How to Curve a Soccer Ball

Soccer is a term that originated in Oxford University, England, in 1875. It is most popularly called football in many parts of the world. Soccer is a sport that both men and women play. It features 11 players per side, each led by a captain, and played with a spherical ball. The game is played in more than 200 countries globally and has over 200 million players that engage in the sport professionally. It is the most popular sport in the world. 

There are major two types of players: defensive players and attacking players. The primary goal in soccer is to outscore the other team, which happens by making concerted efforts to score. The primary way to score for most teams is to get a shot on goal. Sometimes getting a shot on target might be from a set piece. This requires the ball to be in a stationary position. The attacking player kicks the stationary ball to score or get one of their teammates to score.

Soccer Gameplay

The game of soccer is played following a specific set of rules often referred to as ‘the ‘Laws of the Game.’ The most fundamental law in soccer, otherwise known as football, is that during gameplay, asides from the goalkeeper, no other player is allowed to use their hands to handle the soccer ball. However, they are allowed to use any other part of their body.

During the game, players are required to engage in different practices like dribbling, passing to a teammate, or taking shots, all to score a goal against their opponents. Often, players are more proficient with one foot than the other, so a player may either be right-footed or be more efficient with their left foot; on very few occasions, we may come across players who are ambipedal.

Although football is a contact sport of sorts, there is the presence of a referee to ensure that contact is minimized and restricted. Soccer is generally a free-flowing game but the referee can stop the game if the rules are infringed or if the ball goes out of play. 

Even though the rules in football do not specify beyond having a goalkeeper and 10 outfield players, specialized roles have been developed as the game has evolved over time; there are strikers, who are tasked with scoring goals, midfielders who are expected to keep possession for their team and create opportunities for their team to score, and defenders whose primary job is to prevent the opposition from scoring alongside the goalkeeper.

The positions get further divided by where each player spends the most time during the game. This team layout, arrangement, and positioning are often described as the formation of a team.

Soccer Techniques

To play football successfully, professional players must possess some level of skill that will enable them to hold their own against their opponents. The skills required include several techniques that include an ability to shoot correctly, pass effectively, and head the soccer ball with much efficiency. It is also essential that a player keep the ball under control properly. These are a few of the most basic techniques that a player must master before being described as a soccer player.

There are some other more complex and advanced skills and techniques that a player can add to their game that will allow them to be even more elite players. These techniques are honed on the training ground by consistent practice; this way, players can master a more challenging skill that is much more advanced concerning the basics. Practice makes perfect is a prevalent saying widely accepted, and it is evident. If a player attempts to finetune a skill with the soccer ball with consistency, they will be able to master the skill in no time. 

An example of a more complex skill to master is volleying. During in-game situations, executing this skill depends on several factors, notably the ball spin speed or absence. Another essential, slightly advanced skill is the ability to make the ball curve.

This skill has different applications on the pitch and can make a lot of difference. Giving the ball an extra curve is a good technique that players should attempt to master. It is applicable in passing, shooting, and crossing. We will be looking into the technicalities of curving a soccer ball to achieve your desired goal.

Curving A Ball

As earlier stated, there are different reasons for which a player might need to curve a ball on the soccer pitch; an obvious example is when attempting to put a corner kick into the opposition’s penalty box to create a scoring opportunity. It can also be done as a shooting technique to put the ball beyond the reach of the goalkeeper and into the net. A profound opportunity to do this is from a free kick. A player who can make the ball curve longitudinally and latitudinally will be a favorite for set-piece duties for his team.

The skill level required for curving a ball in motion is different from the skill needed to curve a ball in a stationary. Playing a ball in motion will require mastering how to play a ball with spin and cushioning it well enough to ensure it doesn’t fly out of radar, although this is somewhat dependent on the aerodynamics of soccer balls. Different factors determine the trajectory of a ball during flight but most important is the way the player hits the ball.

Advanced players know that curving the ball requires putting a sidespin on the ball. If the player spins the ball in a clockwise direction, it will curve in the left-to-right direction. If the ball is curved anti-clockwise, it curves to the left. When players attempt kicks like this, it does not always come off in real-life game situations, usually due to a need for a larger angle or lack of proper balance, or some other inhibiting factor in the live game situation. Consistent practice drills are an excellent way to perfect this skill and this is done in practice games on the training pitch.

You may like to strike the ball off-center to get it to spin. Line up roughly three strides away from the ball on the pitch. Assuming you’re a right-footed player, take a slight left-to-right angle when approaching the ball. Near the bottom right corner, strike the ball with the inside of your foot.

To bend the ball in the other direction, you must attack it from the right side, striking the bottom left corner with the front part of your foot. The same principles apply if you’re left-footed but the orientations are reversed as if you’re staring into a mirror.

If you keep to the basics, you will have mastered how to curve a ball.