ATTACKING FUNDAMENTALS
Principles and development of a player’s game skills
TECHNIQUE
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Feetʼs contact surFace
upper body
arms
The toeʼs impact zone is central (intersection of the two middle lines) on the ball.
The upper body shape is linked to the position of the ball. It is above the ball (ball below), behind the ball (ball far) or sideward the ball (lateral ball).
The upper limbsʼ function is balance and defense/protection. Proper use of the upper limbs will help the players save possession against opponents and, once kicked, the ball will be included in tactical contexts.
Head It leans forward (looking at the ball).
Table 6 - Foot toe kicks.
Foot heel kick
Itʼs an emergency tool to kick the ball in difficult situations. Itʼs often inaccurate due to the narrow contact surface and impact area of the foot, but itʼs also a tool to mislead potential opponents.
run-up It is usually not used.
support Foot
Feetʼs contact surFace
upper body
It is often still (apart from one-touch heel passes), and it moves close to the ground. The support foot is on the side of the ball. If the ball is in the air, thereʼs no precise sequence, and the support foot takes the position allowed by the momentary situation.
If the ball is on the ground, it performs a quick and very short swing of the leg (knee-foot), and it doesnʼt continue the swinging motion after the contact. The foot is parallel to the ground. If the ball is in the air, it looks for the ballʼs contact at the right momentum with concise swing movement (knee-foot). The flexed knee directs the foot.
If the ball is still or approaching the ground, the contact surface is the backheel. If the ball is in the air, the outer part of the heel is more likely to hit the ball.
If the ball is still or approaching the ground, the trunk is naturally upright. If the ball is in the air, the heel will hit the ball on the opposite side, thanks to the backward momentum of the kicking limb.
arms They are balancing factors.
Head The head (view) is on the ball.
Table 7 - Foot heel kicks.
Foot sole kick
This kick sends the ball toward very short distances. Every player should remember that this kind of kick creates “open ball” situations for the opponent.
run-up
support Foot
KicKing Foot
upper body
arms
Short run-up, with short steps to get closer to the ball.
It is sideward and backward to the incoming ball; the toes face the kickʼs objective point before hitting the ball. It is slightly bent.
It performs a thigh slight flexion movement, by a slight forward movement of the leg (knee-foot). The sole gives the necessary impulse and it quickly goes back to the ground for the next action.
Itʼs tilted slightly back to the ball for the back position of the support foot. It starts to realign due to the kicking foot returning to the ground.
The upper limbsʼ function is balance and defense/protection. Proper use of the upper limbs will help the players save possession against opponents and, once kicked, the ball will be included in tactical contexts.
Head
Table 8 - Foot sole kicks.
Half volley kick
The ball comes from different heights, so the half volley kick should be performed in different ways, and the player must kick just after the ball has touched the ground. Half volley kicks exploit the ballʼs strength while rebounding and the impulse of the playerʼs kick.
The head is naturally upright. The technical evolution should take the player from a ball-objective process to an objective-ball perspective, determining the ability to focus on the situation of play (visual sense-perception). inside Foot
Run-up is similar to the inside step kick. Support foot movement is similar to the instep kick, apart from a slight increase in bending and more following relaxation. Kicking foot flexion (knees) is slightly wider while the swinging movement is shorter. The foot is rotated by 90° and the toe points upwards. The feetʼs contact surface is similar to the inside step kick. The upper body position allows wider coverage of the ball. The arms perform the same function as in the instep foot kick. Head is viewing the ball to calculate its trajectory and strength, setting the time of action before looking at the objective.
Picture 12 - Escaping the marker.
The other usual factors, as always in soccer, are time and space.
Where to go if the ball still has to be received?
Where to receive the ball?
Where to go with the ball?
Where is the opponent?
When to come into action?
When to receive the ball?
When to dribble the ball away from the defender?
When is the opponent fully active?
Table 16 - Potential choices of a receiving player related to time and space.
Space and time are crucial even concerning the 1 v 1 duel with the ball, but in different ways; the space factor is about where to go to dribble past the opponent, and time refers to the moment when to perform the action to dribble past the opponent. When the attacker must receive against the defender, time and space factors are doubled; when to move to escape the marker, when to meet the ball, and where to go to escape the marker after receiving.
