Soccer (or in other countries, football) is a very fun and challenging sport. The rules of the game are simple. You can never use your hands to touch or move the ball, unless you are the goalie. You can however, use the rest of your body. At first glance, soccer can be very difficult, like all other sports, however once you get used to it; the conditioning and foot maneuverability can help you in other sports. One of the basic moves in soccer is trapping the ball with your foot. Follow the simple steps below on how to trap a soccer ball with your foot.
- Grab your gear. You can practice trapping soccer balls anytime and place. The most important thing is you have your soccer ball and preferably an open space plus a partner to roll the ball towards you.
- Two way. You can take two approaches to practicing this move. You can trap a ball your partner rolls to you or you can trap a ball your partner bounces toward you. There are different ways on you can approach both methods. Trapping a ball that is bouncing to you is a bit more difficult and will thus require more work to do. Therefore, it should be tackled first.
- Soccer jargon. Before you start with trapping a ball, you must first know some soccer phrases. First of all, you must know your foot: the inside and the outside. The inside of the foot is on the side of the big toe. So the whole inside of your foot is from your big toe until your heel. The outside of your foot, on the other hand, is from the smallest toe on your foot until your heel. Then you will have to learn the heel and the ball of your foot. The heel is obvious. The ball of your foot is on the opposite end of your heel. If you look at the sole of your foot, the ball is under the toes.
- Bouncy ball. First, have your partner bounce the ball towards you. Next, anticipate the movement of the ball. Where will it land? Do you have to move from your spot? Answer those questions. As the ball approaches you, let your stronger foot (if you are right handed then use your right foot) rise a bit above the ground and using the inside of your foot, stop the ball’s momentum and let it gather on the ground.
- Ball on the floor. It is time to strap a ball that is on the ground. Have your partner roll the ball towards you. Now, slowly raise your foot a bit above the ground so you can get in position. As it approaches you, tilt your foot so the ball of your foot is elevated and your heel is not. Stop the ball’s momentum with your heel.
- Reminder. Make sure to let the ball come to you and not the other way around. If you swing your foot towards the ball rather than waiting for it to hit your foot, the force could cause the ball to “reflect” so it will be more like another pass instead of you trapping it.
Learning to trap a soccer ball with your foot is one of the basics in the sport. So follow the steps above so you know how to trap a soccer ball with your foot. Once you master this, you are one step closer to becoming a soccer star.
