Intro to Soccer Positions

There are several types of soccer positions in which you can play. You may for example play defender, striker, goalkeeper or a midfielder. There are 11 players in each soccer team and all these players are assigned a position.



The goalkeeper
The most well known position is that of the goalkeeper. Your team can have only a single goalkeeper and your team can't either start the game without him. If you were playing as a goalie, you would have immense responsibility on your shoulders since you need to stop the goals. Moreover, you have to be ready and on your toes to save the goals. You are the only one who can touch the ball by using your hands, but this rule comes with a disclaimer. You can only touch the ball when you are inside the penalty box area.

The defenders of the team
As a defender you can play either as the left/right full back, the center back or the sweeper/libero. At times there can also be three defenders depending on the formation chosen by your team. A left or right fullback is often a good runner which is a requirement in order to stop the fast running wingers. Center backs have great heading skills but are often pretty slow in one vs one situation. Sweeper or libero is the back-up for the center backs and is responsible for distributing the ball to the midfielders.

The midfielders ensure that they ward off the opposition in the midfield
Midfielders are placed between the defense and the forwards/strikers of the team.There can be 3-4 players that play as the left half, center-half and right half. When playing as a midfielder you will pass the ball
from the defenders to the striker and fence off the defenders as well as strikers of the opposing team. To succeed as midfielder you will need to pose good passing skills.

The forwards and strikers are responsible for scoring goals
If you are a forward or striker, then you are in the attacking position. As a forward/striker, you will have great agility and speed with the ball. A forward is often faster than a striker while strikers are stronger than forwards. Strikers are often defined as purely scoring machines while forwards are more known for their hard work.

Soccer passing types
If you want to get those precise long passes that the professional soccer players do, then you should be ready to put in many hours of practice every day. When playing, always pass to the nearest teammate unless of course the opponent team has marked that player. Now, let's check out the common soccer passing types…



The push pass
The push pass is the most basic pass that you need know in order to play soccer. It's the easiest to learn, but you would need a lot of practice to completely master the technique. To perform the bass you need to swing your body back, thrust your hips forward and then hit the ball with the inner side of your foot.

The long pass
Another variation to the push pass that can be used by you is the long pass. The difference between the push pass and the long pass is the distance that the ball travels. In a long pass you would ideally aim for the ball to travel more than 20 yards.

The double pass/ return pass / wall pass
You would also learn to use this pass known as the wall pass or the double pass. You will generally use this pass when you and your teammates have to work through a tight defense or when the opponents are playing with low defense. Don't use this pass too often as the opposing players may understand your strategy and then turn it against you.

Chip pass
Chip pass is pretty efficient in extremely tight situations with a number of defenders around you. It's also great in situations when the goalkeeper has come out of the net far long. Just chip the ball over him and watch ball flying over his head and into the net.

The backward pass
This type of pass is great in situations when you are having the goal behind you. In these situations, you would need to kick the ball with the heel or the sole of your foot.


Pass in the space
Another frequently used pass that you will need to master as soccer player is the "pass into the space". This is especially helpful when the game is in the fast tempo and you want to deceive the defenders. Imagine that you are player who doesn't have the ball. You just need to run in the soccer field while ensuring that you are in line with the player who has the ball. Since the pass is initiated when you are running, the pass has to be done with efficiency and accuracy. The motive for you should be to take the ball and proceed towards the goal.

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