Q&A for How to Understand Soccer Strategy

Keep an eye on the ball no matter what. Observe the strikers' weaknesses and soon or later you can use their weaknesses against them. Use the right time to slide for the ball.

You have to practice and train your weak foot. Find a wall and do volleys with your foot. Once you start to land a few it will become easier.

Stay near their strong side and block there. If they are trying to block you, try to get the outside of your opponent's dominant foot.

You have to understand your team's strategy, rather than them understanding yours. You are just one person.

Relax! You've got this! As they are running at you think, am I going to do a scorpion, step-over, or just dribble around them? Mistakes make you better!

Bring the ball up your dominant leg, then use your dominant leg to flick the ball over the head using your heel.

Try to confuse him by changing up your shots and attack.

Practice your kicks. Find out which type of kick is best for you and try to improve your strength and speed with that particular kick.

As long as the ball is cleared away from the goal your coach should be better off than letting the opposition to score a goal.

Your coach should tell you before the game what the team strategy is. If you guys are planning on building out of the back, then the defenders should be passing the ball to the midfielders as it wouldn't make sense to just punt the ball upfield and give it to the other team. However some less advanced teams decide to kick the ball all the way to the striker and hope for a defensive error. This is much less effective but usually a necessity for teams who aren't good enough. If you want the defenders to pass directly to you, you should scream "ball" or "pass" and talk to them before the game to tell them that you would like it if they passed you the ball.

Of course. Women can be incredible athletes, too.

Focus on the footwork. If you can learn how to shield the other player with your body it will be easier to get past them.

He is severely left-footed, so the defenders can just force him to his right, which isn't as good as his left.

It depends on what grade you're in. If you're in 5th grade and up, the positions are 3 defenders, 1 goalie, 1 stopper, 3 midfielders, and 3 forwards. If you're in 4th grade or younger, it's the same thing, except without a stopper.

It really depends where you are on the field. What really helps anywhere, though, is getting faster.

A sweeper is like the last defender, the person who makes sure the ball doesn't get to the goalie or goal.

Left winger. Or left striker if you play with two strikers.

The best thing to do is to be prepared. Practice a lot and study the game. You will feel confident if you feel like you are prepared and ready to play.

Learn tricks you can use to keep the ball near you. Don't be afraid to pass the ball to your teammates.

If you get chosen by a club, then practice and play well. The current National team manager might see your talent and call you up.

Kick into thin air, but make sure the ball touches your foot late, when you are bringing your foot down, or lift your foot a few inches above the ground. Your foot will act as suspension.

Of course, if you are really committed, ambitious, and focus only on that, then you can become a professional footballer. There are a lot of professional footballers who started their careers late.

Who says thats a bad thing? You get better by playing with better people. Just try your best and try new things. Take risks. Ask them how you should improve, they will likely be glad to help.

You can do workouts that target the leg muscles and cardio workouts that build endurance, but the fastest way to get better at anything is to practice it. There's no substitute that will provide close to the same results.

Teams will often play a high press once losing possession, your last resort will be kicking the ball as far diagonally across the field as possible. Though like mentioned, this is your last resort. Scan and look for teammates around you, pass and then move towards the space.

You can fake them out by acting like you're going to go one way then at the last second go the other way. They won't have time to react fast enough if you have good control of the ball.