SOCCER FOR DUMMIES - Troy Parks and Recreation

1 SOCCER FOR DUMMIES ! (..including our Head Coach) LESSON 4 (PREVIOUS LESSONS AVAILABLE ON ) SOCCER Do s and Don ts From SOCCER For DUMMIES by United States SOCCER Federation, Inc., Michael Lewis, Alexi Lalas LINK: to/content/ SOCCER for DUMMIES cheat SOCCER is a game of near constant motion unless you re the keeper in which case you re in a constant state of being ready to be in motion. In either case, make sure that your shoes fit well. They re the most important part of your equipment. The do s and don ts in the following table apply whether you re playing a pick up game or a league game: Do s Don ts Do learn to dribble with your head up.

2 Don t be a ball hog. Pass to your teammates. Do avoid touching the ball with your hands unless you are the goalkeeper in the penalty area. It can result in a yellow or red card. Don t talk back to a referee. You can get a yellow card, and if it s your second yellow, you will be ejected from the game. Do find time to practice on your own or with teammates or kids on your block. Don t tackle from behind. You could get red carded. Do make sure that you are always in good physical shape. Never come back from an injury too early. Do show some sportsmanship after a match win, lose, or draw by shaking the hands of the opponent.

3 Even if you re sitting on the bench, stay alert and watch the play. You never know when the coach will call on you or a teammate will be injured. Understanding SOCCER s Three Basic Passes By United States SOCCER Federation, Inc. and Michael Lewis LINK: to/content/understanding soccers three basic There are three basic passes in the game of SOCCER forward, square, and back. The forward pass is the most aggressive and most risky of all three because the attacking team moves the ball toward the goal. The length of the pass, the spot from where you attempt it, and the skills of the passer and receiver can all increase your chances of the pass being intercepted.

4 A square pass is a relatively safe pass. Attempt this pass when you're trying to get out of a difficult situation for example, two opponents are gearing in on you. In this case, you need to give the ball to a teammate who is open or to a better ballhandler. The back pass is the most conservative of all passes. Use this pass to get out of a tough defensive situation for example, when you have little or no room to pass the ball forward or you need to give your team an opportunity to regroup. If you're not careful, however, you can run into problems. When passing to a goalkeeper or another teammate, you need to remember where the enemy is because the opposition can run out of nowhere and steal or intercept the pass.

5 Many back passes have been transformed into goals as in the player scoring into his own net. (This is probably the most embarrassing of all plays in SOCCER .) You can solve most potential back pass and own goal problems with proper communication and positioning, although the luck factor always involved ais s well.