How to Shoot a Soccer Ball

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Shooting the ball with power and accuracy is an important skill for any soccer player to have. The best way to develop proper technique is by practicing. A good shot includes judging the situation on the field as well as planting your non-kicking foot and driving your leg forward with power. Become a better shooter and watch your goal tally soar!

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Kicking the Ball

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  1. Before shooting, glance up at the field in front of you. Focus as much as possible on where you want the ball to go. Note where the other players are, including the defenders, goalie, and your teammates. Use this information to adjust your shot or pass when a teammate has a better shot opportunity. [1]
    • You may notice some professional players shooting without looking up. Through in-game experience, they develop a sense of their positioning on the field. This most often happens close to the goal, since looking up delays the shot a little.
  2. Look back down at the ball and keep looking at it until you kick it. Doing this leads to stronger, more accurate shots. [2]
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  3. Keep the strides you take the same length they would be while running. Avoid stretching forward too far or taking a series of short steps, since this throws off your balance.
    • When kicking a still ball, stand only far enough back that you can reach the ball in 3 or 4 steps.
  4. Where you place this foot determines where the ball will travel. Place it beside the ball, about shoulder width away from your other foot. A good, medium distance should feel comfortable to you. Keep your toes pointed straight ahead to the goal. [3]
    • Placing your foot further away from the ball helps when you need to lift the ball more, such as when kicking over a wall of defenders.
  5. The further you can bring your leg back, the more power you’ll generate. Bend your leg at the knee and keep your toes pointed downwards. In the perfect kicking position, your leg looks like it’s in the shape of a “V.” [4]
    • Stretch your legs often to increase your flexibility.
  6. This is also called locking your ankle. Your foot should still be pointed downwards, straight and firm. Your ankle shouldn’t wiggle at all as you kick the ball. Any movement weakens your shot. [5]
  7. Staying in a neutral position gives you maximum control over the ball’s flight. Leaning a little, if it feels natural to you, it's fine, but don’t try to lean more. Instead, focus on turning to face the goal. [6]
    • If the ball often flies over the net, you may be leaning back too much. If it stays lower than you’d like, you may be leaning forward too much.
    EXPERT TIP

    Walter Merino

    Soccer Coach
    Walter Merino is a Youth Soccer Coach and Co-Founder of Ole Soccer Club based out of the Los Angeles, California area. He has coached youth from the age of four to the high school and college levels. Walter has played collegiate soccer for Cal Poly Pomona and Los Angeles Mission College. His accomplishments include coaching Olé Soccer Club to win the 2017 Cal South State Cup Governors Boys 2007 Division title.
    Walter Merino
    Soccer Coach

    Expert Trick: Before you kick a goal in soccer, glance up and spot where you need to kick the ball. Then, position your hips to where you want the ball to go. Just be aware that at higher levels, goalies will learn to read your body language and even your eyes, so you may have to disguise your intentions.

  8. Pick out the spot where your foot will strike the ball. Most of the time, this is the part of the ball closest to you. Kicking it in the center gives you control over your shot while also generating lots of power. [7]
    • To raise your shot in the air more, kick the ball a little lower than center.
    • To bend the ball, kick left or right of center. Kicking on the left causes the ball to curve to the right. Kicking on the right side causes it to arc to the left. [8]
  9. Bring your foot forward. Hit the ball with the top part of your foot to generate powerful but accurate shots. This is the kind of shot you’ll need on most occasions.
    • To bend your shot more, strike the ball with the side of your toes. [9]
  10. As you approach the ball, turn your foot to the side. Hit the ball with the inside edge of your foot. Your shot won’t be as strong, but the increase in accuracy is good for shots near the goal or when the defense doesn’t give you a lot of space.
  11. After striking the ball, don’t stop moving. Bring your kicking leg through at a medium height. Step through and plant your leg on the ground. A bad follow-through causes your shot to fall short of the target or fly wildly off-course.
    • To make the ball go higher, lift your leg into the air more during the follow-through.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Shooting While Running

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  1. To get a good shot, the ball can’t be close to your body. Tap the ball a step or two ahead of your kicking foot. Push it directly ahead of you to set up a normal, straight kick. Move it slightly to the side when you need to bend your kick or change your angle. [10]
    • Take moderate strides towards the ball. The best shot happens when you don’t slow down or change your stride much when approaching the ball. [11]
    • To practice this, start by approaching the ball with slow, even strides. Increase the speed once this feels comfortable.
  2. Planting your foot is the same as a normal kick, except the ball is rolling. If you plant your non-kicking foot next to the ball, the ball will roll past it. When done perfectly, the ball will be even with your foot when you kick it. [12]
    • Remember to point your toes on the foot that is planted towards the goal!
  3. Use the same approach that you learned before when kicking the ball. Draw back your foot, lock your ankle, and follow through with your shot. Soon, the shots you take while running will be as perfect as the ones you take while standing still!
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Choosing Where to Shoot

