How they receive the ball and then the touch they take will determine whether they will maintain possession or put themselves in to a position to ‘hurt the opposition’.

The best players use their body effectively to PROTECT the ball from the opposition. Players need to practice the skill of receiving under pressure, even at a young age.

Too many coaches just focus on drill like practices which repeat exercises. Such practices are unrealistic to the game. How a player receives the ball and what he or she does next will be determined by their position on the field and, more importantly, the position of the opposition.

Of course players should practice unopposed to sharpen their technique BUT importantly players need to MAKE DECISIONS

Receiving with Pressure

“Do coaches know what they are coaching?”

In an earlier article/show we looked at “receiving skills” but the art of receiving is only totally challenged when pressure is applied.

Pressure does not have to be a defender challenging the player on the ball, it can be; receiving to shoot, receiving to attack space, receiving to cross etc, along with many others. Therefore the rehearsing of these skills must be approached differently and realistically in order to get the desired results.

The soccer-expert.com team will demonstrate a variety of approaches that home in on each specific receiving position that will have multiple outcomes to challenge players of all abilities. Young players too often focus on the first touch without having surveyed the area around them, they may select the surface, cushion the ball (all the correct coaching points) but some how they still lose possession, why? Because they do not know where they are going!

The disturbing thing that follows is; coaches step in and correct technique when they should be talking about a decision making fault as a result of a poor receiving position. The soccer-experts will give visual examples of such situations along with explanations of how to improve these skills in a realistic environment.

“Once players are good receivers of the ball they can then focus on the second and third touches that will excite coaches, spectators, family members and anyone else who happens to be watching. Coaches must home in on the skill that is being taught or they compel the problem further by confusing the player!