25 Midfielder Soccer Tips

Remember that doing things on this list once are not enough, it takes repetition and thousands of hours invested to become a truly great midfielder. Practice can fine tune the skills mentioned below and will take your game to another level. You need to pay the price and earn the reward of becoming a great midfielder. Here are the 25 tips.

1. Build cardiovascular endurance with runs and aerobic training. A midfielder is required to cover a number of miles during each game.
2. Increase your speed and explosiveness. Use plyometric training and sprint work to increase your ability to travel quickly over short distances, an important aspect of midfield play.
3. Increase your physical strength with weight training. Midfield can be a crowded area and you should have the ability to hold off opponents while you control and pass the ball under pressure.
4. Develop the ability to trap and pass with both feet. Pressure can come from all angles in midfield, and you must be able to use the foot furthest from the defender and move the ball out of pressure.
5. Develop your first touch. Spend 30 minutes to one hour every day working on your touch on the ball. You must be able to deal with bouncing balls, or receive passes under defensive pressure with losing possession to be a great soccer midfielder.
6. Practice accurate short range passing. Use the side of your foot to pass accurately over short distances and keep possession for your team.
7. Work on your passing range. Develop the ability to drive long passes using your laces over distances of at least 20 to 30 yards. This will allow you to stretch the opposing defense and create open spaces on the field for your teammates.
8. Improve your tackling ability. Whether you see yourself as a defensive oriented player or not, you must be able to win possession from the other team. Practice tackling and ask your coach to help you improve.
9. Track the run of your opponent. When your team is out of possession, you must take responsibility for your opponent whenever he or she chooses to join the attack. Failure to do so will mean your defenders behind you become outnumbered.
10. Cut off passing lanes, if you are providing cover to your teammates, position yourself so passes cannot easily be rolled into the feet of the strikers behind you.
11. Learn to trap a ball with all body surfaces. Midfielders will receive balls in all manners, and will have to deal with smooth passes as well as bouncing deflected balls in order to consistently keep possession for your team.
12. Practice your heading and learn to head balls while jumping at their highest point. Midfielders will often battle it out for goal kicks or goalkeepers punts in the air, having the ability to win these balls will make you valuable to your team.
13. Show patience in your style of play. A short pass backwards or sideways can be more valuable than a forced ball forward if your team keeps possession.
14. Switch play from sideline to sideline. If you receive the ball from the left sideline, that is where the defensive pressure will be, pass the ball to the other sideline to stretch out the opposition defense.
15. Take your first touch away from pressure. Rather than simply trapping the ball in front of you, turn your body and touch the ball away from defensive pressure.
16. Develop your crossing ability. Both wingers and central midfielders can find themselves in possession out wide in dangerous areas. Learn to provide dangerous crosses to provide goal scoring chances for your forwards.
17. Look around you BEFORE you receive the ball. Knowing your intentions before you trap the ball increases your vision and allows you to perform one touch passes.
18. Communicate with your teammates. Let your teammates know when to cover an open opposing player, or when to make a run to get open.
19. Shoot when you have the opportunity. If you are in possession and under no pressure in shooting range, strike the ball on target.
20. Practice your shooting with plenty of repetitions. Take 50 shots after practice from 18 to 25 yards out. If you play wide midfield, practice cutting in from your side and shooting.
21. Join the attack when the ball goes forward, aim to outnumber the opposition 3v2 or 2v1 as you join the attack.
22. Work with the other midfielders so one goes and one stays. For example, if both central midfielders run into the opposing penalty area, your team will be extremely vulnerable if you turn the ball over.
23. Clarify your role with your coach. Ask questions about your roles when the team is attacking and defending.
24. Move off the ball to get open, there should be a clear lane between you and the ball so a pass can easily be fed to you without risk of interception.
25. Lead by example, midfielders should be involved in every aspect of the game. Move and shout loudly asking for the ball at all opportunities, demand the same of your teammates.