What are the ten core skills in football?

Core skills are the fundamental techniques every player needs to score and stop goals. Without them, there can be no game.

There are five attacking core skills and five defending ones. Let’s explore each of them.

Attacking core skills

These are the core skills a team uses when they’re in possession of the ball.

Receiving

Receiving is how a player gets the ball to their feet. It starts with learning where to stand to receive the ball and progresses to techniques like receiving on the half-turn or with their back to the opposition. How a player receives the ball depends on their position, location on the pitch and where the pressure is.

Learn how to coach receiving here.

Finishing

Finishing is the skill of scoring goals – the part of the game everyone loves. From toe pokes to volleys, there are many techniques to get the ball in the net. This skill develops considerably as players grow and mature.

Learn how to coach finishing here.

Moving with the ball

There are many ways for players to move with the ball, depending on their position, location on the pitch and where the opposition is. It could be a centre-back carrying the ball into space. Or it could be a wide player going out 1v1 against a defender.

Learn how to coach moving with the ball here.

Turning

Turning is all about changing direction. It includes techniques like drag backs, stepovers and the Cruyff turn. It can even be as simple as changing body position to receive a pass or face an opponent. Turning helps players keep possession and exploit space on the pitch.

Learn how to coach turning here.

Passing

To get the ball from one player to another, passing is essential. Instep passing over shorter distances is popular with younger age groups and on hard courts. As players develop, they learn a wider range of techniques, such as lofted, driven and using the outside of the boot.

Learn how to coach passing here.

Defending core skills

There are five core skills a team uses when they’re out of possession of the ball.

Intercepting

Intercepting means stealing the ball from the opposition. This is done by stopping a pass from going from one player to another. Being sneaky and subtle and timing the movement to intercept is essential to getting this right.

Learn how to coach intercepting here.

Pressing

Pressing means getting as close to the opposition as possible to win back the ball or force them to make mistakes. Pressing looks very different as players develop. For younger players, it can be described as “swarming like bees” or “charging” to make it more relatable.

Learn how to coach pressing here.

Marking

Marking is a defensive tactic to limit the opposition’s impact on the match. It can be player-to-player, where a player tracks a single opponent. Or it can be zonal, where players protect a specific area on the pitch.

Learn how to coach marking here.

Challenging

Challenging is about taking the ball from an opponent by tackling them. There are various ways to challenge, from slide tackles to standing challenges and aerial duels. It’s a very technical skill that requires great timing and positioning.

Learn how to coach challenging here.

Covering and recovering

Covering is getting into the right position to help a teammate. Recovering is getting back into a defensive position. For instance, a player might press while their teammate covers the space they’ve left. If the presser is beaten, they’ll need to recover to get back into a good position to help their team to defend.

Learn how to coach covering and recovering here.

Want to learn more?

For advice on coaching the core skills, check out the links above under each section. Or check out these Coachcast episodes:

• The ten core skills every player needs and how to coach them with Katie Sorenson
• Helping your players master the ten core skills with Emily Senior