Posts tagged: Football skills

Gotten into playing football recently but confused about what to do and what not to do? Here are a few simple Do’s
and Don’ts in football to help you out.

Do: Be respectful of others
Football is a competitive team sport, and it is extremely easy in the heat and passion of the moment to start acting rudely and aggressively toward other players in the game. Be it a perceived slight, unfairly called for foul, or even a
misjudged stare, fights, and scuffles can easily erupt as emotions run wild.

In order not to ruin a perfectly good and fun game amongst friends, stay calm and respectful. Keep your feelings in check and don’t let your anger or frustration boil over. If needed, communicate your grievances towards the other
party after the game measuredly and as objectively as possible. After all, you wouldn’t want to lose a friendship over something as simple as a game, would you?

Don’t: Hog the ball
You’ve probably witnessed this a few times in real life and on television – a player refusing to pass his ball to his
teammate, trying to dribble all the way to score an unsupported goal and win personal glory. While it may seem like a good idea to showcase your individual skills and garner attention by playing solo, football is ultimately a collaborative sport. Very rarely can one succeed without the support of others in the team – in many cases of ball-hogging, the player more likely fails to score a goal than the opposite. He is essentially playing 1 against 11!

The fun and excitement in football come from seeing each player in the team build up a successful series of passes and travel across the pitch to score a goal together. Try to keep this in mind, pass it to others when needed, and playing
would be more enjoyable for all.

Do: Get your basics down
In order to play a good game, one where you feel satisfied and happy afterward, you need to know that you played
well and right. By knowing the basic skills needed in football, you can understand the intricacies of the game, and how to go about winning.

It can begin with knowing which part of the foot you need to use to strike the ball, the angle of approach when
kicking, and even what to do with your arms when running! Do you use your arms and body to defend the ball? When do you tackle an opponent?

As you start playing more and more, you will begin to learn these skills in detail and have a better understanding of how to plan and execute your moves in football.

Don’t: Push yourself too hard
Football is an extremely physically taxing sport to play. It is grueling to be constantly running at high speeds for long distances at a stretch, and changing directions here and there. It is thus extremely common for players to get lost in
the midst of the game and not realise when they have exceeded their physical limits and capabilities, and this opens them up to be easily injured.

Common injuries that you can get from playing include strains in your muscles, sprains in your ankles and joints, dislocations, and even concussions! Over-training can also contribute to damage to the heart. Getting injured while playing will hinder you in the long run as your performance decreases, and as such, remember not to go beyond what your body is capable of when playing. Being injured will affect your lifestyle beyond the pitch, and it is simply not worth the risk.

Do: Communicate
When you first start off playing, you might likely feel shy and keep to yourself. This is natural as you may not feel
confident in your abilities, especially when interacting with so many other players that may be more experienced than you. While this may be a hindrance to you at the start, you should try your best to overcome this as soon as possible. A game of football can not be played without the shouting of verbal commands and even sounds to convey
information between players on the pitch. This information may include where the ball is, where to position yourself
to receive a pass from your teammate, and where other teammates are in relation to your position. As such, it is
important that you feel comfortable communicating confidently and loudly to your other teammates, and overcome that initial fear and self-consciousness.

Don’t: Forget what you learnt
Every game of football is a rare opportunity for you to learn important things about the game, your teammates and yourself. Since no one game of football can be identical to another, each game is unique and teaches different things, should you be receptive and reflective of it. Be it in a casual or professional setting, it is wise to think and discuss
about how the game went, what went well, and what can be improved. Whether you are picking up football as a
serious hobby or just playing a fun weekend game with your mates, more fun and enjoyment is to be had when you can see what can be done better for the next round.

The things to take note of in football are countless and not limited to these few do’s and don’ts, but by keeping these in mind, I hope that you have a better experience playing football in the future!