How to learn to play football: tips and tricks

• May 1, 2019
• Motivation
• Victoria Litvinova

Football is a popular sport. Children are taught to play this game in schools and other educational institutions, and major competitions are held all over the world. Football is a game that is loved in many parts of the world. This means that a huge number of people want to learn it. How to do this will be discussed in our article.

Description

Before you learn to play football, you need to familiarize yourself with the history of the game. The name comes from English and translated means “ball and leg.” Competitions are held on a grass field. Each of the two teams consists of 11 people. The goal is to score a goal into the opponent’s goal and prevent the ball from hitting your own. The duration of the game is 90 minutes and is divided into 2 halves of 45 minutes.

The first games similar to football originated in ancient times, during antiquity. In England they learned about it in 1660, when Charles II ascended the throne. But in the Middle Ages, football was a very cruel game. Despite the fact that they tried to ban it, the first football club in the world appeared in 1857. Already in 1873, international tournaments began to be held. In 1904, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland initiated the creation of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). In 1900, football became an Olympic sport.

Equipment for playing football

To start exercising, you should purchase special sports accessories that will help you exercise comfortably and safely:

• uniform (most often sewn to order from the club);
• boots;
• protection (for the ankle, shin, sometimes special accessories are used to protect the elbow and knee joints);
• thermal underwear for training in the cold season;
• goalkeeper `s gloves;
• accessories: sports bag, water bottle, leggings, etc.

You can purchase the appropriate accessories, except for uniforms with the club emblem, at a sports store. When choosing, make sure that the protection tightly covers the limbs, does not interfere with movement, and does not fall off during sudden movements.

Benefit

Amateur football is not as dangerous as professional football. Practicing this sport brings great benefits.

• During games, almost all muscle groups are used, that is, the body is constantly in good shape.
• Thanks to long-term training, endurance develops.
• Due to the high energy consumption, fat deposits are eliminated and weight is normalized.
• A sense of balance develops.

• Creative and strategic thinking improves.
• The risk of heart disease is reduced.
• During training and games, blood circulation improves, and cholesterol “leaves” the blood.

In addition, football brings a lot of positive emotions. During the competition, endurance and willpower are formed.

How to become a goalkeeper?

To act as a goalkeeper and allow the team to rely on your skill, you need to have a lot of certain qualities. First of all, it is fearlessness, because in any situation you need to be ready to rush after the ball. But at the same time, there must be an excellent reaction, which should never betray the goalkeeper. You must always control yourself and not despair over mistakes. Don’t be afraid to try, stand on goal more often. Gradually you will acquire the necessary skills. For those who dream of big football, we recommend starting with classes at a sports school. Igor Akinfeev School of goalkeeping skills.

Contraindications

The question “How to learn to play football?” disappears by itself if you are contraindicated to play this sport. In some cases, playing football is strictly prohibited. This game will not benefit people who suffer from bronchial asthma, myopia, or mental illness. People who have heart or spine problems should choose a different activity. We recommend that you consult your doctor about whether you can play football before starting training.

The work of judges

We have briefly introduced the rules of football and will tell you how the work of referees is organized. A team of three referees enters the field - the main referee and two assistants, located on the right and left sidelines. The final decision on all episodes is made only by the chief judge.

Line referees will determine outs and corners, and also assist the referee in recording goals and violations. Assistants signal their decisions using special flags. In addition to the linemen, the chief referee receives assistance from assistants located in the viewing room.

With the introduction of the video replay system, the work of judges has changed significantly. The most important thing is that the number of referee errors has critically decreased. In a specially equipped room, people sit behind monitors. Their task is to quickly sort out complex episodes and report them to the chief judge. For example, about a violation in the penalty area, about a goal, an offside position and other key episodes.

Having received the message, the chief referee stops the match and views the controversial episode on the monitor and makes a final decision. He can cancel a previously scored goal, award or cancel a penalty, record an offside, show a red or yellow card to a player...

Such viewing opportunities are not yet included in the rules of futsal, but other team sports already have them.

Rules

If you want to learn how to learn to play football from scratch, then first you need to familiarize yourself with the rules. We will briefly tell you about them. So, the ball can be dribbled with any part of the body except the hands. You can only use your upper limbs if the ball has gone out of bounds and you are “returning” it into play. The length of the field ranges from 80 to 130 m in length and approximately 50-95 m in width. There are 22 people on the field at the same time: 20 players and 2 goalkeepers. In addition, control over the implementation of football rules is carried out by the referee who is present at the match. As we have already said, the match consists of two halves of 45 minutes and a break of 15 minutes. The sides of the goal in the first game are determined by lot.

