Pro Soccer Tips

As with many sports, spots on professional soccer teams--or football teams, as they're called outside of North America--are limited, so players need to stand out among their competition in order to get noticed. If possible, try consulting professional players, coaches and scouts in order to find out what they look for in prospective professional players. Ask for advice about what to focus on during practices or games. A great place to start, though, is by working on shooting, passing, and avoiding opponents.

  1. Kicking

    • The most fundamental skill for a soccer player is his kicking--or shooting--style. First you properly position your pivot foot, or non-kicking foot, about an inch to the side of the ball while making your initial approach. As your foot comes down on the ball, you should lean over the ball so it stays low to the ground. While kicking, you should aim for the center of the ball with your instep, the part of the foot above the big toe and to the side of the arch, which often is where the laces are. During the follow through, you must keep your kicking foot straight in order to kick the ball straight.

    Passing

    • Another fundamental skill every soccer player should master is the ability to pass the ball. While passing can be done in many ways, perfecting the basic pass is a good way to begin perfecting your other skills. To execute the most common pass, or "push pass," you must keep your hips and shoulders square in order to rotate them in a smooth motion. This action creates a firm, hard pass. Use the inside of your kicking foot, rotating it while keeping your ankle stable. Plant your pivot foot and swing with your kicking foot toward the center of the ball, striking it toward your teammate.

    Deceiving the Opponent

    • Professional soccer players win with skill, but play with intelligence. You can use body language to mislead or trick opponents. For example, if you want to pass the ball to the right, you could point or look toward a player on your left. You also might dribble the ball toward an opponent, acting as if you're going toward one end of the field, and then suddenly shift direction by using the outside of your dribbling foot to pass in the opposite direction.

      Players must remember not to interfere with an opponent in a malicious manner, though. According to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the international governing body of soccer, the illusory move must be made "reasonably close" to the opponent whose play is at hand and within direct relation to the play. FIFA says "making a gesture or movement which, in the opinion of the referee, deceives or distracts an opponent" is considered interfering with an opponent and is cause for punishment.