P7 : FFP : How to build footwork difficulty :: Technical Football Tuition

Level #1 Exercises

Develop a non-game Functional Technical Base

These exercises do not have an obvious 'game functional place' in the game (but can easily be tweaked to have a game functional use), but will provide a great technical base on which all game functional techniques can be built upon. These exercises help players develop the ability to do one thing with one foot (like hop) , while manipulating the ball with the other.

Level #1

Basic Conditioning : Ball Mastery

Foot locked Up

Work through the levels in each exercise.

Level 0 : Hold onto something : This is not demonstrated in the videos but is a good place to start, so that the focus can be purely on the ball.
Level 1 : Balance
Level 2 : Hop
Level 3 : Head Up
Level 4 : Eyes Closed (Advanced players should be able to do all ball mastery exercises with the eyes closed).

Balance and Tap

Balance & Roll Forward / Backward

This can be developed into a

stop start technique.

Balance & Roll in and out

This can be developed into a

roll forward / roll back fake pass technique.

If a player can do the exercises above, then they will find all future game functional ball moving techniques easier to master. If a player can't do the exercises above, then they will always struggle to move the ball around their feet well. So if you have a young player who is happy to do a little bit of focused technical practice start with these 3 exerciises and work through the 3 levels for each technique.

These FFS exercises are homework exercises for the 2pm session players, and should be done players in their own time. We revisit these every week for a couple of minutes at the start of each session. They do need to be done in the same way by coaches at TST.

Level #2 Exercises

Level #2

Footwork Exercises : Develop Basic Fundamental Foot Shapes

'Drag Back into a fundamental touch'

Use ball mastery exercises to repeat the foot shapes around the ball that occur all the time in games.

These FFS exercises are homework exercises for the 3.45pm session players, and should be done players in their own time. We revisit these every week for a couple of minutes at the start of each session. They do need to be done in the same way by coaches at TST.

Drag Back : Open Foot

Drag Back : Little Toe (outside push)

Drag Back : Open Foot : Little Toe : Combo

To get more info on fundamental foot shapes click here.

To do more advanced fundamental foot shape ball mastery exercises click here.

Click here to see great TST type exercises using zig-zag cones and a Drag Back into a touch.

Level #3 Exercises

Level #3 :

Introduce 'Drag Back Vs' :

Use DBVs to continue to develop Fundamental Foot Shapes whilst introducing the first Fundamental Footwork Patterns.

Start with the Ball Mastery version (No steps between)

Level 0 : Balance and catch (Simple do at walking speed : Do 12 without a mistake).
Level 1 : Add in a Hop on the 'balance' foot as you drag with the other foot. (This makes the exercise more dynamic)
Level 2 : Do this as quick as you can and / or with the head up / eyes closed.
Level 3 : Make the exercise more game functional* by adding in a step/shuffle between each pattern.

Game Functional Drag back Vs

Then progress to Game functional Drag Back Vs that include movement to a new space (using a step or shuffle) and includes getting the head up between patterns.

Drag Back Vs which include movement to a new space are very useful in game : This is what game functional means: Check this video out.

Same foot Inside V

Context

Ball Mastery

Game Functional : Basic Exercise

Switch foot Inside V

Context

Ball Mastery

Game Functional : Intermediate

Darg Back Flick Behind

Context

Ball Mastery

Game Functional : Adv Exercise

To get more info on Drag Back Vs click here.

Footwork is also developed naturally from playing games: 1v1s, 2v2s, 3v3s etc help reinforce good footwork.

Add Turns as soon as its possible.

Always Progress towards Game functionality and complexity.

Drag Turn

Context

Ball mastery

Ball Moving

Inside step Inside Turn

Context

Ball mastery

Ball Moving Idea

Outside step Outside Turn

Context

Ball mastery

Ball Moving Idea

Before doing specific FFPs, do one foot only exercises.

Always Progress towards Game functionality and complexity.

Right foot step Right foot

Left foot step Left foot

Level #4 footwork.

Introducing the Fundamental Footwork Patterns that players should master first.

The videos below show Fundamental Footwork Patterns :

In Context : Basic Ball Mastery : More advanced exercises.

Note DBVs are also FFPs : After a while a few FFPs can be combined into one exercise.

In regards to ball moving exercises : Be creative : The examples below are just ideas. They dont have to be practiced this way.

Inside switch Outside

Context

Ball mastery

Ball Moving Idea

Drag Back U

Inside Inside

Context

Ball mastery

Ball Moving Idea

Lateral Forward Lateral Forward Back

Inside step Outside

Context

Ball mastery

Ball Moving Idea

Outside step Inside

Context

Ball mastery

Ball Moving Idea

Zig Zag Cones : Easy Version

Level #5 footwork.

Fundamental Footwork Patterns

Outside [shuffle² & Switch] Outside

Use an outside to move the ball (lateral or forward) then take 2 steps (without touching the ball) and this should get the other foot on the ball.

Context

Ball mastery

Ball Moving

Outside step Outside (attack forward space)

Context

Ball mastery

Ball Moving Idea

Lateral Forward Lateral Forward Back

Inside step Inside Shuffle^₂& switch

Context

Ball mastery

Ball Moving

Inside step Inside step (Crab)

Context

Ball mastery

Ball Moving Idea

Inside shuffle² & Switch

Context

Ball mastery

Ball Moving

Inside shuffle³

Use an inside to move the ball (usually forward) then take 3 steps (without touching the ball) and this should get the other foot back on the ball.

Context

Outside shuffle³

Use an outside to move the ball forward, then take 3 steps (without touching the ball) and this should get the same foot back on the ball.

Context

Ball mastery

Ball Moving

Outside step Outside step (Pony)

Use an outside to move the ball , take 1 steps (without touching the ball) and this should wit the same foot : repeat until you need to change the step to a shuffle.

Context