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Click here to see the video: Soccer Skills: Top of Foot Control

Paul Riley: Probably the most important part of control is the ability to use our feet in it. You can use the bottom of your foot, the side of your foot or the top of your foot. I'm going to show you the top of the foot today, a really important part of the game. Watch, as the ball approaches and comes in the air, you need to soften the touch and pull away and take all of the pace out of the ball. Watch again, the ball comes in and pull your foot away and the ball will drop at your feet. It makes it nice and easy for the next pass.

OK, I'm going to show you a drill you can do. Nice and easy Bridget's going to throw the ball up, nice soft touch on the top of your foot, lay it down so your foot can get into a passing routine. Touch it, take the sting out of the ball and pass it. Bridget, again; Arianna, can you throw the ball for me, in the air, soft, good – bang – take the pace out of the ball completely out. Remember it is important to use both feet, so you can do both feet in the game, throw the ball in, kill. Beautiful, Bridget, and again, nice soft touch, take it out of the air and then pass to your teammate. Soft, don't let it bounce up, make this a good one, kill it.
Let's go, Arianna, high energy, touch it and pass it good. Backwards out and come in nice and sharp, nice soft touch. Remember, beautiful look at that right next to your foot, so much easier to pass the ball if your first touch is clean. Well done. Kill it and play it, keep it tight, soft and pass, great stuff.

So that is top of the foot control, very important part of the game. Again remember one thing, you have to soften your touch as that ball comes in, pull your foot away and sponge the ball so it sits nicely on your foot. The last thing you want to do is have a hard touch and then have to go into a tackle. This is what it looks like with a hard touch and now, all of a sudden, you're into a tackle. Good luck, practice it hard.