Being able to receive the ball comfortably is hugely important if players want to have success on the pitch. This article looks at why it’s so important and then provides some handy tips on how to get better at it.
No matter where players are on the pitch they will have to receive the ball using different parts of the body, sometimes they will be under pressure and sometimes they won’t.
Most players should be able to receive the ball comfortably when not under pressure on the pitch, but it’s the pressure situations where they need to really work on being comfortable when receiving.
Here are some useful tips and tricks to develop your receiving skills:
First Touch
A player's first touch should allow them to bring the ball under control to set up the execution of their next decision. Furthermore, the space and time a player has to execute their next decision is dependent on the quality of the first touch.
It can be useful for players to practice taking the first touch to set themselves for different situations. For instance, midfield or attacking players should find themselves in situations where they need to receive the ball on the edge of the box for a shot. So they need to practice in training taking one touch and then having a shot on goal in these areas.
TopTekkers provides the perfect challenge for this instance - Two Touch Finishing Drill - go and practice it today!
Being comfortable under pressure
There are numerous situations across the pitch where players will receive the ball under pressure and it’s vital in these instances to be comfortable, not panic and retain possession of the ball.
When teams are playing out from the back it is essential that players can receive the ball comfortably especially if they are being pressed high by the opposition team. The risk of playing this way when players can’t comfortably receive the ball is so high due to the position on the pitch as it can lead directly to conceding goals.
Touch then…
As mentioned before, the first touch when a player receives the ball will always determine what they are able to do with their next touch or touches.
In the attacking areas, it could be that a player receives the ball in a tight area with opposition players all around them so they need to keep close control of the ball to protect it and prevent being dispossessed.
Contrastingly, a player could be played down the line with lots of space to run into. Therefore, a bigger touch to run on to is more suited.
It’s so important for players to not only practice these different receiving techniques but also to learn when to recognise these different situations and when to employ said techniques.
TopTekkers is the perfect tool for young players to do just that, there are lots of techniques that focus on receiving and controlling the ball but there are also techniques that focus on what to do after that initial touch.
Download it here and get started today!
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