The Elevator Foot: How to Drop a High Ball Right at Your Toes

A high ball flies through the air. It is coming right toward you.

What do you do next?

Most young players do one of two things. They either let the ball bounce on the grass, or they kick it hard while it is still in the air.

Both of these choices are mistakes.

If you let the ball bounce, you lose control. You do not know where the ball will go. It might bounce over your head. It might bounce right to a defender.

If you kick it hard, you are just giving the ball away to the other team.

To keep the ball, you must bring it down to earth safely. You do this with a skill called the Elevator Foot.

Why Bounces Are Your Enemy

In soccer, a bouncing ball is a wild ball. It takes time to bounce up and come back down. While you are waiting for the ball to land, defenders are running toward you. They will get to you before you can even make a decision.

When the ball is on the ground, you are in control. You can pass. You can dribble. You can shoot.

Your goal is to get the ball from the air to the grass as fast as possible. But you cannot do this by stomping on the ball. If you try to stomp on it, the ball will hit the hard ground and shoot away from you.

Instead, you have to catch the ball with your foot.

How to Use the Elevator Foot

Think about an elevator in a tall building. If you jump into an elevator that is moving down at the exact same speed you are falling, you will land very softly.

You want your foot to act like that down-moving elevator.

Here is how you do it, step-by-step:

• Lift your foot early. Raise your foot off the grass to meet the ball. Use the inside of your foot or the laces of your shoe. Do not wait for the ball to reach the ground.
• Relax your leg. Do not make your leg stiff like a piece of wood. Keep your ankle loose. A stiff leg is like a brick wall. If you throw a ball at a brick wall, it bounces back fast. You want your leg to be like a heavy blanket hanging on a clothesline. If a ball hits the blanket, the blanket bends and the ball drops straight down.
• Ride the elevator down. Just before the ball touches your shoe, start moving your foot downward. Move your foot at the same speed the ball is falling.
• Catch it softly. Let the ball touch your foot while your foot is on its way down. If you do this right, the ball will not bounce off you. It will stick to your foot and drop gently to the grass.

Imagine catching a water balloon. If you hold your hands stiff and try to grab it, the balloon will pop. To keep it safe, you have to move your hands backward as you catch it to slow it down. Your foot must do the exact same thing with the soccer ball.

Where to Practice This

You do not need a full soccer field to practice the Elevator Foot. You do not even need a partner. You can do this in your backyard, in a hallway, or at a park.

Start by holding the ball in your hands. Toss it up above your head. As it falls, use the inside of your foot to cushion it to the ground. Try to make the ball stop right at your toes. It should not make a loud smack sound when it hits your shoe. It should be quiet.

Once you can do this ten times with your favorite foot, try it ten times with your other foot.

Next, toss the ball even higher. The higher the ball goes, the faster it will fall. That means you have to move your foot down faster to catch it.

When you can do this easily, you will never fear a high ball again. While other players are waiting for the ball to bounce, you will already have the ball on the grass, ready to score.