There are 4 ways to receive the ball, but 2 are used most. Of these different ways there is stationary, checking to, checking away and on the run. Some of how you receive the ball depends on your position and the level of play. Lower level soccer is more kickball so it’s a lot of chasing and retrieving loose balls. Higher levels consist of accurate passing and possession.
Biggest difference from youth to pros
Besides being great at the fundamentals [first touch/passing] it’s where they pass…
Watching even top level youth/high school soccer you see lots of long through balls into open space…
Top level pros hardly ever play balls into space.
The reason is because they are much better at passing and staying calm under pressure.
Therefore, they play balls to feet – 4 different ways.
When you have players who freak out or don’t have the technical ability to pass with accuracy, you see them just pump it forward.
How I collected the data
During a couple Champions League matches I got a pen and paper and wrote down [tallied] the 4 ways to receive the ball most.
The 2 games [40 minutes each] I watched were Real Madrid vs Chelsea and the following week was Real Madrid vs PSG.
Every time they received the ball I made a tally next to one of the 4 ways.
Of the 2 games they started of a little different in terms of which way had the most, but by the end the results were the same.
Going into it I didn’t know what the results would be…
I was surprised how they did not play a ball in space one time…
Not saying they never do, but during these games they didn’t and if you pay attention to the next few matches you watch, you’ll notice it doesn’t happen much.
Watch how much Barcelona receives the ball in a stationary position – video below.
1) Stationary was the #1 way to receive the ball
Stationary is #1 for high level futbol…
These situations would be where the player would either be in one spot for 1-2 seconds. Other times they would be there for about 5 seconds.
They were never just standing there flat footed… Instead, they would be light on their feet and ready position.
Oftentimes you’ll see 50% of the players walking around staying in the best possible position, while 30% are jogging and the other 20% are running/sprinting.
Never do you see pros standing.
2) On the run
When I say ‘on the run‘ it was usually the speed between a jog and a sprint.
This came in second, but not by much…
At one point in one of the matches I watched ‘on the run’ was in the lead over stationary.
Sometimes I was outside back making a run up.
Other times it would be a center mid passing 7-10 yards to another center mid.
The accuracy in these situations was almost perfect every time.
This skill is harder than you think!
When I do this with high school or even college players they start off not so good. The pass is either too hard or soft or just not timed right.
3) Checking to the ball
Checking to the ball came in #3 and was usually a forward checking into the CM or a CM checking to a CB or outside player.
Forwards and center mids did this the most, compared to other positions.
4) Checking away from the player or ball
Checking away was by far the least.
When used it was an outside back or mid getting wide.
Other times, it would be a center back dropping off to receive the ball from the CM or outside back.
Why youth players don’t
Youth soccer often ends up being a kickball match with lots of chasing the ball.
In this case, you’ll see a youth game [ages 12 – 16] and notice they don’t connect many passes in a row.
You’ll mostly see 2-4 passes and then a turnover – all game long.
Youths are chasing the ball because the passes are not accurate enough or they just panic and play long ball.
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