Improving Soccer Skills With Soccer Training Gear

                

 

The main objective when playing the game of soccer is to score a goal in the opposing teams? net and bypassing the goalie. This skill requires a great deal of practice, and a certain portion of muscle training and memory that needs to be acquired over time. With the proper soccer training gear, this goal can be accomplished, while improving other aspects of a player?s soccer skills as well.

New technology in the field of sports training is constantly improving and expanding, but growing as a player ultimately comes down to the fundamentals and repetition. One soccer training device eliminates much of the time spent on retrieving out-of-play balls, allowing practice to become easier as a solo activity, rather than having a constant need to either chase balls yourself, or have a partner do it for you. This simple training device allows more time to be spent on practicing the basics of kicking, and goal placement.

Strength and endurance is another key aspect for all players to possess in order to be optimal soccer players, since a great majority of the 45 minute halves is spent running up and down the soccer field. The ability to outrun an opponent is crucial, and another soccer training device can aide players in doing just that. A rubber band-like cord that ties around the athletes waste, and is secured into the ground, offers resistance training and explosiveness when it comes to racing an opponent on the soccer field.

For some of the skills necessary to become an improved soccer player, training gear may not even be necessary. Going back to the skills learned as a child when first taught how to play the game of soccer, may be some of the best training equipment one can have. Practicing juggling and controlling the ball, quick feet to ball movements, and even just dribbling the ball while running can be some of the best training gear an athlete can have. The saying goes ?Practice makes perfect?, but essentially, it?s more along the lines that ?Practice make permanent?. Repetition and control over the soccer ball without even having to think about it is what will make anyone a better soccer player.

Dana Bradley writes about Pros sport Memorabilia coupons and Fans Edge Coupon Codes.

Betting Situation: Soccer Match-fixings in Serie A in the Shadow

                

 

-> Betting Highlights on tricky bets of the day and the valuebets on Sunday 14 of May. Released by sportbetting guru ecobika.

Weekend Soccer Gambling Bonanza Part 2. The target: your money. The killers: the match-fixing gamefixings players from Germany to Italy and Turkey. It is a shame, but I repeat myself: do not be fool today. Only a few games is relevant, the others only played somehow. Maybe the matchup of the day is Brentford v Swansea in League One Playoff . The first leg ended 1-1 in Swansea -> Brentford to win, or a safer bet: -> Brentford to qualify. Are you suprised that the matchup of the day is in England lower league? Look at the other games, Italy Serie A is loud about matchfixing gamefixing scandals, with referees, players involved. In the last season -> 29 out of 38 games of Juventus was matchfixing - wrote the Italian media. And what is the menu in the last round in this year? Juventus only need a point in Reggina for the Scudetto. Milan's goaldifference is much better and no ,,pareggio" in this season, so the only option for Milan: to beat Roma and hoping Reggina to beat Juve. No, this is impossible. -> Milan v Roma 2 AH 0:0. This bet is winner, if Roma wins, moneyback on draw. Do not forget: if Roma wins, and Fiorentina only draw in Verona against Chievo, Roma jumps to the Champions League wagoon, not Fiorentina on the 4th spot!

Germany Bundesliga2 is about big excitement. 4 teams are involved in the fight for the 3rd place, which means Bundesliga1, but only will qualify. And 2 of the 4 are playing against each other: Freiburg v F?rth. Ecobika's idea: -> Freiburg to win, but if Cottbus wins v 1860 M?nich, Cottbus is promoted, regardless what happens with the fourth team involved, Karlsruhe. -> Cottbus and very inform Karlsruhe (v Paderborn) to win. A few idea: -> just look at this hot picks results.

Only the last round decides the champion in Turkey! -> Galatasaray or Fenerbahce?. I do not know. An easy looking bankerbet: Portugal Cup final, Porto v Setubal -> Porto to win.

-> European Basketball betting. Only the regular season second place and 8th place (yet playoff) on stake in Spain ACB league. Check gamebookers' Barcelona v Tau -> Barcelona to win and overtake Tau. Unicaja is already champion of regular season, whatever it plays vs Juventud! Semifinals (Halbfinale) in Basketball Bundesliga, the first games, -> Alba Berlin and Bamberg to win.

