shake and bake

[frusciante1461]

my team (high school jv) does this drill a lot ( so ive been told, ive only done it once since this is my first year playing in high school) where there are 3 teams, 2 are passing and stuff, and one is chasing the ball. its basically keep away but with like 15 people. when i get the ball and need to make a move to get away from someone to get into a position where i can pass, i tend to choke sometimes. what are some good moves that will freeze someone a little bit if you know what i mean. any suggestions are welcome. thanks

[vanity_soccer13]

first you need to have your head up before you receive the pass to know where your teammates are so it's easier for you to find the next person to pass to.

a lot of times, just a simple little fake will work. i usually will get square to the ball, lunge or fake one direction, and take the ball away into space with the other foot. it'll get the defender off balance. and it's real simple.

[serieAfan89]

The point of this drill is to get rid of the ball quickly. if you develop a good first touch it will make everything easier for you, and you don't need to try to be flashy. Usually when we play this on my HS team we are only allowed 2 touches on the ball, so it really improves your vision, first touch, and all around passing pretty effectively.

as far as developing good first touch, i suggest juggling a LOT. it'll probably be frustrating in the beginning but you'll get the hang of it, and you can see an almost immediate improvement in your game as a result.

[rev17]

Vanity has the best advice so far. Get your head up. If you are even trying to make a move that probably means your decision making needs to be quicker. Good players in tight spaces know what they are going to do with the ball before they even get it. Soccer requires thinking a few passes ahead. One and two touch passing is probably what the coach is trying to teach you guys with this drill.

If you do need to keep the ball for an extra couple of seconds, I think you should focus on body positioning and shielding, rather than trying to burn the person 1 v. 1. (Especially since there are so many of you on the field at one time.) Think about it, even if you beat the first guy, there will be someone else coming after you right away. Since it is a JV team, im sure the players' positioning awareness isn't all that great. As a result, i can't imagine a second defender being more than a couple yards away. Im sure space is at a premium around the ball.

Anyways, I suggest always keep your body between the ball and the defender and don't be afraid to use your upper body (legally). Sometimes, the best move is just letting the ball come across your body before getting a touch, while you shield it from the defenders. Again, if you do this correctly and make sure your body is between the ball and the defender you may be able to turn and find more space/time.