Dribble, Trap, Pass or Shoot?
Posted by John on Apr 28, 2008
A player needs to constantly think about what to do. You should be thinking “do I dribble, trap, pass or shoot?”
When passing, a player needs to choose between forward left, forward right, straight forward or back.
When do you dribble? You should avoid dribbling in front of your own goal. In front of your own goal you should only be thinking “clear, clear, clear!” You should consider dribbling down the sideline in the mid section of the field. You should definitely dribble in front of their goal.
The decision to dribble will depend on whether you are being challenged for the ball or not.
When do you pass?
You should avoid passing in front of your own goal. Around or near your goal you should not make any risky passes. If you find the ball in front of your goal you should give it a good, hard, clearing kick and send it towards the side of the field and up field our of the “Clearing Zone” and into the midfield and shooting zones.
When you are in the center zone on the sideline you should make low risk passes to move the ball up the field.
When you are in front of or near the other teams goal you should shoot or pass the ball in front of their goal.
Kicking and Shooting.
Posted by John on Apr 21, 2008
To send the ball where you want it to goal, whether to another player or into the goal, you need to strike the ball with just the right amount of force and with the correct part of your foot.
To kick the ball with force, plant your non-kicking foot next to the ball and swing your foot through the ball. This follow through is critical to getting the full force of you foot transferred to the ball. Kicking the ball above the center will keep the ball moving on the ground. To get the ball to move off of the ground, kick it below the centerline of the ball.
The point of contact for a long, lofted pass or a shot on goal should be the laces of your shoe.
When shooting:
-keep your eye on the ball
-lean into the kick
-put your arms out for balance
-plant your foot next to the ball
-bring your kicking foot all the way back
-snap your knee at contact with the ball
-follow through with your toes going through the ball towards the palm of your opposite hand.
For shots on goal, follow every shot and quickly move in after it. Assume that you are going to miss and be there to kick in the rebound. The ball might go in the goal or it might rebound from the posts, other players, the goalie, or even the referee. Follow through on every shot. Do not stand still and watch the ball - chase after it!
If the Goalkeeper is standing in the center of the goal, shoot for one of the corners. If the Goalkeeper is gaurding one side of the goal, shoot for the other side of the goal.
Tackling
Posted by John on Apr 14, 2008
Tackling is when you block the ball with your foot to stop or take it away from the other team. You need to attack the ball and not the other players foot.
The idea is to seperate the ball from the other player and thus win the possesion of the ball for your team. Care must be taken not to hit the other player as this will result in a penalty (if you are playing with referees). It is especially important not to injure the other player!
Shielding
Posted by John on Apr 7, 2008
Shielding means to protect or “shield” the ball from your opponents. To shield the ball from the other team you need to keep your body and feet between the ball and the other teams players. Keep the ball and your feet moving to protect the ball from the other team’s kicks, pokes, and prods.
As you advance in skill, you can continue to shield the ball while dribbling by keeping the ball on the side opposite your opponent.
