How to Kick a Soccer Ball

Ways to kick a ball are limited only to the amount of surface area on the foot. However, the basics must be mastered before any other fancy footwork can develop. The two most basic ways to kick a ball include using the inside of the foot, more often used for passing the ball, and the laces, more desirable for longer, higher passes and shooting. The keys to accuracy, power, and height for both methods reside in the plant foot, the kicking foot, the follow through and body position.

Instep Kick:

1. Plant Foot: The non-kicking foot is placed next to and directly even with the ball a comfortable distance to the side allowing for a smooth swing with the kicking leg. The toe of this foot should point to the intended path of the ball.
2. The Kicking Foot: The toe of the kicking foot is pointed outward (perpendicular to the plant foot) so contact with the ball occurs on the inside of the foot by the arch. The ankle of the kicking foot must be locked. This means that from the back swing of the kicking leg all the way to the follow-through the toe stays pointed out and the foot remains firm. It's like a stiff metal bar is connected from the toe to the knee so the foot is not flopping around after contact with the ball has been made. The foot should come in contact with the mid-line, or equator, of the ball. If the kick occurs too far below the line, the scoop-affect occurs where the ball is lifted and flung into the air.
3. The Follow-through: Keep the leg in its forward motion even after the ball has been kicked; this is the follow-through. The ankle should still be locked so the swing is steady and firm. This will help with both power and accuracy.
4. Body Position: The instep pass should result in a ball low to the ground if done correctly, since it is generally used for short, quick passes. This is achieved not only by kicking the midline of the ball, but by keeping the chest and shoulders over the ball. Leaning back can cause the foot to lift the ball in the air on the follow-through and result in a high pass. Notic in the picture to the right.  The players body is over the ball.

Laces Kick:

1. Plant Foot: The non-kicking foot serves the same purpose as with the instep pass, but it may be a bit more behind the ball to allow for a longer and stronger swing before contact.
2. The Kicking Foot: The toe for this kick is pointed to the ground and is in line with the knee, which is pointing toward the target. The ankle still needs to be locked and remain so for the follow-through (no feet flopping in the wind). This is what puts power behind the kick as well as keeps the ball low to the ground. Pointing the toe up after contact with the ball usually means the foot came from under the ball and scooped it up into the air, resulting in a lift instead of a drive.
3. Follow Through: This can be the same as the instep pass, however, some people find that they can put more force behind the ball if they land on their kicking foot instead of staying on the plant foot for the entire kick. This strategy also ensures a quicker restart for the kicker as the kick becomes part of the run.
4. Body Position: If more height is desired, lean slightly back on contact. If a low ball is necessary, keep the knee of the kicking foot and the chest over the ball.

Note: There is more freedom with height for the laces kick. Since it should have more power and cover more distance it will most likely be higher in the air than with an instep pass. Too much height may give it a little less distance, but a low ball, even a forceful one, is at greater risk of interception. Generally, somewhere in the middle is ideal, though individual situations will dictate what is most appropriate.

Remember:

1. Point to target with plant foot
2. Keep ankle of kicking foot locked
3. Keep chest over ball

…And the result is a low, powerful, and accurate kick.

Practice Ideas:

For all of these drills, the distance between passers will determine the type of kick to use. If practice is needed for the instep pass, players will be closer together. For the laces kick, simply increase the distance between the players.

All Alone

1. Practice the form by repeatedly kicking a ball against a wall.

Partner

1. Basic: While perfecting the kick, stand across from a partner and pass a ball back and forth, focusing on keeping it low and on target with the right amount of force.
2. Make it a game: place cones half-way between the two players and have them keep track of the number of times they accurately pass the ball on the ground through the cones. Decrease the width of the cones to increase level of difficulty.
3. Adding Movement: For a more realistic practice, partners can pass while moving around the field, either in a set pattern up and down (good for younger players) or just randomly.
4. Make it a game: Cones can be added around the field (placed close together as a mini goal) and players see how many points they can get in a set amount of time by passing through the sets. They cannot go through each set more than once at a time.

Team

1. Basic: Have two lines facing each other (best in smaller groups of 3 to 5 players). The front person on one side passes the ball to the front player on the other side then runs to the back of the opposite line, careful not to get in the way of the ball. The receiving front player passes the ball immediately back to the new front person in the opposite line and also runs to the back of that line. Passing continues in this ping-pong motion with players running to the end of the other line after they kick the ball.
Adding Movement: The two lines gradually move further and further apart to practice longer kicks and then move close together again like an accordion without stopping the passing and running. Designed using Coachfx
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1. Shooting on Frame: A passer stands a little above the arc on the penalty box facing a line of players about 8 feet away.  1)The front player kicks the ball to the passer using (instep) 2)The player runs at an angle towards the goal 3) The middle player passes to the runner (instep) 4)The runner takes a shot on goal (laces)

Designed using Coachfx

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1. Combining Short and Long: This drill requires at least four people who will divide up into two lines facing each other and one person in between. The two lines need to be far enough away to require a kick with the laces to get the ball to the other side. The ball starts on the side with the most people.  Click the view the Drill image for an animated image created with Coachfx.

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