Tennis betting, and as generally, ecobika's advice: do -> bet tennis, Rome ATP -> Federer to win the final. Nadal is one of the very few players, who can win against Fedex!

-> The MLB baseball season started a few weeks ago and most of the MLB moneylines are good bets, if you play simple the favorites with gamebookers' odds! Or do the homework on -> under/overs yourself! And ecobika will present you a winner baseball formula, keep an eye there well below article!

Last but not least, the goldmine:AFL Australian Football League already 6th round. Saturday AFL games not easy to predict, but West Coast was really easy banker at home. An other AFL banker -> Kangaross v Adelaide Crows, Crows to win. Wake up early or bet late, starts 07.10 CET.

However, the ball is round, good luck with your soccer picks. Bet with confidence, bet with gamebookers ecobika do the same. -> Betting Highlights on tricky bets of the day and the valuebets on Sunday 14 of May. Released by sportbetting guru ecobika

Major League Soccer - Then and Now

                

 

With it's primary goal to be the world's most competitive and prestigious soccer league, along with one of America's premier sports and entertainment properties, Major League Soccer is a large part of worldwide soccer news and is making great strides toward accomplishing it's objective. With 6 teams making up the Eastern Conference and an equal number featured in the Western Conference, Major League Soccer is going strong with 12 clubs in only it's 11th season.

However, soccer news recalls that the league has made great achievements since it's inception in 1993. It's inaugural season began in 1995 and soccer news stirred around the new formation of teams, event locations and new players. In 1996, soccer news reported the League's first player draft and spring training. As attendance continued to grow, ESPN began televising soccer news and popularity soared across the nation. During this year, more soccer news reports and members of the media began covering MLS events. Supporters turned out in large fashion to catch a glimpse of their favorite teams and players.

In 1998, Major League Soccer underwent it's first expansion season, which meant big changes for the League. With the addition of two teams, which brought the club count from it's original 10 to the 12, soccer news introduced the latest League members as Chicago and Miami. Both teams proved powerful during their first year as they advanced to the playoffs. The following year, in 1999, Columbus Crew Stadium officially opened as the first major league stadium in the United States that was constructed specifically for soccer. It's presence paid off as thousands of fans packed the house to watch featured competitions.

In 2002, Major League Soccer removed 2 of their 12 clubs from the roster and once again returned to 10 teams. Tampa Bay and Miami were no longer League teams, but were replaced in 2004 with other expansion teams. Real Salt Lake and Club Deportivo Chivas USA joined the League and brought the club number back up to it's current 12 teams.

The clubs of Major League Soccer consist of both domestic and international competitors. With such a diverse roster, players are constantly being featured in soccer news magazines, soccer news televised programs and interviews.

Today, Major League Soccer continues to gain in popularity in the United States and around the world. Cheering fans, exciting competitions and major soccer news coverage are among the many indications that Major League Soccer is here to stay.

SportsNews24h.com offers real time Major League Soccer news and many other sports news including Italian soccer news.

Soccer - The World's Most Popular Sport

                

 

Soccer is perhaps the world's favorite spectator sport, popularly known as "Football" in Britain and other European countries. This game can be as frustrating as golf, as physical as football and hockey, as erratic as baseball, and as exciting as basketball. No simple word can describe the popularity of the game, with a global television audience of 49 billion people for the 2002 World Cup alone. The game is exciting and highly addictive to watch and play.

Professional game rules require 11 players per team, 10 playing the field and one goalkeeper. With the use of a round ball, the matched is player with the two teams wearing shirts of different colors with distinctive soccer patches. The game is divided into two sets, each for 45 minutes long with the referee adding "extra time" based on time being wasted or play being stopped during the original 45 minutes. Usually, the extra time will be about one-to-three minutes.

A maximum of three substitutes may be used in any match played in an official competition organized under the auspices of the World Governing body Federation International Football Association (FIFA), the confederations or the national associations. However, in other competitions the rules must state how many substitutes may be nominated, from three up to a maximum of seven.

