Play / Skills
Skills,
close up
Every skill drawn from above, foot by foot, so you can see where your feet go and when. Learn one, then practise it in a drill.
15 drawn 13 outlines, being built
How to read the drawings
You're looking down at a player's boots, marked L and R. The boot touching the ball turns orange. The dotted line is the path of the ball, and the dashed oval shows which way the body faces. The skills are drawn for a right-footed player. Practise them on both feet.
Passing and receiving
- The inside-foot passThe most used pass in football. Short, accurate and easy to control for the player receiving it.
- Cushioning the ballTake the pace off a pass with the inside of your foot, so the ball stops close and ready.
- Receiving on the half-turnStand side-on and take the ball with your back foot, so your first touch turns you to face forward.
- The driven passOutline A firm, low pass over a longer distance.
- Outside-of-the-foot passOutline Passing without opening your body, so the defender cannot read it.
- Chest controlOutline Bringing a high ball down with your chest.
- Thigh controlOutline Cushioning a dropping ball with your thigh.
- The keeper's throwOutline Rolling or throwing the ball out accurately to start an attack.
Shooting
Turning
- The drag-backStop the ball with the sole of your foot, roll it back and go the other way. The simplest turn there is.
- The inside hookReach round the front of the ball and hook it back with the inside of your foot. A sharp turn at speed.
- The outside hookWrap the outside of your foot round the ball and pull it back as you turn. Quick, and it keeps your body between the ball and the defender.
- The Cruyff turnShape to pass or cross, then drag the ball behind your standing leg instead and turn away.
- The stop turnOutline Stop the ball dead with your sole and go back the way you came.
- The rouletteOutline A spin with both soles that rolls away from pressure.
Beating a player
- The step-overSwing a foot round the ball to fake going one way, then take it the other way.
- The body feintDrop your shoulder and lean one way, then go the other. No fancy footwork, just your body.
- The double touchShift the ball sideways from one foot to the other, faster than a defender can reach it.
- The scissorsOutline Swing your foot round the front of the ball to fake one way.
- The croquetaOutline A quick shift of the ball from one foot to the other past a lunging defender.