Techniques
by Roger Verdi

There are many techniques in football that represent the basic fundamentals of the game. These techniques are: PASSING, CONTROLLING, HEADING, SHOOTING, DRIBBLING, TURNING, AND RUNNING with the ball. All these qualities are a necessity and what we call "tools of the trade".

However, within each individual technique, there are components that make up the technique as a whole; for example, passing and shooting consist of short and long passes, using the inside and outside of the foot, even the instep (laces). The toe of the boot can be used for chipping or lofting the ball, the sole for dragging the ball, and at times, the heel of the boot for disguising one's intention of whether to pass or fake out an apponent.

Today we will discuss the importance of RUNNING with the ball since I believe this is probably the first technique all young players learn. The components of running with the ball are HOW, WHEN, AND WHERE.

Keeping in mind that dribbling technique is very different from running with the ball; how do we run with the ball and what are the components of importance in developing this valuable ability?

The player's first touch should be with the instep (laces) of the front foot, enabling him to maintain a well-balanced running stride. The ball should be played well in front of you, of course, this is dependent on the space available. If the ball is not played well enough forward, then too many touches are required from the player and it will take longer to cover the ground. Too many touches requires the head to look down at the ball rather than where the head should be - up, assessing play in front and around you. One could give himself a rough guideline; that is to say, if you run a distance of 40 yards, then the amount of touches should not be more than three. The fewer the touches, the better the technical performance.

The most COMMON FAULT in running with the ball is to keep one's head down. It is very difficult to assess the movements of players on both the attacking and the defending team. The truth of the matter is, good decisions cannot be made without assessing situations and knowing what to do next. After developing the technique of keeping the head up, then we can make decisions. Basic rule of thumb is that a decision is made before each touch of the ball. These could be a number of things; a pass, dribble, shot, cross, turn, or even a change of direction. The important thing to remember is the execution of your decision must be POSITIVE. Indecision usually causes the loss of attacking momentum or even the loss of the initiative, which then begins to shift to the defending team.

WHEN to run with the ball is a decision that players must learn to understand. Often, players run with the ball without purpose or direction. This they do simply because the situation they see in front is not very clear, or they are running away from opponents. Therefore, before deciding to run with the ball, a player must ask himself three questions.

1. Is there a better alternative?
2. Is there enough space available?
3. Where is the run going and what should the end result be?

WHERE to run with the ball usually depends on the space available. It could be around the central position in the attacking third, for a shot, in a flank position where an early cross can be played, or in the middle third and defending third where the best option would be a pass. At times, a defender might run with the ball from his defending third into the middle or attacking third.

It is of great importance for all players, not only to develop this technique to perfection, but to understand the true value of its execution and performance.

Practice, practice, and more practice.