About football referees

The football referee ensures that the match is played in full accordance with the established rules. He is the only official who has the right to stop and start games and take disciplinary measures against players. At most levels, 2 assistant referees help control the progress of the game. They are empowered to advise, but their decisions are not binding.

If they are playing at the World Cup, for example, the full refereeing staff may include a fourth official. He has complete control over technical areas and assists in administrative tasks.

According to the rules, the referee and other match officials must obtain a license and be trained in organizational matters. Referees from national associations work full time and receive additional payments at the beginning of each season.

Judge's powers:

• Suspend or stop the game in case of non-compliance or neglect of the rules by team members.
• Completely stop the match if a player is seriously injured and ensure his removal from the field.
• Allows the match not to be interrupted if a player is slightly injured
• Takes disciplinary measures against a football player who plays with violations.
• Takes action against officials of the playing team, up to and including their complete removal for the remainder of the game.

The judges wear a uniform, the complete set consists of a T-shirt, shorts, socks and badge. At international competitions, referees wear Adidas uniforms, as the company is a current sponsor of FIFA. The badge contains information about the license level and its validity period. In addition, the complete uniform includes a whistle, watch, penalty cards, paper and pen, and a coin. The referee usually runs around the field with the team members.

Preparing the body

If you seriously decide to take up this sport, then you need to prepare your body for heavy loads.

1. Proper nutrition. You should exclude soda, alcohol, flour, fried and fast food from your diet. They do this gradually. It takes about a month to cleanse the body of harmful substances. Sweets can be replaced with fresh fruits and nuts. In addition, you need to drink a lot of water.
2. Charger. If you are wondering how to learn to play football, then know that you need to be in good physical shape before starting classes. Do exercises in the morning. A short warm-up will take from 5 to 15 minutes. Also do various exercises throughout the day.
3. Run. Playing football involves running for a long time. But you need to run correctly! Train your endurance and speed. Legs must be strong. Particular attention should be paid to breathing. You need to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.

Major competitions

There is a whole system of different competitions. They have different levels and are held at certain times. The organization of competitive games is carried out by the federation. Tournaments have their own regulations, which approve the composition, scheme, etc. Major tournaments attract crowds of fans who have been waiting for these events for several years.

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event. The current full format of the competition includes a qualifying stage that takes place over the previous 3 years to determine which teams qualify for the tournament stage. The full field of competitors for the championship title includes 32 teams, which automatically includes the host country. Played daily for a month.

The FIFA Confederations Cup is a major sporting event, an international tournament held every 4 years between men's national teams. France became the champion in 2022, defeating Croatia (4:2). Previously, the tournament was held in the country where the World Cup was to be held next year. In October 2017, FIFA announced the complete cancellation of the Confederation Cup.

The European Championship, known as the Euro, is the association's main competition. UEFA national men's teams play. Since 1960, the Euro Cup has been played every even year between World Cup tournaments. Initially there are 16 teams that compete in groups. After the group stages are played, the winners contest the final and the finalists play in a 3rd place playoff.

The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is a football event played annually between clubs and is entirely contested by European top division teams. The tournament involves the overall champions of the national league. Qualification begins at the end of June with a preliminary round, three qualifying rounds and a playoff round. Of the full roster of 32 teams, 8 winners remain and move on to the final phase. The match to determine the overall winner takes place in May-June next year. A new tournament stage begins almost immediately.

Required skills

Football players must have a number of skills without which they cannot win a match. And you will have to learn all these skills first.

• Dribbling. You need to feel the ball and be able to control it while moving.
• Transfers. The basis of team play is passing. You need to learn how to make a pass as early as possible.
• The ability to shoot at goal from close and long range is key in football.
• Movement without the ball. During an hour and a half game, the players run 10 km, most of the distance they cover without equipment. You need to learn how to open up for a pass and defend.
• Receiving the ball. If you are given a pass, you should be able to catch the ball at any height.
• Head game. This is an advanced skill, but over time you will learn how to hit the ball with your skull.

Also, before you learn to play football, learn the terminology.

