If you aspire to play at a professional level you must master the basics of the game.
In this comprehensive guide, we will cover the basic fundamental football skills you need to equip yourself while
- Attacking
- Defending
- Throughout the entirety of the game
We will take each skill, its definition, the benefits, who makes use of it, and what to work on to improve the skill.
Let’s go through them one by one.
Basic fundamental football skills to master while attacking
1. First Touch (AKA Receiving the ball or Controlling the ball)
Definition: The player’s ability to receive the ball or get the ball under control with their first contact on the ball
Benefit: Helps you stay in control of the ball, manoeuvre it according to your will and maintain the possession of the ball
Who uses the skill: Goalkeepers, Defenders, Midfielders, Wingers, and Strikers
Work on: Receiving grounded and aerial passes using the inside of the foot, outside of the foot, laces, sole, toes, thigh, and chest. Practice receiving on both your left and your right foot
Players with exceptional first-touch: Ronaldinho[Brazil], Dennis Bergkamp [Netherlands], Lionel Messi [Argentina], Zinedine Zidane [France]
Verdict: First touch is the most significant and one of the first skills a player must master.
Tutorial: How to master your first touch skill
2. Striking the ball
Passing
Definition: The player’s action of kicking the ball to play it to a teammate
Benefits: Helps maintain possession of the ball, gain control of the play, and find your teammates at will. The opponent can get restless, incredibly frustrated, and more likely to make a rash or bad decision.
Who uses this skill: Goalkeepers, Defenders, Midfielders, Wingers, and Strikers.
Work on: Short, Medium and long-range passes. Practice passing with the inside of the foot, outside of the foot, back of the foot, laces, sole and toe. Work on wall passes, through passes, side passes, straight lines and diagonal passes. Practice on both your left and your right foot
Best Passers in World Football: Steven Gerrard [England], Kevin De Bryune[Belgium], David Silva [Spain], Andres Iniesta [Spain]
Verdict: After the first touch, passing is the next skill to master. Such is the importance of these two skills that you will survive on the pitch if you can only master these two skills
Shooting
Definition: The player’s action of hitting the ball to score a goal
Benefits: Goalscorers receive all the glory and plaudits. Scoring a goal skyrockets you and your team’s confidence and eases the nervous energy. Goals have the potential to change the momentum and mood of any team irrespective of whether they are in the lead or not
Who uses this skill: Midfielders, Wingers, Strikers
Work on: Finishing/scoring from close, medium and long-range distances. Use your laces, the inside, the outside of the foot, back heel, head and toes to finish. Scoring from dead ball situations (Free kicks and penalties). Practice scoring using both the left and the right foot
Best finishers in world football: Lionel Messi [Argentina], Cristiano Ronaldo [Portugal], Luis Suarez [Uruguay], Robert Lewandowski [Poland]
Best freekick takers in world football: Juninho Pernambucano [Brazil], Pele [Brazil], Ronaldinho [Brazil], Lionel Messi [Argentina], David Beckham [England]
Verdict: A position-specific and crucial skill to master. No other skill can change the mood and momentum of the game like scoring a goal
Heading
Definition: The player’s action of hitting the ball with their head to pass, shoot, guide or clear the ball towards the intended path
Benefits: Clear dangerous crosses outside the penalty area, pass to your teammate or score a goal
Who uses this skill: Majorly Defenders and Forwards. Midfielders in some capacity
Work on: Using the front and sides of your forehead to clear, pass or score a goal
Verdict: Heading is an extremely versatile skill for dealing with aerial balls. Due to concussion risks, this skill is introduced and learnt at the later stages of player development
3. Running with the ball
Dribbling in tight spaces
Definition: Running with the ball while maintaining close control to go past the defenders
Benefits: Unlock tight and organised defences. Create chaos in the final third. Forces defenders to move out of position. Gets the spectators on their feet with excitement
Who uses this skill: Wingers and Skillful Midfielders
Work on: Receiving the ball on the wider areas of the opponent’s defensive third and middle third and dribbling inside the penalty area
Best dribblers(tight spaces) in football: Lionel Messi [Argentina], Diego Maradona [Argentina], Ronaldo Nazario [Brazil], Ronaldinho [Brazil]
Verdict: Dribbling in tight spaces is the most difficult yet incredibly effective skill. Master this skill and you will make your opponents dance to your tune.
