Scanning
Look around
Be aware of what is going on around you so you can use it to you advantage.
“Looking does no good if you are not seeing. ”
This is one of the most important and underused action you can take on a soccer field. What we mean by scanning is the act of looking around at what is happening on the field of play. Another word for it is checking your shoulder or the act of turning your head to look over your shoulder and see what is happening behind you as much as possible. We don’t have to watch the ball rolling around on the ground the whole time. We can take a look at our surroundings and then quickly find the ball again. Sometimes it’s as simple as breaking the habit of ball watching. One way to think of it could be if you imagine looking for something in a room with a flashlight versus turning on multiple lights in that same room. The flash light only lets you see where you point it while the light bulbs will send light to all corners of the room. This is the same when it comes to following the ball vs. scanning the field. If you only look at the ball you are not recognizing maybe 70% of what is happening on the field.
The goal is to get to the point where you can check you shoulder as the ball is traveling towards you. Once you see the trajectory of the ball you can improve to the point that you can scan field while the ball is traveling towards you. It is only a habit that makes you feel the need to constantly stare at the ball like it was a magnet. The act of scanning will help you feel more comfortable because you have a better idea of what is happening around you, then scanning will become a habit.
What's going on?
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The easiest way to work on this skill is to use a kick back or a wall. Whatever you have available that will rebound the ball towards you. You can always find a way. Kick the ball towards the wall while making sure to check your shoulder once before receiving the ball.
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Just as easy as you can play pass or kick back to another person you can incorporate a check of the shoulder or a scan around the space you are playing in.
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One of the keys to doing this practice is to not scan and look but not really see or recognize what you are looking at. Looking does no good if you are not seeing.