The Bumper Arms: How to Use Your Upper Body to Keep the Ball

When you play soccer, your coach probably tells you: "No hands!"

This is true. You cannot touch the ball with your hands.

But that does not mean you should keep your arms glued to your sides. In fact, if you play with your arms down, you are giving the defender a huge advantage.

To keep the ball, you need to use your arms. We call this using Bumper Arms.

Why Your Arms Are Your Extra Eyes

When you have the ball, you have to look down at it. If you are looking at the ball, you cannot see where the defender is.

If you cannot see them, they can easily sneak up and kick the ball away.

This is where your Bumper Arms help.

Your arm can "see" for you. By putting your arm out, you can feel exactly where the defender is.

• If you feel their chest on your arm, you know they are right next to you.
• If they move to your left, you will feel your arm shift.
• If they move to your right, your arm tells you instantly.

You do not even have to look at them. Your arm sends a message to your brain. It tells you exactly which way to turn to keep the ball safe.

How to Use Bumper Arms Without Fouling

You cannot just push people. If you shove a defender with your hand, the referee will blow the whistle. That is a foul.

To use Bumper Arms safely, follow these three simple rules:

• Keep your elbow bent: Do not push with a straight arm. Keep your arm bent in a "V" shape. Use the part of your arm between your wrist and your elbow to make contact.
• Be a bumper car: Think of a bumper car at an amusement park. The rubber bumper does not reach out and hit other cars. It just sits there to protect the car. Keep your arm stiff and strong, but do not shove it forward. Let the defender run into you.
• Keep it low: Do not put your hand near the defender's face, neck, or shirt. Keep your arm low, near their chest or the front of their shoulder.

When to Use Your Bumper Arms

There are two main times you should use this skill.

First, use it when you are waiting for a pass. If a teammate passes you the ball and a defender is running up behind you, do not just stand there. Step toward the defender, put your Bumper Arm on their chest, and hold them back. Now you have a clean space to control the ball.

Second, use it when you are dribbling side-by-side. If you and a defender are running next to each other, put your arm out. Keep them on the outside of your "bumper" while you use your feet to guide the ball.

Practice It Today

The next time you practice, try this quick game with a teammate:

1. Stand with your back to your teammate.
2. Have your teammate put their hands on your hips.
3. Close your eyes.
4. Have your teammate try to step to your left or your right.
5. Without opening your eyes, use your arms to feel which way they are going, and step in front of them to block them.

This game teaches you to feel the defender without looking at them.

Your feet do the playing, but your arms do the protecting. Start using your Bumper Arms in your next game, and you will keep the ball much longer.