Kicking a Still Ball: Long Passes and Set Pieces

1Warm up first

Jog around the pitch, then do side-steps, high knees and heel flicks. Swing each leg gently forwards and backwards 10 times, holding a friend's shoulder for balance. Finish with 10 inside-foot passes each way with a partner, the pass you learned in P4.

2What is a set piece?

When the game stops, it restarts with the ball standing still: a free kick, a corner kick, a goal kick or a throw-in. These restarts are called set pieces. At a free kick or a corner, the other team must stand at least 9.15 metres (10 yards) away from the ball until it is kicked. So you have time and space to carry out a plan. On a small school pitch, your teacher may use a shorter distance.

3The long pass: lifting a still ball

In P4 you kicked through the middle of the ball to keep it low. To send it high, over the heads of defenders, you kick low on the ball instead.

1. Approach from a slight angle, not straight at the ball.
2. Standing foot beside the ball and a little behind it, pointing at your target.
3. Lean back a little.
4. Strike the lower half of the ball with the inside of your laces, toes pointing down, ankle firm.
5. Follow through up and towards your target.

A long pass is useful for switching play: sending the ball across to the far side of the pitch, where there is more space and fewer defenders.

4Free kicks: direct and indirect

• Direct free kick: you may score straight from the kick. It is given for more serious fouls, such as tripping, pushing or a handball. The referee points one arm out to the side.
• Indirect free kick: the ball must touch another player before a goal can count. It is given for less serious offences. The referee holds one arm straight up until the ball has touched another player. If you kick an indirect free kick straight into the goal, the goal does not count, and the other team takes a goal kick.
• If a defender commits a direct-free-kick foul inside their own penalty area, the attackers get a penalty kick instead.

5Free-kick tactics

Near the goal, defenders stand side by side to make a wall. The wall blocks the part of the goal nearest to the ball, and the goalkeeper guards the rest. The attacking team can:

• Shoot by curling the ball over or round the wall.
• Pass short to a teammate, who shoots from a new angle.
• Cross the ball high into the penalty area for a teammate to head or shoot.
• Take it quickly, before the defenders are ready. This is allowed, as long as the ball is still and in the right place.

6Corner-kick tactics

A corner kick is taken from the corner arc. A goal can even be scored straight from a corner! Most teams send the ball high across the front of the goal. One attacker runs to the near post, another to the far post, and one or two players stay back in case the other team wins the ball and counter-attacks. When defending a corner, most teams have each player stay close to one attacker. This is called marking.

7Drills with little equipment

• Long-pass triangle: three players stand 15 to 20 metres apart. Lift a long pass to the next player, who controls it and passes on. Change direction after 10 passes.
• Switch the play: a player in the middle receives a short pass from one side, then lifts a long pass to a teammate waiting on the other side of the pitch.
• Free-kick challenge: push three tall sticks into the ground, or stand three chairs in a line, to make a "wall". Take turns to score past it: over it, round it, or with a short pass to a friend.
• Plan-it game (5 against 5): play a small game. Each time the teacher gives a free kick or a corner, your team has 10 seconds to agree on a plan before the kick is taken.

8Cool down

Walk slowly around the pitch. Stretch the front and back of your thighs and your calves, holding each stretch for 15 seconds. Drink some clean water.

Try it yourself

Try each one first, then tap Show answer to check.