Table of Contents
Introduction 8
Playbook 11
Skills
1 Receive the Bail 20
2 Receive a Pass 22
3 Use Your Thighs and Chest 24
4 Make Short-Range Passes 26
5 Make Mid-Range Passes 29
David Beckham 32
6 Make Long-Distance Passes 34
7 Bend the Ball: Inside 36
8 Chip the Ball 39
9 Strike on a Volley 42
10 Take a Penalty 44
11 Shield the Ball 46
12 Joggle the Ball 48
13 Play with Both Feet 50
14 Shoot from Inside the Box 52
15 Shoot against the Keeper 54
Christine Sinclair 56
16 Bend the Ball: Outside 58
17 Head the Ball 61
Strategies
1 Learn by Watching 64
2 Remember and Predict Patterns 67
3 Be Aware of Your Space 70
4 Receive a Pass 73
5 Stay Onside 75
6 What to Do in Wide Positions 78
7 Get Behind the Ball 81
Mia Hamm 84
8 Take a Throw-In 86
9 Receive a Throw-In 88
10 Know Common Patterns 90
11 Keep the Ball or Pass It? 93
Lionel Messi 96
12 Get Past the Other Team 98
13 Beat a Player without Touching the Ball 103
14 Choose the Right Pass 105
15 Help the Player on the Ball 109
16 Help Your Team Defend 113
Alex Morgan 116
17 Understand the Back Line 118
18 Cross the Ball 123
19 Defend the Cross 127
20 Create Space 130
21 Break Their Lines 133
22 Live in the Triangle 138
Cristiano Ronaldo 142
23 What to Do 1 vs. 1 144
24 Get the Ball Back 147
25 Work Together on the Back Line 150
26 Get to the Arriving Triangle 153
27 Get Ready to Score 156
For Parents
What Is Success? 160
Encourage Practice 162
The Role You Play 163
At the Game 164
Showing Support 165
Acknowledgments 167
Index 168
