The Pele Series

 

 

You’ll need a partner and a ball. Face each other about 3 to 5 yards apart.  It’s best to start doing the drills while standing basically in one place, but as you get better, you can move forward and backward.

 

 

Each series starts with your partner playing the ball to you.  Do ten repetitions, then you play the ball to your partner for ten repetitions.  Always start with your strong foot (designated here as the right), but don’t neglect the other foot.  Do an equal number of repetitions with both feet.

 

 

1.  Have your partner pass a ball on the ground.  Trap with the outside of your right foot, and play it back to her/him with the inside of your right foot.  Now trap with the inside of your right foot, and play it back to her/him with the outside of your right foot.  Switch to your left foot, and work on various traps and passes with the inside and outside of both feet.

 

 

2.  Next from about 5 yards away, have your partner throw balls to you with her/his hands.  Trap the ball with the inside of your strong foot, smooth out the ball on the ground if your need to, and play it back to her/him on the ground.  Try using your other foot and different surfaces.  Also try to catch the ball with the laces and smushing the ball with the inside of the foot against the ground (make sure to get the inside of the knee out over the ball to complete this properly).

 

 

3.  Next have your partner throw the ball with a little loft on it, trap on your thigh, clean it up, and pass it back on the ground.  Switch thighs and feet, but make sure you are making a deliberate effort to trap with a particular thigh and pass back with a certain foot.

 

 

4. Have your partner toss the ball high in the air, then trap it on your thigh and knock it back into her/his hands out of the air without its bouncing.  Do this with your chest and head as well.

 

 

5.  Have your partner toss you the ball, then kick it back to her/his hands with a single touch.  Finish up with double-touches.  Catch the ball briefly with the laces, popping it into the air, then passing back to your partner with the inside of the same foot.  Switch feet as desired, but work to get a consistent first touch so that the second touch can be a good pass out of the air before the ball hits the ground.

 

 

-Taken from GO for the Goal: A champion’s guide to winning in Soccer and Life by Mia Hamm