soma

I started playing intramural soccer yesterday, and I realized how much I need to learn about soccer. I played soccer quite frequently as a youngster and am naturally athletic, so I can kick well, dribble the ball, and run fairly quickly. The problem is that I don't know how to play as a team.

Please post any general soccer tips:

-situational tactics
-basic strategies
-moves/fakes
-recommended exercises

I'm trying to practice and learn as much as possible so in next week's game I can play with some confidence.

Thanks in advance!

limey

Wow. Those are some pretty general questions and there could be hundreds of different responses to each of them. I'll give you a general exercise overview because it is probably the only question where I could post the shortest response.
This is going to be very general but here goes;
Soccer can be broken down into skill and physical ability, so here are the 2 main areas for you to concentrate on. Physical ability in soccer can be broken down again into endurance, which works your slow twitch muscles, and speed, which works your fast twitch muscles. Endurance allows you to run, whether it be a slow jog or a faster canter, for the full 90 minutes. Speed allows you to beat an opposing player or recover over a short distance. The exercises you need to do to develop in these areas are pretty obvious; long distance running and cardio vascular training for endurance so that you can increase your body's threashold to lactic acid build up in your muscles. For speed you need to develop your quad muscles and ability to develop explosive power by resistence sprinting over short distances.
I hope this was not too long winded but I could go on and on.

Cowman

A lot of the information i could give you is better demonstrated..I can't really explain it..sorry. haha basically im useless to you =/

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soma

Heh, I'll try to be more specific. I'm in fairly good shape, I just don't understand the team based side of the game very well. I can kick well, dribble well, and have been working on other individual skills, but that doesn't help that much because soccer has such a strong emphasis on team performance. I can't seem fit into the team dynamic very well and my performance lacks as a result. I don't know when it is best to pass the ball, when to kick it to the goalie, how to make runs, how to read the runs of team mates, when to push up, when to push back, and how far. My understanding of the game is roughly equivalent to that of a 3rd grader. If you have advice on how I can be a better contributing member on a team, that would be great.

(Does that make helping me any easier?)

almostaugust

Here are my tips. To be a good team player always try to stick with your opposite man (except of course when your trying to beat him). By doing this you dont let pressure build up on your team-mates. Try and get into space when you are attacking. By doing this you will usually force another defender onto you, thereby making space for somebody else. In short, dont be lazy. Knowing when to make the right runs and stuff like that is pretty intuitive and will come with expierence. Um, not sure what else to add.

limey

almostaugust had some good advice. Positioning and anticipation is critical when you don't have the ball and these areas are different depending on what position you play. An important aspect of team play is knowing where your players are most of the time and especially your immediate players. A basic rule is always know where you are going to pass the ball before you get the ball. That way you spend less time thinking with the ball at your feet and you can react quicker under pressure.
Here are some REALLY basic tips for team play depending on your position;
Defender:
Make sure you are always covering your man (unless you are playing zone coverage) and you can beat him to the ball if it goes sailing over both of your heads towards your goal. If you are playing the offside trap make sure that you keep up with your line of defence. Make sure that if you push forward there is someone to fill in and cover your position. Don't commit unless you are sure you will win the ball and try to stand on your feet as much as possible - alot of defenders slide around making great tackles but they are sitting on their butts and cannot recover quickly.
Midfield:
Here you should get specific intructions from your coach depending on your teams' formation. Make sure that you don't get caught up field or left back. Try to support all areas of the team and don't hang on to the ball too long. Here, your main goal is distribution in attack and hussle in defence. Try not to do everything and be everything.
Strikers:
This is all about timing your runs, where to run and when to use your indiviual skills. Strikers usually have close ball control and explosive speed over short distances. Balance, speed and accuracy are essential here.

This is really general and I'm sure that everyone has their own opinion on each but if you have somehting more specific I will gladly help.

Glory's Sun

it can be hard to get used to the know whens about this beautiful game; but with time and practice it will become second nature. Don't focus too much on should I do it now.. simply communicate and follow communication. If you hesitate or second guess yourself well you will end up with a worse result (usually) Players that have been playing for a while should be able to communicate and help you. Like limey described it's all dependent on what position you are playing. I was a midfielder and sometimes moved up to striker. I'd play midfield alot different than I would if I were a striker. It would be helpful if you told us where you were playing on the field and what formations your team generally uses. If you have good ball control then you can make it anywhere on the field. ... my main tip is to make sure you become adept with both feet. This will help tremdously. You say you can dribble well so you should already be on that track.

as far as excerises go.. leg lifts, wind sprints and jump squats are good for me. As far as dribbling goes, set up a few cones or obstacles and work on looking straight ahead as you make your cuts and your switches. Work on slow dribbling and fast dribbling. For cross work and chip work I like to set up a box or something and move around the field from different lenths and practice putting the ball in the box. It helps with timing and with distance.

When you're passing make sure you make a good crisp pass....no-one like a lazy pass. What I like to do is get in front of a wall and practice my technique.. timing comes from scrimages and games. Practice your instep pass and your outside of the foot pass.. both are needed.

