How to Kick a Soccer Ball

Anyone who knows anything about sports knows how to throw a football. All of those same people know how to swing a baseball bat or how to shoot a jump shot, but despite the fact that soccer is the most popular sport in the world, there are a lot of American youth soccer coaches that don't know how to kick a soccer ball. That is why if you go to an American youth soccer game and watch a wing dribble the ball past the eighteen, the crowds often start screaming, "Boot it!!!" The parents learn this phrase from coaches who don't know how to kick a soccer ball: leaders who have never been taught the mechanics of how to kick a soccer ball.

The first rule on how to kick a soccer ball is that you should never kick it with the front of your toes. There are two main reasons for this. For starters, kicking a soccer ball with the tips of your toes is painful and can lead to toe injuries that are similar to jamming your fingers. The other reason to avoid kicking the soccer ball with your toes is that although it can lead to a long and powerful kick, it is a strike that is difficult to control. Because the tips of the toes on a cleat and the soccer ball itself are both round, it is not easy to control the direction of the ball when the two meet. The geometry of this situation is similar to that of a round baseball bat making contact with a baseball, but the action differs in that the baseball player is standing still awaiting the pitch while the soccer player is almost always in motion.

When teaching players how to kick a soccer ball, many youth coaches insist that they use only the inside of the foot. This is a common misconception based upon the knowledge that a soccer player should not kick a soccer ball with his toe. There are actually four different parts of the foot that children should be taught to use to kick a soccer ball. Depending on the situation, a soccer player will use the inside, outside, top (laces), or bottom (cleat) on his foot.

How to kick a soccer ball when taking a shot: In most cases, a successful shot in the game of soccer requires a powerful strike. In order to achieve this, the player will plant his non-kicking foot near the location that the ball will be in when it is struck, and he should kick the soccer ball with the top of his foot for maximum power. The angle of the player's body will affect the height of the shot. If the player is leaning over the ball the trajectory will be low, but if the player is leaning back the shot will soar higher. For shots where the goalie is out of position and power is unessential, players should recognize that they may not need to strike the ball with the top of the foot. In these situations where ball control will be the single determining factor in whether or not a player scores, the player should guide the ball with the instep of his foot in order to ensure accuracy.

How to kick a soccer ball when passing: Trick passes aside, as they will not be commonly used at the youth level, most passes will be made using the top or the inside of the foot. When clearing the ball of defense, which is considered a pass if done correctly, the player will strike the ball with the same mechanics used for shooting only he will be striking it towards a teammate up field rather than toward an opening in the goal. For shorter passes, commonly used when running the field or working within the box, a player will plant his non-shooting foot in the same way that he would when taking a shot, but instead of striking the ball with the top of his foot, he will strike it with his instep. The key to a successful pass, however, is to make sure that the ball is not kicked to one's teammate, but that it is kicked to where the teammate is going to be. That is why when you are practicing how to kick a soccer ball when passing, your target should always be moving.

How to kick a soccer ball when dribbling: When dribbling a soccer ball, all four parts of the foot will be used to kick the ball. Kicking the ball when dribbling will be different from shooting and passing in that dribbling does not require planting of the non-kicking foot. To reach top speeds while dribbling in the open field, players should lightly kick the ball with the top of their foot keeping it within a step or two of their bodies. The closer the defense gets, the closer to the body the ball needs to stay after being kicked. Once confronted by a defender, the ball-handler can kick the ball around the defender by using either the inside or outside of the foot. Using the inside or outside of the foot to dribble around a defender helps the offensive player maintain ball control and having the ability to use the inside or outside of the foot provides options for the ball handler that keep the defender from being able to commit to guarding one side. When the ball slows down as go get closer to the goal and you are confronted by a defender, you may want to use your body to block the ball. The most effective way to kick a soccer ball in this situation is actually with the bottom of your foot. While blocking the defender with your back and creating space with your arms, you will maintain your balance on one foot, while using the bottom of the cleat on your other foot to roll the ball until you can get the defender to make a mistake that allows you to sneak past him or you find a teammate to pass to.

Understanding how to kick a soccer ball may not be rocket science, but it certainly is an art. Unfortunately for America's youth, many coaches understand how not to kick a soccer ball, but they are not equipped to teach their players how to kick a soccer ball. Kicking a soccer ball is not about "booting" it. To truly understand how to kick a soccer ball, you must understand the mechanics of body posture, how to use the different parts of the foot, and what different situations in the game call for.