GOALSCORERS & STATS FOR 2006

Techniques - the secrets

Coaching the Modern Game

PASSING THE BALL
WHAT PART OF THE BODY DO WE USE MOST TO PLAY FOOTBALL?
A question posed to a group of very enthusiastic young players at a recent school of soccer - was met with a chorus of quite reasonable and predictable answers.
The modern game is played primarily with the brain, a good player is not necessarily the most talented or even the most intelligent - it's the player most aware of what has just happened, what is about the happen and what is actually happening - the player who ‘reads’ the game is probably the most well equipped. Of the Premiership teams - players like Paul Scoles (Man. United), Ivan Campo (Bolton), Steven Garrard (Liverpool) and although not strikers of their respective sides, but are regarded as midfield generals but the pundits.

The movement of the ball is therefore an area where this type of player presides and conquers with a conbinations of ability, vision and timing. Here we look at the very basic elements of football - passing the ball - looking at the technique and the elements of the perfect pass - even today, at every premiership game featured on Match of The Day - we still see players, banking a huge ransom for the ability to play the game, displace an quite shameful number of simple passes - so here we take you right down to the basics, as coached to the youngest candidates of the beautiful full game.

PASSING
The ball is moved forward by PASSING.

We have to look at how to deliver the perfect pass.

WHY IS PASSING SO IMPORTANT?
By controlling the ball with good passing, a team can arguably control the game by:
1. RETAIN POSSESSION to INCREASE THEIR CHANCES OF SCORING.
2. KEEP THE BALL OFF THE OPPOSITION therefore DECREASE THEIR OPPONENTS CHANCES OF SCORING.
HOW DO WE PASS THE BALL WELL?
The three elements of achieving Good Passing?
1. ACCURACY.
The most important aspect of the pass is the accuracy. To complete this exercise we need to set up correctly when addressing the ball by (a) getting the supporting leg (non kicking) into position (knee bent - balance) with the toes ideally pointing directly at the intended target, and using the biggest area of the striking foot the inside of the kicking foot to execute the pass and (b) by striking the centre of the ball - ensuring that the ball will go straight and directly to the target.
Striking under the centre of the ball will lift the ball up and make it difficult to control.
2. WEIGHT/PACE.
The ball then has to be delivered with the right pace to reach its target, a pass hit too soft will not reach the target and possibly gives up possession, where as a pass struck too hard, becomes a very difficult ball for your team-mate to control.
3. TIMING.
When to play the pass. Having got the ball at our feet the player has then to decide when to play the pass - head up and release the ball at the right time - a mistimed pass is an often inaccurate one.

So having got the ball under control we look up and select our target and then deliver that ball along the ground and directly to the target.

Practise makes perfect - and it is a good exercise to have a ball between two players, about six feet apart, and just play the wall pass, at pass made with one touch, with the inside of the kicking foot - moving the ball back and forth - starting at first slowly but increasing the pace of the ball gradually, keeping the ball down and moving rapidly between the two players. Try to pass to feet - develop by widening the gap between the players. When mastered to a satisfactory degree, players can then increase the difficulty of the drill by using only the outside of the foot, moving on to the non-kicking foot.
foot.

The Driven Pass