Juggling a Soccer Ball - 6 Key Points

Key Points:

1. Let the ball drop low. If the ball is high in the air do not try to kick it. Let it drop low.

2. Keep your ankle locked, not loose, and curl your foot back towards your shin. - You want your ankle hard like a rock, not loose like jello. So when the ball hits your foot it bounces off as if it hit a rock. If your foot is loose like jello your foot will absorb the pressure of the ball. - Do not curl your foot back all the way to your shin. If you do this, it will cause the ball to come back and hit you in the shins. - If you don't curl your foot back and you point your toe down, the ball will hit your foot and go forward away from you.

3. Make contact with your laces, specifically the part of your laces near the base of your toes. 

4. The ball should have back spin. 

5. Keep your juggling foot out in front of you when juggling, not behind you. Do not bring your foot all the way back when you juggle. A juggling touch requires little movement. If you bring your foot to far back it takes to much time to bring it forward and make contact with the ball.

6. Keep your eyes on the ball. 

Exercise Player Can Do:

An exercise we can do to practice. Start practicing your foot juggling motion without the ball. This will get you use to how your technique will feel. Once comfortable get the ball out.

Using your hands toss the ball up, juggle it once and catch it. As you feel confident go for two juggles and catch it, three juggles and catch it. Then continue to the point where you don't catch it and you only pick the ball up with your hands when it drops. 

Do this for 10-15 minutes. 

Juggling is not something you practice once and don't do again. I'd suggest practicing juggling for at least 10-15 minutes at the end of every session you do. 

Yes, when you get good you will start juggling from the ground by doing a pick up move with your feet. But right now we are not working on pick up moves from the ground, we are working on feet juggling. This is why I advise you to start with your hands, not your feet. Reason being is so we focus on feet juggling, not juggling pick up moves. 

What Player Could Be Doing Wrong:

Some things you could be doing wrong. If the ball is going away from you in a forward direction you are not curling your foot back towards your shin. 

If the ball is going to side of you when you take your touch then you are hitting the outside of your foot. Keep your eyes on the ball when you take your touch and hit the ball with your laces, near the base of your toes; not the outside of your foot. 

Bonus Tips:

Toss the ball up in the air, don't just drop it at your foot. Lots of players just drop it or push the ball down and this doesn't give them enough time to react to the ball. 

Only use your opposite foot when you are feeling confident on your dominant foot. So once you can do 5 or 10 juggles on your dominant foot then start using your weaker foot. The same feet juggling technique applies. 

Be patient, be confident and enjoy the process of improving. Beginner jugglers get very frustrated with juggling because it's hard. Don't get frustrated, take your time and remember small improvements daily equal big improvements over time. 

This Video Covers:
How to Juggle - How to Juggle a Soccer Ball - Juggling Soccer Ball - Soccer Juggling - Soccer Juggling Tips - How to Coach Soccer - Soccer Coaches - How to Play Soccer