Corner kick

When the ball goes past the goal, crosses the field of play, and the last player to touch it is a player from the defending team, a corner kick is awarded. A corner is played at the flagpole of the goal of the team whose player made a touch that led to the ball being lost. Players can play the combination in any way: either ride into the penalty area, or make a close pass to a player on their team. The ball can be kicked at the referee's whistle; there are no restrictions on the choice of the corner kicker; it can even be the goalkeeper. A ball that hits the goal net directly from a corner, without a second touch, will be counted.

Free football broadcasts

Practical advice

Let's move from theory to practice. You should start your training by practicing taking the ball. You don't even need a command to do this. You can exercise using a wall. What should be done? Find a large brick or concrete wall. Kick the ball so that it hits the wall 90 cm above the ground. During the bounce, lift your leg and make the ball touch your leg and fall to the ground. Gradually move away from the wall. You must perform this exercise at a distance of 9 m.

Offside

An offside position is a rule in which a player from the attacking team is closer to the goal during the pass than the last player on the defending team. To determine offsides, referees work on the sidelines of the field to monitor the boundaries of the last player of both teams. If at the time of the pass a player of the attacking team was standing on the same line as the last player of the opposing team, then the touch referee does not raise the badge and offside is not declared. If an offside is still counted, then the players of the defending team play a free kick from the offside position.

Kick the ball with your feet

For those who are interested in how to play football correctly, it would be useful to practice kicking the ball. This will help you handle it confidently and practice coordination of movements. Do the following exercise: catch the ball from below with your foot, then throw it up, lifting your leg. Kick him from below with your other foot, without letting him touch the ground.

Football players advise that you need to hit the ball with the central part of the instep of your foot, otherwise there is a high chance that it will fly into your face or even fly away in the opposite direction. The goal of the exercise is to keep the ball close to the body for as long as possible. You need to train for at least 10 minutes a day, gradually increasing the time.

Goal detection

The most important moment of a football competition is the recording of a goal. This occurs after the ball has completely crossed the goal line, whether on the ground or in the air. Strictly speaking, the projection of any point on the surface of the ball must be behind the goal line. This is what it looks like in the pictures:

This point must be included in the basic rules of football. Now it’s much easier to record goals dynamically. Indeed, recently the rule of video replays has been in effect, cameras and special equipment record the scoring of a goal.

Dribbling

How to learn to play football well? To do this you need to confidently dribble the ball. Start dribbling early in your training. To do this, you will need a flat, open space. Push the ball with your foot, placing it on the ball of your foot. The ball should fly away from the foot only 50 cm. Experienced football players advise training dribbling with both feet. This will help you identify your kicking foot. In addition, professionals note that you should try not to look at the ball during the exercise, because during the game you will need to look around, and not at your feet.

What happened three months later with the young football player?

Three months after this chance meeting, another children’s football tournament in our city, where this same boy took part, came to an end. This time too, he did not receive the prize of “best player” or “best scorer”, but from this tournament, he acquired a new status in the team, the status of “leader”.

In just three months of daily work, his game became brighter, bolder, his name began to be shouted louder and more often, every step he took on the field seemed to become firmer. The father began to receive compliments for his son from the coach and parents on the team, and the child fell in love with football even more.

The boy became much more confident in himself and his position in the team was completely different. After this tournament, the boy’s father decided to call me.

I repeat, nothing supernatural happened. They took darts and threw them at the target, and I suggested throwing not just at a circle with numbers, from one to ten, but only at ten, at the very bull’s eye. Since they worked additionally, they had the required amount of labor initially, all that remained was to make their work more correct.

And all the credit for the boy’s success belongs not to me, but exclusively to the football player’s father. Because he is not only aware of his son’s interests, but plays a major role in his life and does everything in his power to help him in his favorite business.

Ball trajectory

One of the most important skills is to change the direction of the ball during the game. To do this, you need to learn to hit it not only with your toe, but also with the side of your foot. Before starting the exercise, dribble about 2.5 meters, then move a little further. You need to lean on your kicking foot so that the ball hits it and turns. Football players give the following advice: to slightly change the trajectory, just put your foot on the ground and don’t move it, and to significantly change the direction of the ball, additionally hit it in the desired direction.

Training at clubs

In Russia, you can study in schools owned by famous football clubs. There is also a network of youth sports schools and commercial centers with their own good quality fields. But for a further sports career, it is better for the young man to enroll in a club football school. In the future, the student has a chance to get into the reserve team of the main team.

