Secrets to Soccer Training: The Fundamental Soccer Skills You Need to Master
Well you have come to the correct place if you want to learn some secrets to soccer. In order to become a really good soccer player, you will need to be adept at several skills. You can’t just focus on a single skill, you should ideally be good at other skills such as quality passing or good ball control as well.
Furthermore always strive to improve your skills during training because there’s always something new you can learn to enhance your game. Therefore, let us take a look at some of the main soccer skills you need to become a complete soccer player.
The Formations
A soccer formation describes how a soccer team positions themselves on the field. Various formations are used in different matches depending upon the strength of the opponents. If the opponents play a defensive game, then a 4-3-3 formation is more preferable.
However if the opponents play an offensive game, then 4-4-2 formation will be more preferable to counter this strategy. The 4-4-2 tells of a formation of playing with two forwards, four midfielders and four defenders and is the most popular formation use in modern soccer.
Dribbling
Dribbling is one of the most difficult skills to master in soccer but it’s also the best to possess for the attacking moves. In a game of soccer, you and your teammates typically attempt to drive the ball towards the opponent’s goal by way of ball control such as dribbling past or around opponents.
When you master dribbling you will be a handful for the opponents something which may make them foul you as they try to stop your progress with tackles leading to a free kick and at times a penalty kick.
Passing
To play a good game, you must be proficient at passing. It may appear like an easy thing to do at first and actually it is. What can make passing challenging is the tempo of the match. With a high tempo match, you have little time to think and pass the ball accurately and thus easily make mistakes whereas a low tempo match gives you more time to think on what to do before making a pass.
Positions
The player right in front of the goalkeeper is known as a defender. His task is to stop and ensure the opponent don’t get close to the goal kick area or shoot for goal. Some teams play with a defender very close to the goalkeeper. This position is known as a sweeper or libero. The sweeper/libero should always be the last player in the defense and help her/his defenders.
In front of the defenders and behind the forwards are the midfielders. As a midfielder the task entails linking play from own your half and trying to feed the forwards with passes. Typically a midfielder is either defensive-meaning playing nearer the defense line or offensive midfielder meaning playing higher in the field.
Centers and forwards play in front of the midfielders. The difference between these two terms is that a center is stronger and good target player whilst a forward is striker with sprinting abilities.
Shooting
Good shooting skills are essential during search for goals. If you master your shooting you will be in a great position to score many goals.
Kicking
Kicks are not the same as shooting. A good example is the free kick. A direct kick is one of the opportunities for scoring goals and more so if you are technically gifted.
The rules
You simply need to understand or learn how the game of soccer is played. Some of the soccer fundamental rules are …
Every soccer team has a set of eleven players who play together to score points. These points are what we call goals and the team that emerges with most goals is the match winner.
A goal is counted when the ball is completely over the goal line. As a player you can use any part of your body with the exception of your hands.Only a goalkeepers are allowed to catch or hold the ball with hands. And this is only to be done within the goal area.
When a goalkeeper moves out his goal area he or she plays under the rules applicable to other outfield players and can’t use his hands any more. However he can score if a scoring opportunity presents itself of course.
Usually a soccer match has two halves with two 45 minutes each. However, with younger players the games generally have shorter duration.
The soccer balls are sizes 5 for the adult players and size 4 or lower for players below 10 years. You also need a pair of shin guards to protect the front of the lower legs against tackles.
Soccer pitches vary in size depending in size of the league being played, age, outdoor field, indoor field, etc. The common length of a common soccer field is usually 120-130 yards. Flags are erected at each corner to mark the corner spots.