Soccer Skills You Need To Master

Although it may seem to a beginning player that soccer requires a wide and diverse range of abilities, all you really need for a superior game is three basic soccer skills. However, mastering these skills requires intense and regular soccer training, both alone and with a team. Here are the three primary skills required by soccer and easy ways to perfect them in your own backyard.

1. Ball control
This means being able to take and keep control of the ball in a variety of situations, including while running and while under pressure from an opponent. One of the best ways to master ball control is to work against a wall. Kicking the ball against the wall and responding to its rebounding will allow beginning and intermediate players to get used to the way the ball responds to their foot movements. More advanced players can preselect different techniques, for example blocking the ball only with the inside of their foot, to master using techniques from a variety of angles.

2. One on one plays
Whether you are an offensive or defensive player, your interactions with the opposing team will be the key to your success on the soccer field. For defensive players, the most important one on one moves are blocking the other team’s offensive plays and taking possession of the ball. For offensive players, this means being able to get the ball past opponents, usually either by faking or by finding weakness in their techniques.

Although one on one plays may seem difficult to master on a solo basis, they really boil down to dribbling skills, which are easy to practice alone. You can practice dribbling the ball in a straight line or set up a more complicated course with cones or other obstacles. You can practice fakes by making the ball appear to be going in one direction before quickly moving in another.

3. Handling the ball
One skill that all successful soccer players have in common is the ability to accurately and forcefully kick the ball. This means knowing the three main kicking techniques, which are the push pass, the curve, and the instep drive. Another key part of handling the ball is knowing how to head the ball. Again, practice makes perfect. The best way to practice ball handling skills is to use a large number of balls and work on one technique at a time. Having to chase after a ball every time you kick it can keep you from perfecting your technique, so have an arsenal of soccer balls on hand for this exercise.



Once you have mastered these three main skills, the rest is just details. The key to learning the fundamentals of soccer is regular practice, both as a team and on your own. Practicing your game at home will allow your team to focus on team building and working as a coordinated unit at practice. With no special equipment and no coaching required, there is nothing standing between you and the soccer success you deserve.