The Locked Ankle: How to Win 50/50 Balls Without Getting Hurt

Imagine a loose ball rolling on the grass. You are running toward it as fast as you can. An opponent is running toward it from the other side. You are both going to reach the ball at the exact same split second.

Coaches call this a "50/50 ball" because both players have an equal chance to win it.

Many players get scared in this moment. They poke at the ball with a soft, floppy foot. Or they pull their foot away because they do not want to get hurt.

But poking at the ball with a soft foot is actually how you get hurt. It is also how you lose the ball. Here is how to win that battle every single time, safely and easily.

The Brick Foot

The secret to winning a 50/50 ball is making your foot as hard as a brick. We call this locking your ankle.

To lock your ankle, do these three things:

• Pull your toes up toward your shin.
• Push your heel down toward the grass.
• Squeeze the muscles in your leg so your foot cannot wiggle.

Try this right now while sitting in a chair. Lift your foot and let it flop around. That is a loose ankle. Now, pull your toes up as hard as you can and squeeze your calf muscle. Try to wiggle your foot. You can’t. Your foot is now a solid block.

If you go into a tackle with a loose ankle, the ball will bend your foot backward when the other player kicks it. That hurts. But if your ankle is locked, your leg is like a steel wall. The ball cannot bend your foot, and you will not get hurt.

How to Block Tackle

When you and the other player get to the ball, do not try to kick the ball through them. You cannot kick through another person's leg. Instead, you are going to use your brick foot to build a wall.

Here is how you do it:

1. Plant your standing foot. Place your non-kicking foot on the ground next to the ball. Keep this knee bent. This foot keeps you balanced.
2. Turn your tackling foot. Turn your kicking foot sideways, just like you are going to make a pass with the inside of your foot.
3. Lock your ankle. Pull those toes up and make your foot solid.
4. Put your foot behind the ball. Do not swing at the ball. Just place the inside of your locked foot right against the back of the ball.
5. Lean forward. Keep your chest over the ball.

If you lean backward, the force of the collision will knock you over. If you lean forward with your knees bent, you will stay strong and upright.

Let Them Do the Hard Work

Here is the best part about this trick: you do not need to kick the ball hard.

Your opponent is going to run up and try to kick the ball as hard as they can. If your foot is a solid brick wall right behind the ball, they will kick the ball directly into your foot.

Because your foot is locked and your body is leaning forward, the ball has nowhere to go. It will hit their foot, bounce against your solid foot, and roll right over their foot into open space.

You do not need to swing your leg. You just need to arrive at the ball, lock your ankle, and let them kick the ball into your wall. You will walk away with the ball, and they will wonder how you did it.