Understanding Soccer

  "Offense sells tickets. Defense wins championships."  This quote is from coach Paul Bryant who was a legendary football coach. Defense is one of, if not the most important positions in soccer.  The main goal for the defense is to stop the other team from building an attack and getting a shot off on goal.  Most teams will have 4 defenders.  2 in the middle, and 2 on the outside.  But much like a midfielder, the role as a defender is the same for all teams. I play defense myself, and I find that the most helpful thing is to read peoples eyes and watch their body.  By watching their eyes, it will allow you to know where they plan on going with the ball or who they will pass it to.  Their body will show you which way they are going to go.  By using both of these techniques, you will be able to get a jump on the attacker and stop them from scoring. Another tip for a defender is to not stab or lunge at the ball.  Doing this will expose you a...

  What is a midfielder? Midfield is the position that is behind the forwards, but in front of the defense.  This position plays both offense and defense.  Their main goal is to distribute the ball to open players and stop the other team from building an attack. Depending on the team, the amount of midfielders can vary, but for all teams the role is the same. Being a midfielder requires a lot of running, so being conditioned is essential.  They are all over the field, going up and trying to score and also dropping back to prevent the other team from scoring or getting a shot off.   The most important thing for a midfielder is to have good field vision and awareness.  Your main job is to pass the ball around until there is a chance to score.  So knowing where your teammates are and where the other team is at is very important. Passing Since passing is a big part of being a midfielder, we will go over some techniques to accurately pass the ball....

  What Is the Main Objective for a Forward?     For a forward, their main objective is to make scoring opportunities.  They are the ones who typically score.  They do not play much defense, they are just on the attacking side.  A forward should be fast and quick with a good shot.   Here is a quick video of the most well known forward, Lionel Messi, https://youtu.be/sjMofjmzQKU The most important trait for a forward is a scoring mindset.  Their first thought should always be "can I take a shot?"  Scoring is the main goal for a forward so this should always be what they think.  Then they should think if they can make a move to create a shot. Forwards need to have good footwork and moves so they can make their way through the defense and get a shot on goal.  Finally they should look to see if there is anybody to pass to and allow them to get a scoring opportunity.  Recap: To be a good forward, you must have a scoring mindset,...

  Understanding The Basics        Soccer seems like a very difficult and complicated sport, but there are just a few things to know in order to understand it.  One of these being off sides.  This is when the team who's on offense has players without the ball behind the defensive line.  Another key to understand is extra time.  This is the time that is used while the ball is out of bounds or while waiting for a free kick.  This time is added up and then added on at the end of the game.  Finally, knowing that there is an offense, defense, and midfield can be helpful in understanding the sport.   Here is a quick 2 minute video to help explain the offside rule   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GePlbCsGniA                                                        ...