Events

REC Skills of the week: CRUYFF (turn), ZIG ZAG and JUGGLING (intro)

Date
Monday, March 29, 2021

Description

CRUYFF
Push the ball forward, fake kick with inside of foot, but instead pull ball behind the standing leg and change directions.

One step move that uses the inside of the foot to "chop" the ball underneath the support leg in a radically new direction.  The key is setting up the support leg in the correct position, and also swiveling the body a little, to make room for the ball to pass beneath the leg.

Note that the sole (cleats) are not part of this move.  Furthermore, Coerver and Vogelsinger often describe the "fake kick" motion associated with the beginning this move, and then that same leg "chops" the ball underneath the support leg.

Johan Cruyff Turn

Johan Cruyff turn in a match

Hook Turn | Soccer Coach Weekly

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Hendrik Johannes Cruijff, internationally spelled Cruyff; (25 April 1947 – 24 March 2016) was a Dutch professional football player and coach.  As a player, he won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973, and 1974.  Cruyff was an exponent of the football philosophy known as Total Football explored by Rinus Michels, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in football history.  In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Dutch football rose from obscurity to become a powerhouse in the sport.  Cruyff led the Netherlands to the final of the 1974 FIFA World Cup and received the Golden Ball as player of the tournament.  At the 1974 finals, he executed a feint that subsequently was named after him, the "Cruyff Turn", a move widely replicated in the modern game.  Wearing the number 14 jersey, he set a trend for wearing shirt numbers outside the usual starting line-up numbers of one to eleven.

Johan Cruyff Dribbling Compilation

Number 14 - Johan Cruyff

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Pele " zig zag " football soccer trick

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JUGGLING

PURPOSE
Juggling is designed to promote, encourage and challenge our players to spend more of their free time juggling.  As we all know, juggling is an integral part of player development.  It is also a known fact that all good jugglers are not necessarily good soccer players, but it is certain that all good soccer players are good jugglers.  

We want to encourage our young players to make juggling a habit because:

• Players develop better overall ball manipulation skills                                                                                        
• Players develop coordination, balance, reaction speed, learn to use both feet etc.                                                   
• Players can set and achieve goals (personal juggling record) and also develop good work/practice habits and determination to reach those goals

FIRST TOUCH = FIRST CLASS
We have come a long way over the past year as a soccer club, and each player has made great strides to seek excellence in their improvement on the soccer pitch. In order for our players to be successful, it is important that we really refine and improve our first touch.

Here are some activities to help promote the process of improving your first touch as a player.  Each one of these will be useful to help increase your juggle count, but also to help you with your technical receiving, and skill on the ball during training and matches.  Try some of these out with a regular routine and your first touch will greatly improve. 

THE ONE-BOUNCE GAME
Players juggle but are allowed a bounce in between each touch. It is important to make sure that you use both feet.  This is a great activity for those players just learning how to juggle/improve their first touch

Modifications:

• Alternate feet 
• Take a bounce juggle twice with the same foot, and then bounce, then juggle twice with the opposite foot, repeat etc 
• Juggle foot, thigh, then a bounce, then switch feet/legs 
• Juggle foot, head, thigh, foot then a bounce and switch legs/feet

REGULAR JUGGLING IDEAS 

• Juggle Feet Only 
• Alternate right to left foot 
• Around the world - this is a hard one!  Start with ball on right thigh, then right foot, to right shoulder, to head, to left shoulder, to left thigh, to left foot, back to right thigh and then repeat
• Juggle feet only, keeping the ball below your knees 
• Juggle feet only keeping the ball below your shins 
• Take one to two touches (start any touch progress to feet only) then knock the ball to head level, then receive, take one to touches then hit the ball to head level again 
• Take one to two juggles, knock the ball over your head/find it, then take the ball out of the air(without a bounce), and continue the process with one to two touches, then knock the ball over again 

JUGGLE SEQUENCE GAME
Players will begin with one juggle with either foot, then add one more juggle with the other foot, then switch back to the other foot, and add another juggle. Keep on going as high as you can go. 

Example: Right foot = 1, Left foot =2, Right foot = 3, Left Foot = 4 and continue

JUGGLE AGAINST A WALL
Take one to two touches, and hit a ball up against a wall and or a hard surface. Then, receive the ball out of the air without a bounce; take one to two touches again.

Modifications:

• one foot only 
• alternate feet 
• touch to the wall must be headed 
• must receive the ball out of the air feet only

WHY WE JUGGLE
CLICK HERE

 

Juggling Basics for Kids & Beginners

Juggling a Soccer Ball for Beginners

Diego Mardona prematch warmup in 1989, juggling the ball in time with music...

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BALL MASTERY
Setup a small soccer activity area to practice some of your favorite moves, or visit the following links for more activities:

• Ball Mastery... SkillsForLegends.GermantownLegends.com
• ActivitiesForLegends.GermantownLegends.com
• SoccerAtHome.GermantownLegends.com
• KickingIsNotASoccerSkill.GermantownLegends.com

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Kicking is NOT a Soccer Skill