Dribbling in large spaces
Definition: Running with the ball at speed to attack free space
Benefits: Quickly get into the opponent’s defensive third to create goal-scoring opportunities for your teammates or score the goal
Who uses this skill: Wingers, Explosive Midfielders, Forwards
What to work on: Rapid acceleration up the pitch making use of large amounts of free space available. Ensure to finish that passage of play within 4 to 7 seconds
Best dribblers in football: Lionel Messi [Argentina], Gareth Bale [Wales], Cristiano Ronaldo [Portugal]
Verdict: An extremely potent skill in counter-attacking situations
4. 1v1 skill moves
Definition: The player’s ability to use fake, feints or change of direction moves to lose a defender and create space
Benefits: Gets you out of tricky situations when there are no passing options available/ your teammates are marked. Exploit your opponents when 1 on 1 against them. Fake/ feint the opponent when you are being pressed to free up space to pass or run with the ball
Who uses the skill: Wingers, Midfielders, Attackers
Work on: Stepovers, Side steps, Body feints, fakes, and start and stop moves. The possibilities are endless. Be as creative as you want.
Best players in 1v1: Lionel Messi [Argentina], Ronaldinho [Brazil], Zinedine Zidane [France], Neymar [Brazil], Cristiano Ronaldo [Portugal]
Verdict: A highly creative skill and a must-have. Develop 2-3 (can be more) skills to have in your locker.
Check out: Free football resources to up your knowledge of the game
Basic fundamental skills of football to master while defending
5. Pressing
Definition: The quick closing down of space in front of the attacker as soon as the opponent gets the ball
Benefits: Allows you to win the ball quickly and ideally high up the pitch. Facilitates a seamless transition from defence to offence
Who uses this skill: Midfielders, Defenders, Forwards
Work on: Immediate closing down of the space(individually and as a team). Focus on the right moments to press instead of blindly rushing in every time
Verdict: The easiest and most efficient way of winning the ball if done right
6. Marking
Definition: Staying close to your opponent in order to press or/and take the ball
Benefits: Gain possession of the ball. Blocking the opponent’s passing option. Prevents build-up play
Who uses this skill: Defenders and Midfielders
Work on: Man-to-man marking. Zonal Marking. Preventive marking
Verdict: A vital defensive skill that supports pressing
7. Intercepting/ Tackling
Definition: Kicking and taking back the ball possession is tackling. Interception is anticipating and blocking the path of the pass before the ball reaches your opponent’s other player
Benefits: Take back possession of the ball. Launch/prevent quick counterattacks. Block the strikes on goal.
Who uses this skill: Defenders and Midfielders.
Work on: Slide tackle. Block Tackle. Body Tackle. Awareness of the play and others around you.
Verdict: A must-have defending skill
Basic fundamental football skills to master and use throughout
8. Scanning
Definition: Looking for visual information in your immediate vicinity/ far ahead just before receiving the pass
Benefits: Awareness of the supporting/passing options, positioning of nearby opponents, and awareness of space. Helps you make a quick decision on what to do once the ball arrives
Who uses this skill: Everyone
Work on: Glancing up or checking your shoulders just before the teammate plays you the pass
Verdict: Scanning is what separates a good and a great player. Constant scanning is crucial and an absolute necessity in the modern game.
9. Communication
Definition: Passing the information to your teammates either verbally or non-verbally
Benefits: Prevents your teammate from making a potential mistake, passing on an idea to your teammate, helps avoid making a haste or rash decision
Who uses this skill: Players near the ball carrier
Work on: Man on or Turn calls, Gestures using your body parts ( you can come up with your signals or gestures) Time your communication in such a way that your teammate has enough time to react to it
Verdict: A non-negotiable!
10. Positioning
Definition: The angle and orientation of your body in relation to the play and your nearby opponents
Benefits: Complements your passing and first touch skills. Helps you have the full vision of the field depending on what position you play
Who uses this skill: Everyone
Work on: Positioning yourself in a way that you have the maximum vision of the field and the play
Verdict: An essential skill! Good body positioning will make your life easier, bad positioning will make it unbearably worse
Conclusion
To summarise, the basic fundamental football skills you need to master are:
1. First Touch
2. Passing
3. Shooting
4. Heading
5. Dribbling in tight spaces
6. Dribbling in large spaces
7. 1v1 skill moves
8. Pressing
9. Marking
10. Intercepting/ Tackling
11. Scanning
12. Communication
13. Body Positioning
Remember, practice makes perfect! Take the time to hone and develop each skill, both on your own and with teammates.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes along the way. Every missed pass or failed dribble is an opportunity to learn and grow.
With dedication and perseverance, you’ll soon find yourself making plays you never thought possible.
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FAQ’s
What are the basic skills of a football game?
First Touch, Passing, Shooting, Heading, Dribbling, 1v1 and Defending are the basic skills of football.
What is the most basic skill in football?
The most basic football skills are first touch (Receiving the ball) and passing. They form the basis for a player’s development.
What is the hardest skill in football?
This is a highly subjective topic. What might be difficult for one player may be easy for the other and vice versa but most agree that dribbling in tight spaces is a difficult skill to execute.
What is the easiest skill in football?
Unlike the previous one, there is no doubt that passing is the easiest skill to learn and execute.