In Moscow, young football players can enroll in the following training centers:

1. TsPF "Dynamo".
2. SDYUSSHOR PFC CSKA.
3. Academy of FC "Spartak".
4. Youth Sports School SC "Torpedo".
5. Education and Sports Center "Lokomotiv".
6. State Educational Institution Central Educational Institution "Chertanovo", where there is a women's department.
7. SDYUSSHOR "Smena".

Training can also be completed in St. Petersburg, where the FC Zenit Sports School and the Junior Children's Football School operate. The technique is used here for working with children aged 3 years and older. Junior's divisions are also based in Yekaterinburg, Astrakhan, Kazan, Samara, Sochi and other Russian cities.

Education at club football schools is free, but every year you will have to personally purchase all sports equipment. It is also worth considering the costs of participating in away competitions and training camps, which will be paid from your own budget.

Obstacles

If you are interested in how to become a better football player, then you need to acquire another important skill - the ability to dribble the ball around an obstacle. To do this you will need a set of cones. They need to be placed in a row at a distance of 90 cm from each other. Dribble the ball. Experienced athletes recommend monitoring which side of the projectile the cone is located. If it is on the left, and the leading foot is right, then you need to lightly push the ball with the “cheek” of the pushing foot. Lefties should do everything the same, but in the opposite direction.

Player substitution rules

When the players become tired, or the coach wants to make changes in the formation, the coach makes an official gesture to the referee, a substitution is made, and the referee allows the substitute player to take the place of the main player. Substitution of players is carried out in a special zone; if its limits, substitution rules are violated, or the substitution procedure is not followed, the team is punished. Most often, the regulations of leagues and cups allow 3-5 substitutions per match; the player being replaced and the player leaving can only be replaced by each other. It will not be possible to replace a removed player; the team will have to play in the minority, but if the player is injured, then this is a forced replacement.

Tips for girls

Representatives of the fair sex are also interested in this sport. How to play better football? To do this, you need to follow several recommendations.

First you need to prepare your body for heavy loads. Learn to run, jump and perform various exercises. Be sure to warm up before playing. Practice regularly to improve your precision of movements. And remember that it will be more interesting to train with friends. If you can't put together a whole team of girls, ask the boys to join you.

Thus, the question “How to play football well?” can be solved if you train regularly and take care to do the exercises correctly. Don't forget that football is a sport in which players often get injured, so you need to purchase protective kit and practice in the presence of an experienced coach.

At what age is it better to start training?

Coaches agree that it is better for children to start training in sections from 6-7 years of age. With good physical data and a noticeable future, the child has every chance of conquering the sports podium. There are sports schools that accept children from 4-5 years of age. But for the first year or two, children do gentle general strengthening and general developmental exercises, without any special stress.

If parents have a dream of raising their child to be a champion, then coaches advise starting to play ball with the child at the age of 2-3. Teach him to give a pass, hit the expected goal, and catch the ball. Be sure to watch matches with your child, go to the stadium in order to instill a craving for football and a desire to play not at court level, but to dream of a real UEFA football field. In this case, the child has a much greater chance of giving 100% to his training and becoming a real champion.

Youth (South-Eastern Administrative District)

Address: Kuzminki metro station, Zelenodolskaya street, 36, bldg. 2 Website: https://mmc-rubezh.mos.ru Phone: Cost: not specified

Football club Altair 2

Goals:

• Harmonious development of physical and spiritual forces;
• Achieving higher sports results during training.

Solving problems to achieve goals:

1. regular physical education and sports;
2. maintaining a healthy lifestyle;
3. mastering the basics of technology and tactics of modern football;
4. consistent increase in the level of acquired skills;
5. acquisition of theoretical knowledge in hygiene and physiology;
6. mastering the technique and tactics of the game, organizing training;
7. development and improvement of sports strength and motor qualities;
8. implementation of general and special physical;
9. nurturing the athlete’s personal qualities: determination, perseverance, endurance, self-control, discipline, hard work, collectivism.

Age of participants: from 7 to 17 years, from 18 and older

Sports and recreation complex "Family" (CJSC)

Address: metro station Yugo-Zapadnaya, st. Pokryshkina, 3 Website: https://kartasporta.ru Phone: Cost: from 500 rub. per lesson

Football section for children and adults on a paid basis.

In a programme:

• Technical and tactical exercises
• general physical training
• Theoretical classes
• A game

Groups are recruited: Children from 5 years old, adults and girls.

Schedule: Saturday and Sunday from 17 to 20 hours.

Classes are taught by an experienced trainer - Kuzin Roman Gennadievich