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Receiving the ball (also commonly referred to as "trapping the ball"). In this article, the term receiving and trapping will be used interchangeably. This is one of the most elementary skills necessary in control ball soccer, yet it is not used effectively enough in competitive games in much of North American Soccer, especially with young players. The reason is simple enough to observe. There is a fear of losing the ball to a nearby opponent: The ball may potentially end up between the receiver and the opponent-possibly causing a receiving error. Losing the ball to the opponent in this manner normally results in embarrassment or chastisement from the coach. The end result is that players "one touch" the ball much more frequently then is necessary and consequently produce a reduced amount ball control by the team in general. It must always be remembered that ball control is the objective in modern soccer.
How then can the player apply this receiving skill more frequently in games to control the ball? With a little proper training, practice and encouragement, a player can learn to control the ball to become a more valuable asset to the team as the season progresses. A team that does not practice ball control is confined to playing low-level soccer and the players will always be restricted to playing a type of soccer known as kickball. Their future in this sport is limited when competing against players that can effectively receive and control the ball in competitive situations. Players that master this technique however, develop self-confidence and often a passion to continue in this sport.
A method exists that makes receiving and controlling the ball relatively easy, yet it is infrequently used in non-professional soccer (and sometimes not enough in professional soccer) but it is always used effectively in basketball. This controlling technique is known as shielding in soccer. Applying two moves, one following the other, makes it: These moves are called trapping and shielding or receiving and shielding. The main type of receiving taught in practice is with the inside-of-the-foot--for ground balls.
There are, of course, many other parts of the body that are used for trapping when the inside-of-the-foot is just not practical, but this foot location method is probably the easiest receiving method to master and so it is best mated with subsequent shielding moves. The inside-of-the-foot is a useful receiving method for teaching the combination of capturing the ball and shielding it from a nearby opponent. Once a player is confident with this type of trap used in conjunction with shielding, other types of traps can replace the inside-of-the-foot trap as necessary.
Good soccer players control the ball even when under the pressure of an opponent. In Practice, receiving the ball is a relatively easy task to complete correctly when the approaching ball is slowly rolling on the ground towards the receiving player. This is the general approach taken when teaching this technique. However, in actual game situations, the conditions are different. Most of the time there is an opponent in the vicinity of a player about to receive a loose ball or pass. Even if the ball is slowly rolling towards the receiver in game conditions, it is still a difficult task to trap the ball, control it and move out into a position of advantage--when there is an opponent bearing down on the receiver. Making matters worse, the ball may be coming in fast, high and possibly from a great distance. No matter how the ball approaches, a good soccer player has developed the ability to receive and control the ball. How is this taught to players without this skill?
Trapping and shielding is a combination technique accomplished by instructing players on shielding the ball after placing it under control near the feet. The shielding is a tandem technique that follows immediately after the receiving player approaches the incoming ball, stops an instant before receiving it, and then traps the ball--which has now practically stopped near his or her foot. Note: It is very difficult to receive and control the ball while running and so trapping while running is only recommended for experienced players: See footnote1.
To be legal, a player must have control of the ball in order to screen it from an opponent; therefore, once the player successfully controls the ball, he or she immediately turns his or her body to place it between the ball and the opponent. The body can also be arched backwards (towards the opponent) to further protect the ball as long as the receiver is not aggressively contacting the opponent. In this manner, the opponent will be out of reach of the ball and will be behind the receiver who must now dribble the ball away from the opponent. If the opponent goes to the dribbler's right, the dribbler rotates himself or herself counterclockwise along with the ball, thus the ball screening is continued. The opposite move is applied if the opponent goes to the dribbler's left.
With possession of the ball, the dribbler must move into open space. Now, if the dribbler cannot move forwards with the ball (in the direction of the opponent's goal), the option is to either move across the field or backwards towards his or her own goal. Note: Players must be instructed that going forward is not always practical or safe and moving in another direction is perfectly sound as long as he or she maintains control of the ball and moves away into new unoccupied field locations. In doing so, the next move is to either pass the ball to a nearby open player or to turn while shielding with the ball. The latter tactic is more advanced and beyond the scope of this article.
For more advanced players, the same technique can be performed with other receiving methods, such as collecting the ball with different parts of the foot, parts of the leg, the body and head traps. But for the introduction of this technique (as mentioned above), the inside-of-the-foot method works best. Once the players have grasped the technique, it will be expected that they will employ it first in scrimmage games then in actual competition. Note: The coach is reminded to encourage receiving and shielding under the pressure of actual games. Allowing the players to experiment with this technique, while making errors, is not to be discouraged.
There are various drills that efficiently teach receiving and shielding, both elementary and more advanced. The basic techniques are simple and effective and most drill techniques are further incorporated with teaching the receiver to 1. Move to the moving ball, i.e., a player must never wait for it to come to him or her. See footnote 2. 2. Trap the ball. 3. Shield the ball. 4. Move to a position of advantage on the field. These semi-advanced techniques are all performed with an opponent applying various degrees of pressure, and of course receiving may employ other parts of the body for initially contacting and receiving the ball. These drills may be found in books by the author [http://www.albertmluongo.com].
Footnotes:
1. A word must be said here about the level of skills in a soccer player's career. The information described above is recommended for the early to mid stages of soccer players' training. Only the most experienced soccer players should attempt trapping the ball while on the run.
Also, the ideal player's performance would be to have an "escape" plan before receiving the ball, i.e., plan to seek out the best open space to dribble into upon gaining control of the ball. Young players often begin to think of their next move only after receiving the ball and should be reminded often to think ahead before receiving it.
2. At the highest level of play, professional players are often seen standing waiting for the ball to come to them. This is not recommended for young players to emulate. It is always best to meet the oncoming ball.
by Soccer Coach Al Luongo
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