The decision regarding a match ending with a tie score usually depends on the actual type of game being player. There are times when the just simply ends in a tie score after the regular 90 minutes game plus any added time. On the other hand, a game ending with a tie score may lead into an overtime with an allotted time of extra play leading to penalty kicks, this usually occurs during a deciding game of a tournament. Each team is given five attempts to score on the opposing goalkeeper, the team with the highest score wins the game.

During a game, players are only allowed to wear soccer equipment and are prohibited to wear anything that may harm him as well as the other. This includes any kind of jewelry and other accessories. The basic soccer equipment of a player include a jersey or shirt with their distinctive soccer patches; shorts, if thermal under shorts are worn, it has to be the same main color as the shorts; stockings; and footwear, soccer shoes, boots, cleats.

There are instances that players may use extra equipments such as shin guards and headgears. The shin guards protect the leg below the knee and are completely covered by the stockings. These are either made of rubber, plastic, or similar substances. While the head gear are available to protect younger players when heading the ball.

For goalkeepers, they must wear a color that separates him from the other goalkeeper, players, the referee and the assistant referees.

There are four important details that one should know about the game before he is ready to play soccer. The first is that only the goalkeeper is allowed to use his hands, and this is only within the confines of the marked-off area surrounding the goal. When a player uses their hands on a ball, the opposing team gets a free kick from the spot of the violation.

The second vital information that you should remember about the game is that players are generally penalized for rough or unfair play with the use of cards. A yellow card is considered a stern warning, while a red card signifies a serious violation. Once a player receives a red card it means that he had been ejected from the game and cannot be replaced and that leaves the player's team with less players. Meanwhile receiving two yellow cards will equal to a red card, meaning the player will receive the same penalty.Peter Valentines's article on Soccer is one of a collection of topics and interests that he explores and researches carefully. Soccer Equipment.

The Need For Speed In Soccer

                

 

 by: Neil Travers

You only have to watch a senior professional game of football to recognise the importance that speed has in the game. But there is more to speed than meets the eye.

Soccer players are athletes, but unlike a 100m runner where there is explosive speed for 10 seconds in a straight line, there are many other abilities that soccer players need to develop.

Here are 5 key soccer related speed abilities that you should develop in your players.

1 - Speed of thought

Soccer players have a great deal to concentrate on. There senses are constantly being blitzed with information, which they need to quickly decipher. Here are some examples:

• Where opponents are positioned

• Actions of their team mates

• What's infront of them and their peripheral vision

• The conditions of the pitch and the weather

• The noise from team mates, crowd, coaches and opponents

• Their tactical position and the strategy of the team

2 - Speed of anticipation

Some players have a great reading of the game. I have a friend who although he is now in his late 40's early 50's still plays regularly and competes well with players half his age!

How does he do this... because he's played soccer all his life at professional and international level he has built a huge database in his brain of playing situations, player characteristics, tactical situations etc. and he is able to draw on this which gives him superb speed of anticipation.

Sure for explosiveness and reaction times the younger players would win every time, but as the old saying goes..."the first couple of yards are in the head!".

So here it is important that players develop a knack of interpreting the actions of the opponents and what that means to the games development.

3 - Speed of reaction

As mentioned in the last bullet, speed of reaction is vital.

Anticipation is one thing, being able to react quickly is another.

Consider the role of the goal keeper, their reaction time to a sudden shot, deflection, switch in angle of attack, flight of the ball must be very acute.

But how does a goal keeper react and what to? In this instance, the goal keeper will react to a number of external stimuli, here's a list:

• The visual element of the opponent with the ball, are they carrying it, have they got backlift as if ready to strike the ball, is the opponent in space and is their a clear line of sight on goal

• The auditory element, do they hear the strike of the ball, is it fizzing, does it take a deflection of a player (thud), a shout from a team mate, maybe a close opponent barracking the goalie " he's going to shoot!"

All of these stimuli will have an effect on the player.

Once stimulated the player should choose the best option available to them to react to that situation.