The biggest thing about being a team player is COMMUNICATION. You must communicate with your team at all times. Yelling square to let a player know to pass beside him (to you) or cross right, cross left... forward, back.. you get the idea. Yell MAN ON when a defender is coming up on one of your teamates with the ball... people use different sayings but it's all about the same general idea. Hope you have fun and you do well keep us up to date!

stevie667

My advice is never, ever slow down.
When someone is running towards you, your about to take a shot e.t.c. don't do the little baby feet while you make up your mind about what to do, just power the ball in a direction, and follow it.

I know it's not that great, but when your on the pitch, and you see someone falter, the ball is usually taken moments later.
A simple case of not letting your oponent see your weaknesses (or decision making).

CConner

*Guccilvr made a very good point; communication.

Learning the game of soccer comes with time. That said the best advice that i can give you is hussle. If you work hard for every ball you will do a lot of good compared to trying to watch and learn.

**Example: 2 years ago we had a kid come and tryout for the soccer team. He and I played Football together so I knew that he was very athletic. He started off on the JV squad and I started to notice that he worked harder then a lot of us Div. I signees. If he lost the ball he was the first to get it back, he seemed to never stop running. It was alomost funny to watch him but at the same time you could'nt help but respect him and eventually he joined up with the Varsity.

I went back last year to watch a game and he was amazing. He was'nt the best soccer player in the world but he was good enough to the point that he was a huge threat.

HARD WORK PAYS OFF

soma

Thanks for all of the sound advice. The "know where to pass before gettting the ball" seems like a no brainer, but that will difinitely help out next saturday (I need to be told this common sense stuff sometimes). I have made many embarassing passing attempts that often times lead to turn overs. Great tip!

I play defense by the way.

shakran

Good. I found defense to be the easiest position, which is good for a relative beginner. You get to watch what all the other guys do, and your job is pretty straight forward - "if the guy wearing a different colored shirt from you has the ball, don't let him get to the goal."

Defenders generally pass to midfielders, who get it to the forwards for the goal. That's the theory anyway, but the trouble is that the other guys know that, which means they might try to stop you from passing to the mids don't be afraid to send it to another defender.

Really though the team playing comes from practicing with your team and from your coach. There's not a whole lot that can be said on here that will help you, because there aren't really special techniques that will work 100% of the time. Soccer is a fluid game that requires the team to adapt, and you can only learn to do that by practicing with your team.

spindles

A few points that I don't think have been mentioned:
1. It is easier to pass the ball in the direction you are facing - don't assume you always have to go up the field - if you are facing towards your own goal and get the ball, see if there is someone behind you (or to your side) to pass it to

2. Don't assume your job is done once you have gotten rid of the ball to a team mate. His/her easiest pass is probably back to you. In any case, move away from the person who is marking you and give them the option of passing back to you.

3. Following on from 2 - support the person carrying the ball - and as already pointed out - call out loudly to let them know you are available. If you do 50 runs into space in a game but never get the ball, that is OK - everytime you move, the opposition defence has to reset, so you are making a gap for other team mates.

4. Don't be afraid to shoot - too often you see people f@$ing around with the ball inside the box, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

5. This may sound kinda simplistic, but control the ball before trying to do something with it. As you become more proficient, you can start doing one touch stuff, but when starting out you are better to stop the ball, then decide what to do with it. More speed less haste!

6. Lift your head up and look around. Hopefully you should be confident enough to run with the ball without looking at it too much...

7. Finally - I second the stay on your feet thing - slide tackles are last resort only - and you better hope they come off

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Glory's Sun

Defense eh? Hrmm ok well then.. most people have already filled you in on most of the tips. Don't be afraid to take 2 steps back to take 1 forward. What I mean is don't be afraid to make a back pass to your keeper. That's what he's there for. If you unsure about making a square or forward pass..push it to your keeper and let him observe the field and decide where it should go.

also, defenders don't always have to stay back..they can make a run up the side or up the middle to open up space or to carry the ball in further. In other words if you get the ball and you have 30 yards of open pitch, don't boot the ball away(unless there's a breaking player) carry it up the field and make the opponent come to you. that will open up other areas of the field. Hopefully a midfielder or your other backs will back you up

and as already mentioned. Be patient with the ball. When a person is dribbling people lunge to get the ball from you. Use this to your advantage. When they lunge go around them or pass. That's more of a striker situation but you'll have to use it on defense.

ok next, learn how to shield the ball with your body. If the ball is going out or you have an onrushing opponent, put your back to him and keep him there. This is generally used for sideline and goalline situations but can be helpful in midfield if you're making a back pass.

this next statement may cause problems for some. If you want to know how to play defense.. simply watch Manchester United games you'd be surprised how much you can learn watching soccer games from around the world. It helped me alot when I was younger. Even to the point that I made junior nationals.. too bad I didn't pursue it. Anyway, check out some games watch field positions, run times, and footwork. You should be able to catch on pretty quickly that way.

