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9 fundamental skills of football

A player in the current FIFA world cup is expected to perform and have a lot of skills. The same cannot be said for everyone. We bring you down 5 essential aspects that players must possess to succeed in this game and be successful. Let’s get started!

1. Knowledge Of Details

Football is an extremely fast paced sport. There are many things happening at once, including changes in equipment, different tactics and strategies, and changes to squads. It is not uncommon for professionals to change teams twice or three times in their careers. This constant switching between high-performing squad members can lead to lost time, as well as more training and competition among teammates. In addition, when someone steps away from one role, others may lack the skill set needed to play another position. If this happened with an existing defender, then this could become even worse. Therefore, it is crucial for every team in the field to know what they are doing as well as how to use new pieces of equipment.

2. Good Physical fitness

A majority of the goals in football involve running, jumping, passing, tackling, and blocking. All these components require great physical strength; therefore, if players want to excel in any of them, they must develop their muscles through regular exercise. Playing soccer does not only require immense amounts of energy, but also requires endurance in order to keep playing. Thus, being physically fit will make your playing life much easier, give you better stamina, and help you play harder. As the body gets stronger and healthier, so do the mind and emotions. It becomes difficult to lose your focus in a competitive environment without good health. For example, if a goalkeeper gives up trying to block shots, he will find his efforts becoming useless and will start loosing concentration. Such occurrences might cause him to throw balls off balance or pass a long distance to a teammate who has done that. On top of that, the goalkeeper might have difficulty catching a ball while dribbling near a goal. All these factors can lead to poor decision making, which can put defenders at a disadvantage. Hence, physical fitness is extremely important for all players to achieve success in football.

3. Communication

Football requires tremendous communication skills. Whether you are using verbal communication, visual/auditory communication, handshaking, gestures, facial expressions, etc., proper communication is vital to understand instructions, play well as a team or individual, stay on target, etc. Without effective communication, there will be no cohesion in squads and no teamwork in matches. However, it is important for every team to learn how to communicate properly. Some simple examples include “Good morning sir” and “Good afternoon Sir”, giving each other praise after scoring goals, asking the referee if you can go further, etc. These small nuances indicate understanding, and players should understand what they intend within the context of their situation. Furthermore, some people might misinterpret messages of respect or appreciation for mistakes their opponent makes. So, it is imperative that coaches teach their players basic communication skills.

4. Teamwork

A number of studies have shown that collaboration is necessary to win games. Not having friends and family around you on the sidelines makes it easy to drift apart and create problems for team mates. Since the players do not always have the experience of communicating and working together on the pitch, most likely some players will try and outmaneuver or bully their team mates. When such attempts happen, players struggle to see eye-to-eye and work to resolve issues they are having. Even though you may not make a direct impact on your opponent, you cannot expect your team mates to support you if you don’t show your own self. Being able to see the bigger picture, listen to others and cooperate in ways that benefit both parties will help your entire party to excel. Additionally, research suggests that sports can increase creativity by encouraging teamwork. So, being a team player would give you the ability to solve problems, take initiative, and collaborate effectively. Consequently, we can conclude this point by noting that teamwork goes a long way in improving performance in football.

5. Time Management

Time management is crucial for those working in professional fields. Because of the number of activities and deadlines required of anyone working in this field, making decisions quickly is critical. If you don’t manage your time wisely, then you are unlikely to be productive at all. Also, it is possible to end up wasting time because you get distracted about minor matters. Getting back on task, staying focused and disciplined are imperative to helping you accomplish significant tasks. Unfortunately, people are often overwhelmed by too much information or busy with various activities, so the majority of people simply forget to plan how efficiently they spend their time, leading to missed deadlines, missed meetings, and other time wasters. According to a study conducted by Stanford University, individuals who work for 40 minutes a day tend to be better at managing their time than someone who works for 45 minutes a day; however, that doesn’t mean they are lazy. No matter how busy you think you are, taking 30 seconds to concentrate and take a few deep breaths can save you from unnecessary stress. Therefore, it is always advisable to stay on track. Another key factor here is knowing how long to dedicate to specific commitments, as the human mind usually craves the immediate gratification of achieving something rather than the longer term benefits, and in extreme cases, it causes procrastination to work. By deciding that you need 5 minutes to complete an assignment, you prevent yourself from getting sidetracked.

