Trapping is one of the most important elements when it comes to caching about soccer skill drills. Let me give you a brief insight into the same.
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The Foot
It is very important for the coach to teach players how to use the foot to ‘capture’ balls descending, near or on the ground. For this, the players should get in front of the ball. They should learn to extend the leg and foot forward of the body, anticipating the arrival of the ball.
When the ball meets the foot, the coach needs to teach the players how to pull the leg back to slow the ball, or ‘cushion’ the ball. The ball will carom off the foot and out of control of the player if they do not pull back their foot. If you are coaching a team of younger players, it is better to start with the inside of the foot.
An expert coach knows that this is the largest and most forgiving area of the foot and it will make the younger players learn the things more comfortably. However, if you are coaching a team of more advance players, you can practice trapping with the instep or top of the foot and both inside and outside of the foot. You should teach the players how to eventually advance to using the shin and ankle for higher or wildly bouncing balls.
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The Thigh
The thigh has a larger size and contains higher fatty tissue. Therefore, an expert coach knows that thighs could be a very effective method for trapping both slow and fast airborne passes below the chest. Have the player get in front of and square to the incoming ball.
Teach them to stand on one foot and raise the other knee and thigh to meet the ball. Once contacted, the players should quickly drop the knee, allowing the ball to shortly ‘stick’ to the thigh. This practice should be continued until the ball rolls from the thigh to the feet.
When it comes to teaching trapping while coaching soccer skill drills, the theory for the chest theory is the same as the thigh, but execution is slightly different.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of soccer skill drills. His web site, Coaching Youth Soccer Training Drills: www.SoccerDrillsTips.com, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles,
resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.
