Soccer Trapping - All the factors you need to know about receiving the ball

A player must have to develop trapping skill thoroughly if he or she is ever going to stand a chance on the pitch. Trapping a soccer ball requires a lot of small but important factors, let's take a look:

Soccer Trapping Factors

Ball Control - Players must have the ability to gain full control trapping the ball, without giving your opponent the chance for a decisive tackle. Therefore, you must learn how to glue the ball to your feet ASAP.

Body Position - Position your body means that you will have to position yourself in such a way that gives the defender no chance of touching the ball.

Field Vision - Before trapping the ball, you have to quickly scan the field around you for the best way to move, so that you can open yourself a position for a pass, or a dribble.

Methods of Soccer Trapping

There are many methods for ball trapping, and different situations will require you to react differently. Therefore, it's rather important that you master all of the following trapping methods, if you want to be a complete soccer player.

Inside/Outside of Foot – This is the most common method of soccer trapping, since most of the passes you will handle will be low ground ones that you can control with your foot. To perform this type of trapping, simply stiffen your leg muscles and bend your knee slightly and pull it back from your hip to dampen the incoming ball's force. Then use your ankle to give the ball a new direction. But, make sure not to hit it too hard and give it away.

Sole Trapping – This type of soccer ball trapping is when you trap the the ball underneath your sole. However it's not a recommended trapping method since you're trapped in a static position with the ball and can easily be pushed away by the defender and your only option is to pass it back, or try to move sideways, avoiding the defender's tackle.

Instep Receiving – Instep receiving is useful when you're trying to control a long ball falling in at a steep angle, or when you're trying to ground a loose ball in the air. When perform the instep receiving make sure you determine where the ball will fall and at the exact moment when it makes contact with the upper part of your foot, then pull your ankle backwards a bit, to reducing the force the ball hits the ground.

Thigh Receiving – This is another method to receive high balls. Since you can cushion the ball better with your thigh than you would with your foot, it's a easier way trapping high balls. But, there's a disadvantage in this type of trapping is that the ball will still not be on the ground after receiving it, so you'll have to make an additional move in order to make full use of it.

Chest Receiving – Receiving on your chest has pretty much the same advantages and disadvantages as receiving on your thigh, When using your chest to control an incoming soccer ball, you have to arch your back slightly and flex your chest muscles by extending your arms forward.

Head Receiving – If you want to receive a high ball with your head, you'll have to use the same cushioning technique as with the instep move, using your neck to dampen the ball's force. You can redirect the ball with your head and then follow up the move with a sprint, or you could try to bring it down to your feet in a static position, by bending your knees and leaning slightly forward.