Fundamental Footwork Patterns

are the simple / efficient ways players can move the ball around their body.

They are a combination of ;

•  The type of touches (inside, outside, sole)
•  The number of steps between touches (0,1, shuffle)
•  Whether the ball switches to the other foot or stays on the same foot
•  How the ball moves from one space to another in a game functional way

These patterns can be used regardless of the direction of pressure so have a ubiquitous quality when playing

Pressure Problems

Pressure problems describe the direction of the pressure relative to the way the player on the ball is facing. It can be face on, angled, side on, along side or behind - and FFPs can be used to solve all these problems. The footwork doesn't change.

Click here to get a bit more details on Pressure Problems

Fakes

The FFPs also form the foundations for fakes and decption:

• A scissor is just a fake outside touch
• A step over is just a fake inside touch

We are not interested in fakes from an isolated point point of view (Eg - let's learn this 'trick'). We are interested in the fundamental foundations and how these can be improvised to create deception.

Head Up

Focusing on efficient and simple footwork patterns means that ball moving can be developed to a level where the feet move very quickly and precisely around the ball to the point where the touch gives the player all the information they need. This in turn, means that players can move the ball with the head up without even thinking about it. Ball moving become sensory not visual.

Touch Transfer

The final thing is that the development of touch using the repetition of ball moving patterns will transfer to every touch a player has. It will translate to a better first touch and a more accurate release.

 

• DT - Drag turn - the simplest way to turn
• Same foot DBV - Drag back and with the same foot immediately move the ball out of the body and shuffle (2 versions). Its call a V because the ball should move in a v shape (moves the ball roughly 90 degrees to the way the player is facing)
  
• Switch Foot DBV - Drag back and with the other foot immediately move the ball out of the body and take at least 1 step (2 versions)
  
• DBFB - drag back flick behind  -Drag back and with the same foot immediately move the ball across the back of the body and shuffle.

• Crab - Tiny little inside touches (inside step inside step etc) when the ball is on the back foot and the other foot is away from the ball. Crab becuase when you do this you are usually moving sideways in a crab like way.
  
• Pony - tiny little toe touches (outside step outside step etc) where the little toe of one foot stays next to the ball at all times. It is called Pony because if you do it properly it is a little like the way you might imitate a pony running. (Another analogy might be moving like the 'running man dance' that swept the world last year)

• Ish - Inside across the body and shuffle. (2 versions)(Face forward move lateral)
• Osh - Outside across the body and shuffle (Face forward move lateral)
  
• RA sh - Roll the ball across the body and shuffle (Face forward move lateral)
  

• I chop I push - Inside Chop (stop) Inside push & shuffle (This is a turn or a sharp change of direction)
  
• O chop O push - Outside Chop Outside push & shuffle (This is a turn or a sharp change of direction)
  
• DD - Inside chop touch  followed immediately by an outside with the other foot that gets the ball out of the body, followed by at least 1 step. (This is a turn or a sharp change of direction)
  

• RA - I : Roll the ball across the body and immediately take the ball with the other inside (Great for beating players in a 1v1)
  
• II - Inside across the body followed immediately into an inside with the other foot (stop touch or a forward touch) followed by at least 1 step. (Great for beating players in a 1v1 )
  
• OstepI - Outside touch out of the body followed immediately by 1 step, followed immediately by an inside touch with the same foot (that stops the ball or moves it forward or it could be a drag back and turn) , followed by a shuffle.(Great for beating players in a 1v1or for setting up a pass/strike)

• IstepO - Inside chop touch  followed immediately by an outside touch with the same foot that gets the ball out of the body, followed by at least 1 step [This is an inside fake]

• OfakeO - Outside fake into an outside take in the other direction, followed by a shuffle [This is the simplest outside fake]