limey

Ahhhhh defence. A general rule of soccer that applies mostly to defenders is to build the play up the wings. This is the safest route upfield and your midfield can support you inside if needed. If you look at Man Utd they build the play from the back, keep it wide and players like Scholes and Keane may come and pick up the ball and switch the play to the other side or distribute it to the corners for the wingers to run on to. In defence the rule is always safety first and if you turn the ball over when passing into the middle of the field you may get eaten alive by your team mates. The people around you that are looking to get the ball from you are the opposing strikers, and they are the last people you want to have the ball.
Having said that, and as said before, defenders must use the opportunity the keep posession and be patient when passing. If a pass is not on then keep the ball amongst you fellow defenders and pass it around or use your keeper. You do need to be somewhat proficient and confident in passing and in your team mates ability also for this to work.
One thing that I'm not sure has been mentioned is not to FORCE a pass. This means that if you see a player you could pass too but you are not 100% sure the ball will not get intercepted - be patient and chose another route. Soccer is all about making the right choices and when you keep chosing passes that may not work out you end up turning the ball over more than you would think.

soma

This is all really really great. I'll probably read over this thread a few times over before the game on Saturday. If there is anything other tips out there, I would be happy to read them. Thanks for what's here so far too. Good stuff.

almostaugust

Well you said you are playing defence, so i can give you my opinion about good defender attributes. Firstly, learning to jockey your attacker by harrying and hampering his progress without commiting your self to a tackle is an important skill. You need to do this to frustrate your attackers and hold up play. Having said this, if you decide to commit yourself make sure you get a piece of something. A good defender once told me 'i either let the ball get past me or the man, never both together'. Also, a good hard tackle early in the game works to benefit you. Players will be psycologically less willing to take you on.

soma

Game 2:

Woo hoo! The game went well today. I trained almost every day with my little brother and alone doing little drills (working on jockeying definately helped) and I can say that it has paid off. I played with a lot more confidence and my pass success rate was significantly better. I kept my eye open on my players, and for open areas on the field. The advice posted here is really helping. I'm not saying I was carrying the team, but I did improve which I think is great. I'm looking forward to playing next week.

One thing I want to know how to do properly is the offsides trap well. I always try to stay between my man and sometimes find that I'm the furthest defender back and sometimes very close to the goalie. Should I just stay up so my man is offsides? I recently learned the concept of the offside trap, but don't know when or how to properly use it.

Also, receiving passes and trapping the ball are things I need to work on. Any good drills that I should work on for these specific skills?

wakelagger

Using the offside trap is not a decision to be made by an individual, it is an entire team strategy.

If you're playing with four on the back line (Left + right defence, stopper, sweeper) the sweeper should be the man that dictates the back line. You should almost never be behind him. If you are on the right or left side, always try to face towards the middle of the field so you can keep an eye on the play of the ball and also watch your sweeper. If your sweeper pushes up, you do too. Therefore, usually the onus for the trap during normal play should not come upon you but rather on the sweeper.

On set plays that have the ability to drop the ball in the 18 yard box (i.e. freekicks from about half), there are two things you can do. Get the defenders to all stand on a certain reference point (usually the 18 yard box, but the sweeper should be able to set it just by where he's standing), and the instant before the kicker tries to put the ball over the defensive line and into your 18, push out like hell, but only for a few yards. This will make at least one of the other teams forwards offside, but also keep you in a very competitive position in case the referee does not call the offside, or one of your players keep them onside.

The other option is the moment before the ball is kicked, have all of the defenders drop back four or five yards, then depending on the flight of the ball, move forward to meet it in the air (much easier than backpedaling to head a ball in the air), or attack the ball from the recessed position. All of these moves must be coordinated usually by a signal. My old team used to use odd numbers called out to denote a push up, and even numbers to be a fall back.

Also key to remember, the forward can only go as far as you let him walk without the ball. If you're the last man, and you stop, he can't pass you. You have a lot more power than you think.

Another great strategy in soccer (and most other passing sports) is the theory of triangles. If you keep reasonable triangle shape with your other close teammates, you will always have two options to pass to.
Also, if you're on defence, try to make a checkmark towards the ball. I.e.
O- Ball
LD
xxStopperxxxxRD
xxxxxxxSweeper
x's used for spacing.

This keeps the maximum amount of players between the goal and the ball, keeps the sweeper as the last man, and lets the opposite defender prevent a switch from being too deadly.

Also - space. I can't stress this enough. You'd be surprised what taking five more steps towards the side line can do when your team has the ball. It forces the other teams striker to decide if he/she should keep marking you closely (in which case, there is a gap in the other teams defence which can make for a pass) or he/she might not follow you for those next five steps, allowing you to be a viable target for a pass.

Ways to practice controling and passing the ball - a wall. Just kick a ball against the wall, trap and repeat. Kick the ball at different heights to practice different trapping areas (thigh, chest, foot etc). Also, get used to taking a moving ball from one direction, and having your first touch control the ball in the direction you want to pass the ball. It can speed up the movement of the ball by large amounts.

I'll post more stuff as I can think of it.