7 Technical Elements every player should be working on

Every team that I ever coached, there was always one player that popped the question: “What can I be doing to improve my game?” While it is true that the answer differs for every player, I’d always point them in the direction of a wall. YES, A WALL. Passing back and forth, receiving and hitting a target, repetition is the sexy secret to developing the golden touch. Make no mistake about it. I point any and all of my success at an early age to a run-down hand ball court in a beautiful neighborhood of Culver City. Repetition is the simplest advice I offer. Yet when you really begin to think of the components of a good player, and break down those core elements, there are 7 key ingredients every player should strive to improve upon:

1. The Touch

   This is the foundation, the key that unlocks the other doors. Without the ability to properly control and receive a ball, mastering the other elements becomes a shot in the dark. So whether you’re working on your touch with a partner, with a wall, or following one of the dope juggling patterns on my Instagram (@coachcollazos) the way forward is reps. Just like Malcolm Gladwell said, somewhere around 10,000 reps makes you a contender. He said something like that right? When decent ball mastery is developed, that’s when the fun really begins. As players progress competitively, we explore questions like, “How can I receive facing play?” Or “Is my first touch positive and efficient?”

2. Passing

   It’s so important that a player knows how to deliver a good ball with both feet. Often underestimated, we hit poor balls because the timing of our contact, or the plant foot is stepping at the wrong angle, or sometimes our hips are out of line. Passing a ball should not go unexamined, even at higher levels. As you become more competitive in the sport, there is a higher demand to hit longer passes and quicker passes with all parts of your foot! Get reps in, get accurate! Five feet away from a target is too far. A missed pass is a missed opportunity at a chance towards goal.

3. Dribbling

   If soccer is an art form, then dribbling is the creative juice that fuels it. Dribbling is my favorite part of the game, and also the recurring reason that will get me in trouble. No question, dribbling is needed for any player. Can you take small, accurate touches in tight space? What about measured touches forward in bigger space? Can you keep the eyes up? Can you beat your opponent with a change of speed? A change of direction? These are all questions I love to explore in my sessions. I can think of a thousand drills of how to make players better with the ball, but similar to the other elements, reps are required. As the game is getting faster, we see players not only able to keep a ball between their feet but drive forward in bigger spaces in a matter of seconds.

4. Turning

   Turning doesn’t make most player evaluations, but as the speed of the game progresses, turning becomes the start of any lethal attack. While turning on an inside foot, an outside foot, or a back foot is essential for any high level player, it is the scan before the turn that becomes so important. As competing soccer players, we have to constantly be aware of our surroundings on the field. The best players can detect the space they have behind them before they get the ball, and the ‘even better’ players can turn and take this space, creating a solid chance on goal. For more on this, go check out Xavi or Busquet’s masterclass YouTube videos on scanning. Soccer is played with vision.

5. Heading

   Heading is just as much part of the game as anything else, and whether you’re a five foot winger or a six foot center back, you must have the ability to time a ball (EYES OPENED) with your forehead. It is such a crucial element to winning first and second balls on the field. It can also make the difference in a chance on goal. Just ask Karim Benzema.

6. Tackling

   So you’ve done the job to properly delay an opponent and their decision making. You pressured at the right time, and not to mention, with great coverage and balance from your teammates. Now it is time to destroy. Winning the ball can be intimidating, especially if you lack game experience in this category. However, experienced players know how to throw their body in to a tackle at the right time and come out successfully with the ball.

7. Finishing

   The beautiful thing about finishing is that there is never one correct answer to it, but definitely a few wrong ones. It is the mother of extremes, and the decider of games and human emotion. You find yourself in front of goal and you are forced to make a decision. You miss the goal, and you are laughed at for the next 3 days, but hit the back of the net and you go from zero to hero pretty quickly. All players should have the ability to drive a ball with their laces. All players should have the ability to place a ball on goal with the inside foot. Yet the players that are able to keep the most composure while making these decisions are usually the most successful. At the youth level, driving the soccer ball may still be foreign, but just like anything else, developing the power to hit a ball is an acquired skill.

All of these technical elements are important. Various players have strengths in different elements. I’m elite at dribbling and turning, but have never been the best at finishing on goal. What do you grade yourself on each element? Can you improve your weaknesses? And make your strengths second nature?