The Far-Foot Touch: How to Receive the Ball and Play Faster

Imagine you are playing in the midfield. Your defender passes you the ball from the left side. You stand facing the ball. You stop it with your left foot.

Now, the ball is stuck right in front of you. You are facing the sideline. To pass the ball forward, you have to turn your whole body. By the time you turn, a defender runs up and steals the ball.

This happens to soccer players every single day. The fix is very simple. You trapped the ball with the wrong foot.

To play fast and keep the ball, you need to use the far-foot touch.

What is the Far Foot?

Every time a pass comes to you, you have a near foot and a far foot.

• The near foot is the foot closest to the ball. If the ball is coming from your left, your left foot is the near foot.
• The far foot is the foot furthest from the ball. If the ball is coming from your left, your right foot is the far foot.

To do a far-foot touch, you let the ball roll past your body. You do not touch it with your near foot. Instead, you trap it with the inside of your far foot.

Why This One Change Changes Everything

Using your far foot makes you a much better player instantly. Here are three reasons why:

• You face the game. When you use your near foot, you stay facing the person who passed you the ball. When you let the ball roll across to your far foot, your hips naturally turn. Now, you are facing the opponent's goal. You can see the whole field.
• You protect the ball. When you use your far foot, your own body stands between the ball and the defender. Your body acts as a shield. It is very hard for a defender to reach around you to get the ball.
• You play faster. With a near-foot touch, you need two or three touches just to turn around. With a far-foot touch, your first touch puts the ball in front of you. Your second touch can be a pass, a dribble, or a shot.

How to Do It Step-by-Step

Do not worry if this feels weird at first. Your brain will want to reach out with your near foot. Here is how to train your body to do it right:

1. Stand like a skateboarder. Do not stand like a soldier facing the ball. Stand sideways. If the ball is coming from your left, your right shoulder should point toward the goal you want to attack.
2. Let the ball go. As the ball comes to you, resist the urge to stop it early. Let it roll right past your near leg.
3. Catch it with the inside of your shoe. Use the big, flat part of your far foot. Keep your ankle strong.
4. Push the ball forward. Do not just stop the ball dead. Try to make your first touch push the ball one yard ahead of you, in the direction you want to run.

When to Avoid the Far-Foot Touch

There is only one time you should not use this touch. If a defender is running very fast to cut off the pass, do not let the ball roll across your body. The defender will steal it. In that case, use your near foot to shield the ball quickly.

But most of the time, you will have plenty of space. Use your far foot.

How to Practice on Your Own

You can practice this skill in your backyard or at a park. You only need a ball and a wall.

• Stand about five yards from the wall.
• Pass the ball against the wall with your left foot.
• The ball will bounce back toward your right side.
• Let the ball roll across your body and trap it with the inside of your right foot.
• Now, pass the ball with your right foot.
• Trap the return pass with your left foot.
• Keep going: pass left, trap right, pass right, trap left.

Start slowly. Focus on making a clean, soft touch that pushes the ball slightly forward. Once you get the rhythm, try to do it faster. Your coach will notice how much quicker you play in your next game.