccer. With younger kids, give them plenty of options to choose among, because they probably haven't had this chance before with other coaches. Here are some fun options: Let them race against you the length of the field, dribbling a soccer ball. Dribble through a series of cones to see who can do it the fastest. See who can control the ball longest in a designated area, with the other person serving as the defender. Play a game of 1-on-1 in a scaled-down area with a cone serving as the goal that you must hit with the ball. If you have players who are struggling to learn skills, letting them beat you may be the confidence boost they need. With some of the other kids, beating them by a goal or a couple of seconds can provide that extra motivation for them to work even harder in practice so they can win next time. New drills Nothing sabotages fun and learning quicker than subjecting youngsters to the same boring practices week after week. Taking the time to introduce a new drill during every practice infuses your sessions with excitement and ensures that the kids never get in a mind-numbing rut. To give them something to look forward to at each practice, introduce the new drill at the same point in your sessions. You may find that unveiling the new drill at the start of practice, when youngsters are often the most focused and attentive, works best. Or you may discover that building the anticipation and saving the new drill for the last few minutes of the practice is a great way to conclude the session. After you establish a routine, you'll find that the kids eagerly anticipate the chance to participate in a fun new drill every time they step on the field. Contest day One of the most effective ways to promote team camaraderie is to devote a practice session to a series of special contests. But instead of having the players compete among themselves, which only gives your better-skilled youngsters the chance to further showcase their talents while alienating the less-skilled kids, pair up the players ahead of time. By putting a talented child with a youngster who isn't quite as skilled, you force the kids to work together, which not only improves their skills, but also allows them the chance to get to know each other better. As you know, the more familiar kids are with each other, the more they care about each other, and that translates into more inspired play on the field. The familiarity also leads to more supportive teammates who pull for one another to succeed and who step forward to offer encouraging words when things don't work out as planned. You can plant the seeds for long-term friendships, which are among the special benefits that come from participating in organized soccer. If you played soccer, or any sport, growing up, you probably can easily recall some of the friendships you forged with teammates. Some samples of mini-contests you can do include Timing the pairs while they pass the ball back and forth a set number of times and run the length of the field Attempting headers where the players toss the ball to their partners, who must head it back to them (forcing the players to work together because the better the toss, the easier it is to head the ball) Encourage the kids to support their partners, and you can even let them know before the contests begin that you award bonus points to those twosomes who demonstrate the most support for each other. Bringing in new faces You're doing a great job of coaching, but every once in a while kids may enjoy a break from you, particularly if they're with you for several months. Bringing in a new face to talk to the kids about some aspect of soccer provides a new perspective that can be refreshing and reenergizing for them. You have plenty of possibilities within your community. A local high school soccer coach, a well-known high school soccer player, coaches or players from a nearby college soccer team, or sports nutritionists (for older kids) are all excellent resources. Just giving the players on your team the chance to hear from someone who offers different tips on performing a specific skill, or some words of encouragement on what it takes to reach the next level, can be enormously beneficial in your youngsters' growth and development. Holiday themes With young children, a practice centered on a holiday can be a fun way to mix up the routine. If your soccer season runs during the fall, Halloween is a natural for encouraging kids to come to practice in their costumes. Adjust the exercises accordingly so you don't have youngsters running all over the field risking injury or damaging their costumes in a scrimmage.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Formations are the way a soccer team lines up its defense, midfield, and forward line at the beginning of the match. If you want to get technical, you could produce dozens of formations due to the mathematical possibilities and new ways coaches are trying to devise to play the game. Soccer is a fluid game where a midfielder may become a forward for five or ten minutes and then return to his original position. Or, likewise, a forward can come back to defend. When talking about formations, defenders are listed first and then midfielders and forward. For example, a 4-4-2 formation has four defenders, four midfielders, and two forwards. Goalkeepers are not counted because they are the one position that has not changed over the years. Just remember, the best coaches aren't necessarily ones who devise the best formations, but rather are the ones who devise the best formation for their team to accentuate its strengths and to hide its weaknesses. Youth soccer In youth soccer, coaches should not introduce tactics until players have truly learned the game — usually around the age of 14. Players need time to develop, breathe, and have fun. For the beginner, soccer starts out nearly the same. All the players run after the ball or the player with the ball, like bees after honey. Slowly, but surely, they learn to find their own space and spread out across the field. The 4-4-2 England used the 4-4-2 formation (see Figure 1) en route to securing its first and only World Cup title in 1966. A forward is moved into the midfield, putting a lot more pressure on the two players up front to score goals. Saying that, the 4-4-2 is one of the preferred formations of today's modern game. The theory in using another player in the midfield is that it bottles up the opposition in the midfield before they can get to the attacking third. Figure 1: The 4-4-2 formation. This formation is a long shot to use consistently and successfully today because most coaches prefer to use five or even six players in the midfield. The 4-3-3 Many North American Soccer League teams used the 4-3-3 formation (see Figure 2) in the 1970s, moving one midfielder up to the forward position. Everything is relative. This formation, which utilized a sweeper (free safety), was considered more defensive than the 4-2-4. But compared to today's more cautious approach, the 4-3-3 would be considered an attacking formation in some quarters. Figure 2: The 4-3-3 formation. The 4-2-4 The 4-2-4 formation (see Figure 3) is the most offensive-minded in modern times. The 1958 world champions of Brazil, with 17-year-old Pelé, made this strategy famous and made it work. To take advantage of this formation, you must have talented and skillful midfielders and forwards to strike early and hold the ball for long periods of time because the pressure is on the midfield and defense big time when the opposition possesses the ball. Figure 3: The 4-2-4 formation. The 3-5-2 Today's game is won or lost in the midfield, which is why the 3-5-2 formation (see Figure 4) is popular. A team that doesn't have its midfield operating at peak efficiency suffers in ball possession and scoring chances. So, many coaches like to use as many as five midfielders, although two outside midfielders may have more defensive responsibilities than their mates. Figure 4: The 3-5-2 formation. The 3-6-1 Many German teams use the 3-6-1 formation (see Figure 5) in road games as they try to clog the opposition up in the midfield, attempting to pull off a tie or a win. Figure 5: The 3-6-1 formation. This strategy may be dangerous. Former U.S. national coach Steve Sampson used this formation during the 1998 World Cup and failed miserably. After the team used primarily a 4-4-2 formation, Sampson deployed it some two months before France '98, and it backfired, producing just one goal in three games. A coach should not change a team's formation drastically during a match, particularly for young or inexperienced teams who may get confused. If a team is trailing and trying to tie up the match, taking out a midfielder for a forward works. If a team is leading, replacing a midfielder with a defender and/or a forward with a midfielder are also proper tactical moves.