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  1. Glance up at the field to see where you are in relation to the ball. Recall how well you shoot during practice. If you don't have a lot of power, shooting from distance won't do you any good. You'd score more goals by being closer to the ball to get a better shot.
    • Practice taking shots at all sorts of ranges and angles to prepare for any situation that arises during a game.
  2. The goalie (or keeper) may stand to the side, exposing one side of the goal. They may also cheat to one side, leaning over or beginning to run before you shoot. Surprise them by shooting in the opposite direction! [13]
  3. Normally your best bet is to shoot towards the opposite side of the net. If you’re on the right side, shoot towards the left part of the goal. The goalie usually will be closer to you and will have to move farther to reach the ball
    • This isn’t always your best option. If you’re very close to one side of the goal, someone’s blocking the other side, or a defender is approaching, you may not be able to aim at the other side.
  4. Normally, the goalie stands in the middle of the goal, leaving the sides open. Force the goalie to dive to make the save, if possible. Make use of the side netting, since it's a big target when you're shooting from the sides of the field.
    • Although players enjoy aiming for the upper corners, more goals are scored in the lower corners! [14]
  5. Shooting the ball to the side means the goalie has to stretch to make the save. A goalie can easily move from side to side, but it’s more difficult to stretch upwards or downwards. Even the best goalies can’t always reach the corners of the goal.
    • Where you aim depends on the situation, but avoid shooting at a medium height as much as possible.
    • Shooting low is also great when there’s lots of defenders in front of you. It can lead to goals on deflections or rebounds.
  6. If you can’t push the ball past them to get a better angle, you can still take a shot. Strike the ball slightly below center. This lifts the ball in the air more, putting it over defenders or chipping a goalie that runs forward.
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    How do I score a perfect header?
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    When the ball is in the air and near you, jump and hit the ball in the center with your forehead. To curve, hit from the side.
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    What part of my foot is the inside with relation to hitting a soccer ball?
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    If your right foot is your strong foot, then the inside of your foot is the left side of the foot.
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    Which side of my foot do I need to shoot a football?
    Community Answer
    To get power use your laces. If you are passing use the inside of your foot.
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      Tips

      • Practice taking shots in lots of different locations on the field, especially in the attacking third, to perfect your shooting technique.
        Thanks
        Helpful 21 Not Helpful 3
      • A good way to adjust your technique is to film yourself kicking. Watch the film and see what you’d like to do differently.
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      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • Practice long passes and penalties with your friends to help improve your performance and accuracy.
      • Leaning forward can make the shot go down, while leaning backward can make it go up.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://open.online.uga.edu/soccer/chapter/rules/
      2. ↑ https://www.csuci.edu/recreation/basicsoccerrules.pdf
      3. ↑ https://www.fnu.edu/how-to-play-college-soccer/
      4. ↑ https://recwell.berkeley.edu/competitive-programs/intramural-sports/rules-policies/soccer-rules/
      5. ↑ https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=exercise-science-research-proposal-posters
      6. ↑ https://ppymca.org/docs/default-source/ppymca-files/sports/soccer---website.pdf?sfvrsn=0
      7. ↑ https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/socforce.html
      8. ↑ https://urec.uark.edu/intramural-sports/sports-calendars/Soccer.pdf
      9. ↑ https://news.mit.edu/2014/explained-how-does-soccer-ball-swerve-0617
      1. ↑ https://recsports.msu.edu/imsports/activityrules/soccer.html
      2. ↑ https://kiddo.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/Skill%20PDF_kicking.pdf
      3. ↑ https://sportnz.org.nz/media/2037/manipulative-skills-striking-with-the-feet.pdf
      4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wo4ZhpJIt4
      5. ↑ https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=exercise-science-research-proposal-posters

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To shoot a soccer ball, run toward the ball, taking 3 or 4 even, long strides, then plant your non-kicking foot next to the ball with your toes pointing where you’re aiming. Next, bring your other leg back as far as possible before bringing it forward. Then, kick the middle of the ball with the top part of your foot for the best power and accuracy. If you’re near the goal, kick the ball with the inside edge of your foot to get more control. For tips on how to get the ball by the goalie, read on!

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      Reader Success Stories

      • Josh N.

        Sep 1, 2020

        "As a forward, I was having difficulty with my shot and it was hurting my confidence in the final third. This ..." more
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