Videos
Handpicked videos to help you master the basics quickly.
Handpicked videos
A selection of clear English-language tutorials and explainers on football.
Football Skills
This Video Will Change The Way You Play Football Forever
A complete guide: dribbling, ball control, juggling, shooting and passing.
7MLC Training
10 Easy Ball Mastery Exercises for Beginners
Ten simple exercises to quickly improve your ball control.
Online Soccer Academy
How to Pass a Soccer Ball for Beginners
The right technique, body shape and timing for an accurate pass.
Football Tutorials
5 Shooting Techniques Explained
Five shooting techniques every attacker should know.
Football Explained
Offside Rule Explained in 5 Minutes
The offside rule — one of the trickiest — clearly explained.
Tips & Technique
Football is easy to understand, but the technique takes practice. Start with these fundamentals.
BEGIN HIER
Ball control (first touch)
Receive the ball with the inside of your foot and let it 'travel' in the direction you want to go. A soft first touch gives you more time and space.
TIP
Passing
Use the inside of your foot for short, accurate passes. Look up before you pass to see where your teammate is, and place the ball in front of their feet.
TIP
Dribbling
Keep the ball close to your feet with small touches. Use both feet and look up regularly to see where the space is, instead of always watching the ball.
TIP
Shooting
Place your standing foot next to the ball, strike it with your laces (the top of your foot) and follow through toward the goal. Lean slightly forward to keep the ball low.
TIP
Positional play
Don't stand still after passing the ball — move into open space so you can be found again. Football is a game of moving without the ball.
Rules
Football has a handful of core rules every beginner should know.
01
The pitch
A football pitch is between 90-120m long and 45-90m wide (professional pitches are usually 105x68m). Each goal is 7.32m wide and 2.44m high.
02
Eleven against eleven
A team has eleven players, including a goalkeeper. Youth and recreational football is often played with smaller teams, such as seven against seven.
03
Offside
An attacker is offside if they're closer to the opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent at the moment the ball is played.
04
Direct and indirect free kicks
A foul earns the fouled team a free kick. A direct free kick can be shot straight at goal; an indirect free kick must touch another player first.
05
Cards
A yellow card is a warning; two yellows in one match mean a red card. A red card means the player is sent off for the rest of the match.
06
Handball
A player (except the goalkeeper in their own penalty area) may not deliberately touch the ball with their hand or arm. This is punished with a free kick or penalty.
Match Duration & Result
| Situation | Name | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 90 minutes | Duration | Two halves of 45 minutes, with a half-time break. |
| Most goals | Winner | The team with the most goals after 90 minutes wins. |
| Draw | Points (league) | In a draw both teams get 1 point; a win is worth 3, a loss 0. |
| Extra time | Overtime | In cup competitions, a tied score leads to 2x 15 minutes of extra time. |
| Penalty shootout | Decider | If still tied after extra time, a penalty shootout decides the match. |
Drills
Most football drills can be done alone or with a partner.
01
Ball control against a wall
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Kick the ball against a wall and calmly control it each time with different parts of your foot.
- Stand 3-4 metres from the wall.
- Kick the ball straight at the wall.
- Control it with the inside, outside or your chest.
- Play it straight back.
- Switch feet every 10 reps.
02
Cone dribbling course
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Set up 5-6 cones (or other objects) in a line and dribble through them in a slalom.
- Place the cones 1.5 metres apart.
- Dribble with small touches between the cones.
- Use both feet to steer the ball.
- Look up as much as possible instead of at the ball.
- Repeat and try to go faster each time without touching the cones.
03
Passing in pairs
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Continuously play the ball back and forth with your partner using the inside of your foot.
- Stand 10 metres apart.
- Play the ball with the inside of your foot toward your partner's feet.
- Control the ball in one touch and play it straight back.
- Gradually increase the distance.
- Switch feet after 20 passes.
04
Shooting practice on goal
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Practise shooting on goal from different angles and distances.
- Place the ball 15-16 metres from the goal.
- Take a short run-up.
- Strike the ball with your laces and follow through.
- Aim for the corners of the goal.
- Repeat from different positions.
05
3-vs-1 possession game
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Three players try to keep possession of the ball while one player tries to win it.
- Mark out an area of roughly 10x10 metres.
- Three attackers pass the ball with a maximum of two touches.
- The defender tries to intercept the ball.
- Switch roles when the ball is won.
- Focus on quick passing and moving into open space.
Glossary
Football has its own vocabulary. Find all the terms you'll encounter as a beginner.
Progress
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