FineSoccer Kids 11

Welcome to the FineSoccer Kids Newsletter. Today's subject will deal with playing the ball in the direction you are facing.

This is a very simple concept to explain but much more difficult to actually do for some reason. Players who pick up this way of playing will find that their game will improve significantly.

The basic idea behind playing the ball in the direction that you are facing is that it allows you to see exactly what the situation that you are playing the ball into. Plus, it is much easier to play the ball forward (meaning in the direction you are facing) rather than behind you or across your body.

By playing the ball in the direction you are facing, it will allow your team to maintain possession a great deal more and also to find better scoring opportunities.

What are the alternatives to playing the ball in the direction you are facing? The first one is to receive a ball and to try to turn and go in the other direction. An example of this would be a player checking back to the ball, receiving a good pass, and turning and going to goal. Unfortunately, many players don't know when to turn or how to turn and this results in them turning directly into the defender and losing possession of the ball. Instead of this doing this, you can check back to the ball, receive the same pass, and now play the ball back on an angle and then spin off and receive the next pass going toward goal. By doing this, you have maintained possession; played the ball in the direction you are facing and still get to go to goal.

The key to playing the ball in the direction you are facing is that you and your teammates must support at proper angles. Since most players LOVE the opportunity to go to goal, playing this way would require the players to support with their bodies opened up so that they can attack the goal with their first touch and still play in the direction you are facing. This requires both getting your body into a proper position as well as receiving a proper pass hit to the correct foot (for more on playing balls to the correct foot, please go to http://finesoccer.com/soccer6.htm)

Teams that normally play in the direction they are facing are frequently the most successful teams although they may not be the most flashy (they rarely flick balls on or use back heals but rather they play the simply ball to the correct person.

If you want to be more successful as a soccer player, get into the habit of always looking first to play the ball in the direction you are facing and also get into the habit of getting your body into an early position so that you can attack with your first touch in the direction you are going. If you will do these two simply things, you will become a much better soccer player.

Any comments, questions or suggestions should be sent to kidscomments@finesoccer.com.

To subscribe to any of the FineSoccer Newsletters, please go to http://finesoccer.com/subscrib.htm.

Have a great day!

Lawrence