General Skills

PICK-UP

Pick-up: Moving Ball

Many different situations occur during a game when the ball must be picked up off the ground. Young players need to become competent at meeting and handling a moving ball.

The body is in line behind the path of the ball in a semi-crouched position.

The arms and hands are extended with the fingers almost touching the ground, plams towards the ball.

The ball is picked up cleanly in two hands. The elbows are kept close together.

The ball is then brought into the hands for disposal. Eyes on the ball at all times.

Tip: It is important that the player be in a crouched position to cover the situation where the ball shoots along the ground. Always try to keep the ball in front of you so that you can pick it up on the second try if necessary.

Pick-up: Stationary Ball

One-Handed Pick-Up

The ball is approached to one side.
The player runs slightly past the ball then swings one arm down with his hand scooping under the ball.
The free arm can be used to steady the ball, once it is picked up.

Two-Handed Pick-Up

The ball is approached from the side. As the player draws level with the ball, he bends down and picks up the ball cleanly with two hands.

Tip: Leave the ball stationary on the ground and practise by walking through to pick it up.
Gradually progress from jogging to running through.

HAND DRIBBLING

The skill of hand dribbling - or tapping the ball along in front - is a necessary component of picking up and is a useful tactic in a game.

Often a player cannot pick up the ball cleanly or is in danger of being tackled from behind by an opponent.

The ball is tapped out three to five metres in front and the player can accelerate to get clear of his opponent before picking up. This is also useful when a number of players are contesting the ball.

General Coaching Hints

Begin with:

hand dribbling without an opponent and then introduce opposition.
a slow speed and then build up to a fast speed.
the ball rolling slowly away from the player and then progress to faster rolling balls with less predictable bounce.
use both hands and keep your body behind the ball.

BALL HANDLING

When learning skills it is important to handle the ball as much as possible. A football is an odd shape and the more familiar you become with the ball, the easier it will be to master the skills. You won’t always have someone to practise with, so these drills can be done before or after training or in your spare time.

1. Lay on your back and using both hands tap or throw the ball from hand to hand. Vary the height and speed of the throws as you become more competent. This is great for hand-eye co-ordination and learning how to mark effectively.

2. Pass the ball in a figure eight movement in and out of the legs. This will develop your grip strength, making it easier to mark, handball and guide the ball on to your foot when kicking.

RUNNING

Running has become a major skill in modern day football with the emphasis now on running with the ball to maintain possession. Similarly, defensive and offensive players are required to run and chase. There is great value in teaching youngsters how to run correctly, in order to improve their running speed. Running speed and acceleration are the product of stride length and frequency. The distance covered with each stride taken and how quickly the legs move are key factors in sprinting.

Good running technique involves:

Moving arms and legs in a straight line and not across the body.
Slight forward body lean.
Keeping head and trunk steady, eyes looking ahead.
High knee lifts.

Tip: Tuck a ball under your arm and run straight at an object. Concentrate on maintaining your balance.

THE SIDE STEP

Main Teaching Points

1. Watch your opponent closely.
2. Hold the ball out to the side as the opponent approaches.
3. Push hard off the foot planted on the same side as the ball.
4. Pull the ball back quickly as you move around the opponent.
5. Ensure that you change direction and don’t run in a straight line.

Tips: Practise by rehearsing the movements without any opposition.
Add stationary opposition. Players can then rehearse the evasion skill at their own pace.
Finally, allow the opponent to walk slowly towards the ball carrier, providing more game-like opposition.

BLIND TURN

The blind turn is used to evade an opponent when the player is being chased from behind and you are heading away from the direction of your goal.

To turn on the left side:

As the opponent gets closer, hold the ball out to the right hand side.

Dig the right foot into the ground and push hard to step to the left hand side as in the side step.

Pull the ball back ‘inside’ towards your team’s goal and accelerate quickly away.

Tip: Make sure you have good control and grip of the ball when you execute the blind turn. You don’t want to ‘show’ the ball to an opposition player and have him steal it!

THE DUMMY

Some players have an amazing ability to change direction without greatly reducing their speed. The dummy is a movement used to evade an opponent approaching head on.

Main Teaching Points

1. As the opponent approaches, shape to handball or kick in a forward direction. The player must look in that direction so as to give his opponent the impression of handballing or kicking in that direction.

2. As the opponent moves to smother the football, the player draws in the ball and moves around him by pushing off hard as in the side step.

3. The player is then in the clear and can accelerate away past the opponent. Again, changing direction is important.

Use this tactic when you are stationary and an opponent is running towards you quickly.

Tip: Even in your own backyard, you can practise the dummy by stepping around a bin or similar object.