Again we will use the goalie;

If a shot is fizzing towards them low and hard, the pitch is wet and quick, and there are a number of players the ball has to go through before hitting the target, do they get down low anticipating a clear strike on goal, have quick feet and get their body in line with the expected flight path, do they dive towards the ball, kneel or hack the ball?

The answer to this question lies in the ability, confidence and experience of the player.

4 Speed of feet

Here we are talking about the basic running / sprinting motor skills.

Initial explosion and acceleration are vital to covering the ground quickly. Speed of feet is without the ball, and since it is without the ball it is rarely in a straight line.

Therefore, as a players progress is often inhibited by other players they must adjust and change direction in relation to their team mates actions and those of the opponents.

Explosive speed is generated from the leg muscles stretching and contracting to achieve maximum power, but good running technique, driving through the arms and co-ordination are also vital.

5 Skill speed

Watching a player run at pace and carry the ball is a truly awesome sight.

Sprinting full out while keeping possession and holding off any challenges from opponents to dribble and create an opportunity to shoot at goal is a tremendous ability.

This key skill though is still built on the last point which is speed of feet.

However, while a player may be very quick is only advantageous if their ball manipulation and technical skills are as up to speed as their pace (pardon the pun).

So, what can you do to help coach the 5 key speed principles?

1 Speed of thought - enable players to make their own decisions, that means give them lots of opportunites to make choices. Condition games so that it forces them to think.

Play soccer games with them, don't just do drill work. By playing games they will also gain experience which help them build their database from which to draw on.

Keep them motivated, players will not think unless they are motivated and stimulated to do so. Finally, let them be free of any fear and stress of making wrong decisions.

2 Speed of anticipation - play more soccer, coach them through the game.

Ask plenty of questions on how they are reading the game development.

Offer your insights into positions they have taken up in relation to opponents advances, both strengths and weaknesses.

3 Speed of reaction - use reaction balls, have goal keeper starting positions with their back to play and react to shots, play rebounds off walls.

Try not to use your whistle or command as the key for the reaction as this wouldn't happen in a real game so don't practice this way.

4 Speed of feet - always, always warm the muscles up before doing any speed work!

Do some sprints, keep it high intensity with short sharp bursts. Develop good running technique with the use of speed ladders and hurdles.

Try using some different starting positions to like standing, from a jump and land, on their back, on their stomach, incorporate turns, feints and directional changes.

5 Skill speed - make your training as game related as possible, focusing on speed with the ball, movement, game related distances and challenge.

Hopefully this has given you some good food for thought, enjoy your training! http://www.juniorsoccercoach.com

Neil Travers

Join our FREE soccer Tip of the Week and discover more hints, tips and techniques to improve your coaching and your teams performance. Vist Junior Soccer Coach today: - http://www.juniorsoccercoach.com

Junior Soccer Defending - Directing the Play

                

 

http://www.juniorsoccercoach.com
Do your players know whether to show an opponent inside or
outside when they are defending?
You may want to consider this tactic when coaching your
players. There are two schools of thought on this; One says
that your defenders should show the opponents outside
towards the touchline.
The reason for this is that if your player does get beat
then the opponent will still have to get a cross in. Also,
they should be at a more acute angle to get a shot on
target if they have been successfully pushed outside.

The alternative to this is showing the opponents inside,
towards goal. If this is to be your style of play then the
players need to be organised so that there is strength
inside. This can be a risky tactic if players are not
switched on or don't know where to best position
themselves.

Showing them inside would be a good tactic if you where
playing with five in defence with a good sweeper.

If your team lacks some direction on this tactic, then it
will be very difficult for them to get an organised shape
and take a position which is best suited to holding up or
breaking down an attack.

Both young and older players can be coached on this.

As players get older, and become more tactically aware
& proficient in defending techniques, they will be able to
influence the build up play and therefore your defensive
line can react, and adjust, by taking the lead off the first
defender.

Build this simple tactic into some small sided games in
training and watch the beneficial results on match day!
For more Junior Soccer help, drills, exercises and coach
development visit http://www.juniorsoccercoach.comand
join the free junior soccer tip of the week.
Or send a blank email to:
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