Ball Control
Ball control is perhaps the most important and fundamental thing in soccer. Ball control is simply making the ball do what you want. It refers to all the skills needed by a player to move with, or keep possession of the ball. If a player can’t control the ball, it’s pretty hard to do anything else. Great soccer players, no matter what position they play, always have good ball control. Some examples include Diego Maradonna from Argentina, Ronaldo and Pele from Brazil, and Michelle Akers from the US Women’s team.
Trapping
Trapping the ball means that when a player receives a pass she stops the ball at her feet. Every second counts, so the faster players can trap the ball the more time they have. When a player is good at trapping, the ball appears to stick to the feet. This is called ‘sticky feet’.
Dribbling
Dribbling is the art of moving with the ball by making soft touches with the feet. The faster you go the better, but there is more to dribbling than just speed. If a player wants to get past an opponent, he has to make a move.
Making a move means the player with the ball dribbles past an opponent. Players that can make a move are some of the most exciting players to watch.
Making a move depends on three things: timing, change of speed and change of direction. The player can’t be predictable. If they keep moving in the same direction at the same speed, it’s easy to take the ball away.
