|
|
|
|
Soccer, or Association Football as it's properly called everywhere but the United States, is one of the most popular sports in the world for a good reason: it's very easy to learn and play. There are two teams, two goals, and one round ball. The point of the game is to kick the ball between the opposing team's goalposts. The rules are not complicated and this is why kids that are as young as four can understand and play the game, even thought there are some rules that are harder to understand, like the confusing offside's rule.
Another big plus that soccer has over other sports is that you barely need any equipment to play the game. If you have a ball and two goals, which can be trees if you want, and shoes, then you can play the game. In some parts of the world where such equipment is not available, kids will make their own ball, play barefoot, and use rocks to mark off goals.
The first thing that kids learn when figuring out how to play soccer is that you can't touch the ball with your hands. The great thing is you can use your feet, knees, chest, or head to control the ball. The only player on the soccer team allowed to touch the ball is the person who guards the goal, or the goalkeeper, but they can only use their hands inside the penalty box. The point of the game is to pass the ball down the field and get the ball past the goalkeeper into the goal without using your hands. Each goal is worth one point, no matter how or where it is scored from.
To be proficient at soccer, there are a number of skills you need to become good at to play the game well. These are detailed below:
When someone passes the ball to you or you intercept a pass, you need to learn to control the ball so that you can either pass to another teammate, shoot the ball toward the goal, or move the ball forward on your own. Most of the time you should try to use the inside of your foot to bring the ball under control, but sometimes it is necessary to use other parts of your body depending on how high the ball is when it reaches you.
There are many different techniques when passing the ball to teammates. The most common way to kick the ball to someone is by using your instep. For longer passes, a full kick might be necessary using the part of your foot where the laces are.
Shooting on goal
When trying to get the ball in the goal you should use any and every part of the body allowed. when shooting the ball with your foot, usually you will want a lot of power behind the shot, which means utilizing a full kick rather than the inside of the foot.
Defensive Techniques
Another thing you need to work on is your defensive technique. This consists of a number of different skills, including taking the ball away from opponents, intercepting their passes, and tackling them. This last skill takes a lot of practice, because when tackling you need to be sure you are going for the ball only or you will get called for a penalty.
Soccer is a game of running, unless you are the goalkeeper. Running while you have the ball is called dribbling, and this takes a lot of practice to master. The goal is to be able to run almost as fast with the ball as you can without. Running without the ball is equally important, which means you need to learn to be quick and hustle when you need to help out a teammate or track down the ball.
Soccer is a great sport that requires a lot of endurance, speed and strength. Games on a professional level have 90 minutes of game time, with a 15 minute break at halftime. When you are younger, playing times are shorter but still require a lot of running. Compared to other contact sports it is relatively safe, but there is nothing like the thrill of scoring a goal or stealing a pass, no matter what your age or skill level.
|
|
