How to teach the essential soccer skills

If you want to take your P.E lessons to the next level (click here to view a 1-hour soccer lesson plan), make sure you try out these key coaching points for soccer – You’ll give your kids a better opportunity to really develop their skills, and turn a simple game into an engaging and exciting sport class.

You don’t need to know it all about soccer, you just need these easy-to-teach, tried and tested drills and skills in our ‘Soccer PE lessons’ pack’. First, take a look at the fundamentals below ›››

1. Look to where you want to pass
2. Step and kick the ball with the inside of your foot
3. Try to keep the ball along the ground by leaning forward
4. Focus on accuracy, rather than power

› “When someone passes the ball to you, you need to control it and keep it close so you can play on without getting tackled or losing the ball”

1. When controlling, stay on your toes, ready to receive the ball
2. As the ball comes in, move so you get your body behind the ball
3. There are 2 ways to control the ball, either: Trap it › using the underneath/sole part of your foot, or cushion it › softly with the inside of your foot to reduce the power and speed of it

• When dribbling, use small touches as you are moving around with the ball, keeping to close to you (so you have more control, harder for the other team to tackle you)
• Keep your head up as often as you can – so you can see other players to pass to, and where the opponents are
• Use different parts of your foot (outside, inside, sole) to touch
• As you are dribbling, shield the ball with your body, to stop someone from tackling you

• When an attacker is dribbling towards you, stay low with your knees bent

• Be ready to move quickly to get the ball

• You cannot kick/contact the attacker, only the ball

• When trying to get the ball, you are allowed to ‘bump’ or shoulder the opponent, but you can use a strong body to push them off the ball

  

1. As you run up to kick the ball, plant your non-kicking foot next to the ball (and bend your kicking legs’ knee back before you kick)
2. Swing and kick with the laces part of your foot through the middle of the ball
3. Follow through with your leg towards the target

   *Note – if you are leaning back when striking, the ball will go more in the air – if you are leaning forwards, the ball will go more along the ground

    

   › Check out the videos below on some fun tricks and relays you can get your kids to practice ›

Have a look at the Elementary Soccer PE lessons pack (click on the image below) – You’ll be fully equipped with a huge range of activities for your grades 3-6, and the unit is great to start at anytime of the year, in the sports hall or out on the field ›

click to view