3 More Golden Rules of Soccer
Last month, we launched part one of BGM’s Golden Rules of Soccer, featuring the most effective ways to handle three common scenarios on the field. Here are three more Golden Rules.
The following fundamentals are specifically related to moving the ball up the field and getting past defenders. Instead of taking the time to figure out what to do in these situations, you can simply make these Golden Rules instinctual and speed up your playing, upping your level of play.
On that note, here’s part two of our Golden Rules of Soccer:
1. Straight Pass, Diagonal Run. Diagonal Pass, Straight Run.
Line-breaking passes are seen as elite level work – and they are. But a lot of the time it is simpler than it looks.
When you are looking to make a line-breaking pass, you want to do one key thing: play the ball to where your teammate is going – you want to lead them.
So, let’s say your teammate is approaching the attacking third, and you have the ball. The thing is, your teammate is not straight ahead of you. Instead, they’re diagonally ahead of you towards the right or left. In this situation, the Golden Rule is to make a straight pass, so your teammate can run diagonally inward to the ball’s intended destination.
If you passed the ball diagonally towards your teammate’s current position, it’d be much easier for a defender to intercept the pass, and even if your teammate received the ball, they wouldn’t be in a very advantageous position.
Conversely, let’s say you’re the Center Midfielder, and your Winger is making a straight run up the left side of the field. In this situation, the most effective way to pass the ball is diagonally, so it ends up just a little bit ahead of your teammate.
2. One Movement for Defenders, One for Yourself
Our second Golden Rule pertains to making yourself available for a pass when a defender is covering you. If you run to another spot on the field, the defender will simply follow you to make sure you aren’t open.
How do you get the defender off your back? Your first movement is for the defender, the second one is for you.
Instead of giving away where you want the ball to be played, the Golden Rule is to make a slight movement in the opposite direction, so the defender thinks this is where you’re heading. When you suddenly change directions, the defender will be out of position, and you can arrive at your intended destination a few steps ahead of them.
So, when you want someone to pass you the ball, make one movement to throw off the defender, and then make another for yourself.
3. Dominate 1v1s, Dominate the Whole Game
This applies to both offense and defense. If you know how to win 1v1s, you give your team a HUGE advantage.
As an attacking player – a forward, winger, or attacking mid – it means you can consistently take on the other team with the ball at your feet and create space. And when they have the ball, you ensure the best thing they can do is drop the ball back or make a sloppy pass forward.
As a defending player – an outside back, center back, or defensive mid – this means you can handle the press when you have the ball and you don’t let attacking players by you.
Of course this is oversimplified, but if you can win these situations most of the time, you are holding down your part of the field for your team. If your whole team dominates every 1v1 situation, you guys are going to be fine.
Of course, incorporating these Golden Rules into your own game is much easier when you’ve seen them in action again and again. That’s why we created BGTV, a massive library of professional footage organized by position with analysis from professional players. Each clip feature high-level players making smart decisions with breakdowns from professionals explaining the thought process in each given situation.
Ready to check out BGTV? Use code FREEMONTH1 to get the first month free.