6. Proper Discipline

Discipline is the foundation for creating winning teams and competing at the highest levels. To enhance discipline, coaches might impose rules on players and hold them accountable for certain actions. Usually rules are enforced for specific situations, like hitting a specific amount of goals per match, breaking certain penalties, and not fouling opponents. The result of this approach is that there is less personal freedom and more controlled and limited action. Players follow these rules because to break them leads to losing points. Any team can easily beat a weaker team if they manage to control their own destiny. They need to have control over their own results and actions in order to compete at the highest level. Moreover, a significant number of teams in tournaments come from clubs not qualified for international competitions (e.g. lower league). Often, even minor misconducts like abusing the coach or teammates are perceived highly, so they are punished accordingly. Despite this, punishment does not necessarily motivate players to improve and build into high-performing teams. Although punishments are meant to discourage bad behavior, the fact that they cause stress adds up to their disadvantages in the long run. And finally, punishment may not result in positive outcomes for a team. Instead, it creates anger as players fear missing out again, making things hard for them next weekend, so they might try again. Therefore, discipline is paramount for teams to reach greatness. Otherwise, it can negatively affect performance.

7. Stronger Ties Between Players

The significance of strong relationships amongst teammates is vital to the final outcome. Strong bonds between teammates are a reflection of mutual trust. Trust is essential for building a bond and developing a sense of responsibility amongst teammates; therefore, if teammates believe that they can rely on one another on the pitch, they do better. Additionally, in case of injuries, missing practices, or other unexpected circumstances, teammates are already feeling insecure about themselves and their abilities. Having teammates who share this anxiety allows them to feel motivated and help each other grow in the face of adversity. Weak ties also provide a forum where different opinions can be presented and discussed, bringing up areas for improvement. Coaches and players alike will look to strengthen bonds. One common tactic used amongst footballers is the formation of groups. Teams are formed based on age and sex, and each group consists of two to four teammates, who are allowed to take part in team drills. Individuals form larger groups during practice sessions and leave smaller groups for games. After games, these smaller groups join up again for a meeting at the bus, and then they all move to separate rooms to discuss their experiences. In this manner, strong bonds can form between teammates. But, to ensure that unity continues, the group leader needs to remain engaged and invested in the group.

8. Commitment & Empathy

Players’ commitment and empathy towards fellow players is pivotal to their success on the pitch. An important element of healthy football is creating a conducive environment for growth and mental wellbeing. Players who maintain a healthy relationship with their teammates and can empathize with their needs, expectations, and fears will have a greater chance of accomplishing their objectives and performing to the best of their ability. In contrast, players who suffer from serious psychological disorders like depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia will exhibit reduced effort on the pitch and possibly fail in the future. People often confuse feelings with reality: “I feel sad when I miss a kick or miss a shot, but how can that happen? How can they hurt me?” Feelings are a result of events that occurred during the last 18 months, whereas, facts are real consequences. Both feelings and reality must be treated equally. Understanding and respecting both feelings and facts will help you to cope with stressful moments and understand how to handle the ups or downs.

9. Goal Attainment

Goal attainment is arguably the single most important thing in football. Each player strives for better performances and higher standards. Goals are important for maintaining motivation and staying focused on the goal. Every athlete aims to achieve excellence in their area of speciality. At the very beginning, players have an awareness of their strengths, weakness, needs, and abilities in regards to their ability to make a difference on the pitch. Then, they attempt to exploit these gaps. Later, they aim to turn these weaknesses into strengths, gradually learning to transform their shortcomings into their greatest assets. Ultimately, they aim to attain the best versions of themselves, which are also considered successes. As mentioned