Overview
This video outlines five foundational football (soccer) skills for beginners, offering practical tips and drills for each area to help new players improve.
Beating the Goalkeeper
- When trying to score, aim for the corners of the goal rather than shooting straight at the goalkeeper.
- Use the inside of your foot for accuracy when shooting, especially as a beginner.
- Take your shot before getting too close to the goalkeeper to maximize your shooting angle and increase your chances of scoring.
Basic Passing and Receiving
- Mastering accurate passing and controlled receiving with the inside of your foot is essential for all players.
- Practice passing to a partner or against a wall, ensuring your plant foot points at the target.
- Control incoming passes with the inside of your foot, positioning the ball just in front of you for easier follow-up actions.
Controlling More Difficult Balls
- Learn to control passes that come at various heights, angles, or speeds, as not all game situations will be ideal.
- Practice adjusting your feet and controlling challenging balls, either with a friend or by rebounding balls off a wall.
- Bringing the ball quickly under control will increase your reliability as a teammate.
Taking the Ball with You (Dribbling)
- Develop basic dribbling skills to move the ball into space, even if you are not attempting to beat multiple defenders.
- Practice dribbling with the top outside edge of your foot, keeping the ball close while running in open space.
- Improving dribbling helps maintain possession and avoid losing control of the ball.
Protecting the Ball
- In tight situations without passing options, use shielding techniques to maintain possession.
- Beginners should practice pulling the ball back using the underside of their foot to keep it away from defenders.
- Mastering even this fundamental protection skill will benefit overall play.
Recommendations / Advice
- Regularly practice each foundational skill using simple drills, either solo or with a partner.
- Watch additional training videos for more focused exercises and techniques.