How do I get better at playing soccer?

Get Loose: How do I get better at playing soccer?
I’m a basketball player so I mainly use my hands when dribbling, passing, and shooting the ball. This year, I wanted to try out soccer at school. I have never played soccer my entire life so I obviously suck. Therefore, I know that I have to practice on my own. The thing is that I don’t know what and how to practice.

Any tips or suggestion anyone?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Answers and Views:

Answer by Spencer W
Practice dribbling a soccer ball and keeping your head up. That is the first thing coaches look for. Make sure when you shoot you don’t toe ball it. A toe ball is when you kick it with your toe when the point is to kick it with the laces. Not only will that make your shot harder and more accurate.
Good Luck

Answer by RolieP
ok obviously the guy kjv.. or whatever really has no expertise on soccer but have you considered a position as a goalie? you get to use your hands and everything. and practice? you can start by dribbling which means to tap the ball in front of you between your feet.

Answer by Wildcat Soccer Stud
i agree if you have never played go out as a goalie. i have a friend in the same position as you and he has been our starting varsity goalie two years straight. he loves basketball and plays soccer to stay in shape. practice your punt (drop kick) and practice your goal kick, coaches like when goalies take the goal kick.

Answer by dontTread22
If I were you, I’d try to play keeper. the US keeper, Tim Howard, played basketball most of his youth and was actually drafted by the Harlem Globetrotters recently. of course, he didn’t take it because he wanted to stick with the better sport 😛 but i’m just saying he’s an exceptional talent and he played basketball like you. i’d go for keeper.

Answer by Becky G
My Advice: get the Play Station 2 or 3, get the game: Pro Evolution Soccer, or Winning 11, and practice.. it will help you capture the technique and skills, and you will have a wider view of the field and the game as a whole.. 😉 it helped me a lot!

Answer by (:
The first thing you can try os juggling a soccer ball. To do this you simply hit the ball up and down on your thigh. Once you start getting better, you van use other places on your body, like your foot, your head, or your chest.

The next thing to practice is dribbling. When you dribble practice using the inside and outside of only your right foot, going down your yard. Then the same distance switch and do the same thing with your left foot. When you start this go slow, make sure you get everything right. As you get better go faster, and keep your head facing up.

Another thing you can practice is shooting. Our coach tells us, when we shoot to use our laces, so the top of your foot, and put your chin over the ball so your leaning forward when you shoot with your right foot you should hop off your left and land back down on your left. We practiced this with both feet for an hour and twenty minutes.

You probably don’t know any soccer moves, so get on youtube and look them up. Some commen ones are called, “pull back, scissors, step over, cut, rainbow, maradonna, etc.” To get on a high school team you will need to know some moves.

In your spare time watch Professional soccer on tv, it will rub off on you.
Hope this helped.
(:

Answer by G V
I recommend that you join a local recreational soccer league and start from there. You need team environment to really get on to the game.

Answer by Suzanne C
Practice dribbling, do toe taps, practice shooting. if your a good basket ball player, i would suggest trying goalie 🙂

Answer by John
pratice passing to yourself agains a wall. Juggle with ball. join a team.

Answer by Shhhhhhh
To become a better soccer player you need to develop your skills every day. However, you also need to know how to avoid making unnecessary mistakes while playing soccer. In this article I will present some common mistakes that you should try to avoid while participating in your regular soccer games.

Many professional soccer players tend to put themselves in difficult situations and you probably wonder why. Well, usually these players become too comfortable with their way of playing. For example, a full back that have played well during the whole game probably have his mind on some other place (if you consider that his team is having a 3-0 score with 5 min left of the game).

However, if he misses to mark an opponent and that opponent manage to score 3-1 then the opponents may have an advantage in the return game. This one is a simple example on how the brain of a soccer player actually works. Now, let’s take a look at common mistakes you can’t afford if you want to become a better soccer player;

Dribbling as the last man – This one is pretty obvious. Simply, never dribble while playing as the last man. If you lose the ball to one of your opponents you can be pretty sure that he will beat your goalkeeper and score. Instead, try to always play the ball simple and choose safe passing alternatives. If you feel that you don’t have anyone to pass the ball to, then kick it far away from you with a powerful cross.

Clear the ball safely – Try always to clear the ball far away as possible. I always prefer to kick the ball at least 40 yards away from my goal in order to have enough time to organize my defense and prepare for the upcoming attack.

Play the ball safely – Always try to pass the ball safely to a near standing teammate. With safely I mean that you should not try to execute some 40 yard crosses if you have at least two non marked teammates near you. That 40 yard cross will be lost in 99% of the case and your teammates will blame you for playing the ball without reflecting over the situation properly.

Don’t keep the ball too long at your feet – While playing soccer, you can’t expect that your opponents will let your receive the ball, gain control over it and then pass the ball safely to an teammate without having them attacking you. Simply, the faster you play the ball, the easier you will have to perform maximum on the soccer field. One rule you should have is to always play the ball on the first touch while being on your own side of the field.

Summary Things mentioned in this article are only few things among many others that you need to know in order to become a better soccer player and avoid mistakes in soccer. However, if you stick to things mentioned here I can ensure you that your mistakes on the field will decrease greatly.