For young soccer players who are participating in 4v4 or 5v5 games, learning how to kick and control the long ball is not as important as learning proper dribbling and passing techniques. However, as your players and the field size on which they are playing grow over time, it is important to begin incorporating the long ball into your practice sessions so that your players are better prepared to handle the situation when it arises in the game and do not get into the bad habit of simply “booting” a ball without direction.
To define the long ball: the long ball is a strong, hard pass that travels a long distance when sent up the field.
Any player can be in a position to hit the long ball:
- Defenders may kick a long ball when they are working to move the ball out of their own defensive third.
- Midfielders may use the long ball to send a pass up and over the opposing defenders so that a forward making a run can gain control of the ball while outpacing the defense.
- Forwards, too, can use the long ball in situations where the attacking line gains control of the ball near midfield and they need to move the ball towards the opponent’s goal.
The long ball, when performed with direction and not just “booted,” can be an effective way to move the ball efficiently out of your defensive third or to switch possession quickly in the game.
When teaching players how to kick the long ball, you will first want to make sure that their foot is striking the ball in the correct way. Be careful that your players are not kicking “toe balls,” i.e., striking the ball with their toe in order to have more “oomph” in the kick.
Using the toe may cause the ball to travel farther, but it is much harder to control where the ball will go when using the toe.
Instead, your players should use the instep of the foot just as when they are shooting on goal. Players should strike the middle of the ball, not too close to the ground and not too close to the top of the ball. Begin by having your players stand approximately 25 yards apart, kicking semi-long balls to each other practicing correct form.
Let them know that their foot should move through the ball in a similar way to a shot on goal rather than a soft pass. Then, have your players move farther apart until they are up to 40 yards away and the balls are traveling the whole way back and forth without stopping in the middle.
Once your players are able to kick the long ball while standing still, have them practice the long ball while moving via a drill.
2v2 Long Ball Drill
- Divide four players into two teams of two and have one player from each team stand about 10 yards out of the goal, and have the remaining two players stand near midfield.
- Start the ball into play by kicking or throwing the ball to the players near the goal.
- Whichever player wins the ball should then attempt a long ball to their teammate near midfield. This player must then defeat the opponent and send a long ball back to his original teammate, who should then control the long ball and shoot on goal.
- If the player near midfield loses control of the ball to his opponent, the opponent has the chance to send the long ball to his teammate for a possible score.
- Keep score and switch the teams up at the end of the drill. You can set up cones for goals and have more than one drill going on at once during your practice.
The moving drill will allow your players to practice using the long ball in a more game-like situation.
