Below are videos of Fundamental Soccer Skills that are performed by 10 Year MLS Veteran Bobby Burling. He walks us through a variety of basic dribbling, turning, passing and shooting exercises to help beginner soccer coaches and players become familiar with the ball.

Take your time learning these skills. It is important to start slow to dial in the technique and then increase speed when you are comfortable.

5 Dribbling Exercises to Improve Ball Control

Below are dribbling techniques to get comfortable with using the inside, outside and bottom of your foot to control the ball. Start slow to get the technique down first!

 

The 5 dribbling exercises that were shown in the video above are:

1. Inside and Outside Touches (One Foot)
2. Inside and Outside Touches (Both Feet)
3. Lateral Rolls
4. Forwards & Backwards Roll
5. Freestyle

4 Soccer Turning Exercises

The video below demonstrates 4 techniques to use when turning with the ball. This skill is valuable when you are protecting the ball from the opposing team and you want to turn and go another direction on the field. View the 4 fundamental turning exercises below to get comfortable. Again, start slow to dial in the technique and add speed as you get comfortable.

 

The 4 turning skills listed above are:

1. The Pull Back
2. The Chop
3. The Cryuff
4. The Hook and Pull

You can add in the turning skills while you are practicing the various dribbling techniques shown in video one. View 140+ soccer dribbling exercises and games.

Fundamental Passing Techniques

In the video below, we discuss a basic passing technique, along with the long drive pass, chip pass and the curve pass. 

 

The main coaching points when passing a soccer ball are:

1. Make sure your plant foot faces the target.
2.  Strike the center of the ball with the inside of your foot.

As you improve your passing, you can work on other passing techniques listed below:

1. Basic Passing: This basic passing technique is great for short accurate passes to your teammate. 
2. Long Drive Pass: Great if you are passing a further distance, trying to change the field of play or to get the ball out of trouble.
3. Chip Pass: Great for chipping the ball over defenders to get the ball where you want it to be or a space that they can run to.
4. Curve Pass: Great for curving the ball around defenders to get the ball to your teammate or a space that they can run to. 

View 215+ soccer passing exercises and games.

Fundamental Shooting Techniques

In the video below, we demonstrate shooting for accuracy and shooting for power.

 

The main coaching points when Shooting For Accuracy is:

1. Make sure your plant foot faces the target.
2.  Strike the center of the ball with the inside of your foot.
3. Follow through to your target.

The main coaching points when Shooting For Power is:

1. Plant foot faces target.
2. Use laces to strike ball. 
3. Strike center of ball.
4. Follow through and land on shooting foot.

When learning how to shoot, it is always important to have your plant foot facing the target. The key differences are that when you shoot for accuracy you can use the inside of your foot and when you shoot for power, you can use a stronger kick and strike the ball with your laces. View 110+ soccer shooting exercises and games.

Developing First Touch

After players are comfortable with the fundamentals of dribbling, passing and shooting, it is beneficial to work on developing a first touch. A first touch is a skill that is useful when receiving a pass or gathering the ball after a broken play. Below are six simple, yet highly effective exercises that can be done to improve a players first touch and ball handling. The setup that is shown below can be done with 2 players and 8 cones. Players can also work on these exercises alone if they are able to find a wall or some sort of rebound surface to pass the ball to.

 

The 6 activities that are shown in the video above are listed below:

1. Receiving Ball with Inside of Foot
2. Receiving Ball with Outside of Foot
3. Inside Trap and Play
4. Outside Trap and Play
5. Inside Trap and Outside Play
6. Trap, Roll, and Play

Again, it is important to start slow when learning a new skill or technique. Do not get frustrated if it does not come easy. Take your time to first learn the movement and skill. Once you are comfortable, then you can work to increase your speed. Have fun getting better! Don't be afraid to blast some music while you are learning new skills so you can further enjoy the process!

Check out our additional soccer skills videos:

• Introduction to Juggling The Soccer Ball
• Introduction to a Soccer Throw In
• Introduction to Heading The Soccer Ball
• Learn to Trap Soccer Ball With Thigh
• Learn to Trap Soccer Ball With Chest
• View all Soccer Skill Videos