Skills & Tactics | Spencerport Soccer Club

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Player Foot Skills Challenge

The key to great soccer is in having the ability to maneuver the ball in tough pressure situations with confidence and intelligence. Our goal is to make our players as comfortable with using these skills as they are in turning on the TV (Point being...they don't even think about it) Our players need to focus and practice so that it is second nature and comfortable for them.

If you stop and think about what makes a soccer game exciting and what differentiates players from one another - it boils down to player intelligence and decision making and the execution of foot skills to compliment those decisions.

Our Player Foot Skills Challenge is intended to aid our players personal skill development. We recommend players perform these skills 3x per week. It's not meant to be extra work for our parents. Good luck and have fun!

Download the Player Foot Skills Challenge forms here.

Recommended Foot Skills
Do you want to become a better soccer player? Do you want to be able to make a real impact on the field? We suggest you learn to master each of the foot skills below to take your game to the next level. Practice these skills and show off for your friends, family and teammates.

Rivelino	Lunge	Scissors
Side Hop	Matthews	Fake Kick
Skip Hop	Outside Inside Roll	In Between
Toe Touch Back	Outside Touches	Inside Outside Roll
Toe Touch Forward	Turn Away Pull	Turn With Pull
Drag Scissors	Drag Swerve	Scotch Moves
Nutmeg	Stop & Go	Multi-scissors-stepovers
Double-Inside Cuts	Cruyff & Shot	Double-Scissors-Cruyff
Multi-Scissors-Cruyff

Tactics & Combo Plays - Diagrams & Examples

We highly recommend you learn how to apply foot skills in a tactical game situation. Below you will find a host of examples on ways to do so. We will be actively working on incorporating these into your training.
- compliments of strongsoccer.com

Wall Pass/Give & Go	Diagram	Example #1 [Wall pass on the corner of the box for a shot.]
		Example #2 [An aggressive run with a wall pass for a cross.]
		Example #3 [Back to back Give and Go's down the flank.]
		Example #4 [An aggressive 1-2/pass in the box leads to another goal.]
		Example #5 [Scissors feint leads to a midfield wall pass.]
		Example #6 [Another slashing run to receive the wall pass.]
		Example #7 [Moving up the field with a classic Give and Go combo.]

Double Pass/Up Back Thru	Diagram	Example #1 [Here is a long upfield Up - Back and Thru.]
		Example #2 [An aerial double pass leads into a takeover and overlap.]
		Example #3 [An Up-Back and aerial Thru pass for a shot.]

Cutback Pass	Diagram	Example #1 [Classic cutback cross after a charge to the goaline.]
		Example #2 [Aerial cutback for a layoff header and volley shot..... wow!]
		Example #3 [Another great aerial cutback cross with forceful finish.]
		Example #4 [A nutmeg cut leads to a classic cutback pass and shot.]

3rd Man Running	Diagram	Example #1 [Superb combo play complete with dummy step fake.]
		Example #2 [Same combination from a different angle.]
		Example #3 [Nice combination using the field "width".]
		Example #4 [Great string of combination plays for a shot.]

Thru Pass for Cross	Diagram	Example #1 [A nice run down the left wing to receive the penetrating pass.]
		Example #2 [The lead pass into space at the corner finds the penetrating runner.]
		Example #3 [Another nice lead pass to the wing for a cross.]

Thru Pass v. Flat Defense	Diagram	Example #1 [Lateral move to find the gap and then the pass.]
		Example #2 [Textbook lateral movement and a "screaming" penetrating run!]
		Example #3 [Notice the lateral move to the middle to find the gap for the pass.]
		Example #4 [A screaming run down the left wing leads to a PK. Note the lateral movement by the passer, to find the "gap".]

Thru Pass v. Staggered Defense	Diagram	Example #1 [Great run, accurate pass thru the poorly shaped defense.]
		Example #2 [Not the way to align the defense.]
		Example #3 [What is this defense thinking?]

Up Back & Shoot	Diagram	Example #1 [It is very tight in the box, so the layoff to T.H. does the job.]

Layoff Pass	Diagram	Example #1 [Throw in to shielded player for layoff pass.]
		Example #2 [A one touch layoff sets up an exciting overlap for a score.]

Take Over	Diagram	Example #1 [Wing takeover to find space for the cross.]
		Example #2 [Another classic takeover with an aggressive run towards the flag.]
		Example #3 [Clever use of the heelpass completes the takeover on the wing.]
		Example #4 [Takeover overlap for a shot, look for the decoy overlap to create space..]

Lateral Passing for Shot v Flat Back 4	Diagram	Example #1 [Several short passes move the play laterally for the shot.]
		Example #2 [Quick movement laterally across the defense finds room for a shot.]
		Example #3 [A string of passes and dummies move the ball to the gap for a shot.]

Midfield Layoff Pass	Diagram	Example #1 [An "under the leg" touch springs the midfield overlap.]

Overlap	Diagram	Example #1 [Classic overlap outside and then back inside with a devastating thru pass.]
		Example #2 [Nice long open field overlap with set-up for a shot.]
		Example #3 [Heel pass thru to the overlapping player for a shot.]
		Example #4 [A long upfield overlap to an aggressive left wingback.]
		Example #5 [Text book overlap defeats the defense.]
		Example #6 [Multiple "decoy" overlaps provide space for the shot.]

Chip Pass v. Flat Defense	Diagram	Example #1 [Superb chip over the defense and a "layoff" header for shot.]
		Example #2 [Wall pass with "chip" return in full stride.]
		Example #3 [Trail pass for a "chip" over the wall to a 3rd man running.]
		Example #4 [Over & Back for a deadly "chip" over the back line.]
		Example #5 [Lateral passing sets up the chip.

Turning Fakes
Pull Backs	Shield Turns
Inside/Outside Cuts	Cruyff Turn
Stepover 180	Half Garrincha

Fakes to Beat an Opponent
Lunges	Scissors	Matthews	Scotch Moves
Double Lunges	Double Scissors	Fake Matthews	Drag Swerve
Pullback "V" or Puskas	Rivelino	Reverse Matthews	Fake Drag Swerve/Scissors
Pullback "L" & Simple "L"	Half Preki	Maradona/Garrincha	Outside-Inside Swerve
Fake Kick-Push Outside	Full Preki	Stop and Go	Inside-Inside Swerve

Warm-up Touches
Inbetweens with 180	Side Hop Rolls	Inside-Outside Roll
Toe Touches Forward	Outside Touches	Skip Touches
Toe Touches Backwards	Outside-Inside Roll	Half-Garrincha

Nikesoccer ball lifts clip
Click here for a clip of the Nikesoccer Ball Lifts Commercial
Click here for a clip of the Nikesoccer Fast Footwork Commercial

A Collection of Quicktime Highlights (.mov)
Click here for a collection of superb feints from the Tactics page.