THE FOUNDATION
Receiving Is The Start Of Your Next Action
Receiving is not simply stopping the ball.
A good first touch should leave you in a better position to pass, dribble, turn or protect possession.
The quality of the reception often determines how quickly and effectively you can perform the next action.
BEFORE RECEIVING
Look Before The Ball Arrives
One of the biggest differences between good and poor receiving happens before the player touches the ball.
Before receiving, look around and collect information.
Find The Defender
Know whether pressure is coming and from which direction.
Find The Space
Identify where you may be able to move with your first touch.
Find Your Options
Know where teammates are before you receive possession.
The more information you collect before receiving, the faster you can play after receiving.
BODY POSITION
Avoid Receiving Completely Square
Imagine a teammate is passing the ball to you from behind or beside you.
If your entire body faces the passer, you may not be able to see what is happening further up the field.
Whenever the situation allows it, position your body at an angle.
This is often called receiving with an open body position.
Facing The Passer
You may need additional touches and body movement before you can see or play forward.
See More Of The Field
You can see the passer while also seeing more of the space ahead.
RECEIVING FOOT
Choose The Foot That Helps The Next Action
There is no single foot that should receive every pass.
The correct foot depends on the direction of the pass, the location of the defender and what you want to do next.
Sometimes the near foot is useful for protecting the ball.
Other times, receiving with the farther foot allows the ball to travel across your body and helps you face forward.
CONTACT
Cushion The Football
A hard ball arriving at your foot can bounce away if your receiving surface remains too rigid.
Relax the receiving foot slightly and move with the ball as contact occurs.
This helps absorb some of the ball's speed.
The goal is not always to stop the ball completely. The goal is to control where your first touch sends it.
FIRST TOUCH
Give Your First Touch A Direction
Beginners often try to stop every ball directly underneath themselves.
That can be useful in tight spaces, but it can also slow the next action.
When space is available, your first touch can move the ball into the position you need.
Prepare The Next Pass
Touch the ball into a position where you can pass comfortably.
Move Into Space
Push the ball into the space you want to attack.
Keep It Close
Use a smaller touch when a defender is close.
TOUCH DISTANCE
Match The Touch To The Space
There is no perfect first-touch distance for every situation.
When defenders are close, the ball normally needs to stay closer to your body.
When you have open space ahead, a larger first touch can help you move forward more quickly.
Smaller Touch
Keep the football close enough to protect and control.
Larger Touch
Push the football farther ahead when you have room to accelerate.
READ THE PASS
Receive To Feet Or Into Space
Not every pass arrives directly to your feet.
Sometimes a teammate passes into space and expects you to move onto the football.
Your body position and first touch should adapt to the type of pass you receive.
Secure Possession
Control the ball while reading the pressure around you.
Continue The Movement
Receive while moving and avoid unnecessarily stopping the attack.
BOTH FEET
Learn To Receive With Either Foot
If you can only receive comfortably with one foot, your options become more predictable.
You may also take unnecessary adjustment touches simply to move the ball onto your preferred side.
Practice receiving with both feet from different passing angles.
MOVEMENT
Do Not Wait For Every Pass
Receiving is also about movement before the ball arrives.
Small movements can create a better passing angle or separate you from a defender.
Move into a position where the passer can find you and where your first touch has somewhere useful to go.
Good receiving begins with creating a good place to receive.
PRACTICE
Receive, Move And Pass Drill
Use a wall or a partner and place two small markers several steps apart.
Start near the middle. Receive the pass and use your first touch toward one marker.
Make the return pass, reposition toward the middle and repeat toward the opposite side.
Receive
Cushion the incoming ball.
Move The Ball
Direct the first touch toward the chosen side.
Pass
Play the return pass with the next touch.
Reposition
Move again before receiving the next ball.
PROGRESSION
Make Receiving More Difficult Gradually
Start slowly enough to perform the technique correctly.
Once control becomes reliable, increase the difficulty.
Increase Pass Speed
Receive firmer passes.
Change The Angle
Receive balls arriving from different directions.
Use Both Feet
Remove dependence on the preferred foot.
Add Pressure
Introduce a defender after the basic technique is reliable.
PROGRESS CHECK
Can Your First Touch Prepare The Next Action?
Have a partner or wall return 20 passes.
Alternate the direction of your first touch between left and right.
Count how many times your first touch places the ball in a comfortable position for an immediate second-touch pass.
COMMON MISTAKES
Receiving Mistakes
Watching Only The Ball
The player receives without checking the surrounding space.
Standing Completely Square
The player limits the amount of the field they can see.
Stopping Every Pass
The player kills the ball even when the next action requires movement.
Receiving Only With The Strong Foot
The player takes unnecessary touches to move the ball onto the preferred side.
Using The Same Touch Every Time
The player does not adjust the first touch to the available space or pressure.
GUIDE SUMMARY
Remember These Seven Ideas
Scan before the football reaches you.
Use your body position to see as much useful space as possible.
Choose the receiving foot based on the situation.
Cushion the ball rather than allowing it to bounce away.
Direct the first touch toward your next action.
Adjust touch distance to the space available.
Develop the ability to receive with both feet.
Receiving On The Back Foot
Learn how to use your body position and back foot to receive across your body and face forward more quickly.